Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensors

The Mass Air Flow Sensors converts the amount of air drawn into the engine into a
voltage signal. The ECM needs to know intake air volume to calculate engine load. This
is necessary to determine how much fuel to inject, when to ignite the cylinder, and when
to shift the transmission. The air flow sensor is located directly in the intake air stream,
etween the air cleaner and throttle ody where it can measure incoming air.
There are different ty!es of Mass Air Flow sensors. The vane air flow meter and
"armen vorte# are two older styles of air flow sensors and they can e identified y their
sha!e. The newer, and more common is the Mass Air Flow $MAF% sensor.
Mass Air Flow Sensor: Hot Wire Type
The !rimary com!onents of the MAF sensor are a thermistor, a !latinum hot wire, and
an electronic control circuit.
The thermistor measures the tem!erature of the incoming air. The hot wire is
maintained at a constant tem!erature in relation to the thermistor y the electronic
control circuit. An increase in air flow will cause the hot wire to lose heat faster and the
electronic control circuitry will com!ensate y sending more current through the wire.
The electronic control circuit simultaneously measures the current flow and !uts out a
voltage signal $&'% in !ro!ortion to current flow.
This ty!e of MAF sensor also has an (ntake Air Tem!erature $(AT% sensor as !art of the
housing assemly. (ts o!eration is descried in the (AT section of Tem!erature
Sensors. )hen looking at the E)*, there is a ground for the MAF sensor and a ground
for the (AT sensor.
Vane Air Flow Meter
The &ane Air Flow Meter !rovides the ECM with an accurate measure of the load
!laced on the engine. The ECM uses it to calculate asic injection duration and asic
ignition advance angle.
&ane Air Flow Meters consist of the following com!onents+
, Measuring -late
, Com!ensation -late
, .eturn S!ring
, -otentiometer
, /y!ass Air -assage
, (dle Adjusting Screw $factory adjusted%
, Fuel -um! Switch
, (ntake Air Tem!erature $(AT% Sensor
*uring engine o!eration, intake air flow reacts against the measuring !late $and return
s!ring% and deflects the !late in !ro!ortion to the volume of air flow !assing the !late. A
com!ensation !late $which is attached to the measuring !late% is located inside a
dam!ing chamer and acts as a 0shock asorer0 to !revent ra!id movement or
viration of the measuring !late.
Movement of the measuring !late is transferred through a shaft to a slider $movale
arm% on the !otentiometer. Movement of the slider against the !otentiometer resistor
causes a variale voltage signal ack to the &S terminal at the ECM. /ecause of the
relationshi! of the measuring !late and !otentiometer, changes in the &S signal will e
!ro!ortional to the air intake volume.
The .1 resistor $connected in !arallel with .2% allows the meter to continue to !rovide a
&S signal in the event that an o!en occurs in the main !otentiometer $.2%. The &ane Air
Flow Meter also has a fuel !um! switch uilt into the meter that closes to maintain fuel
!um! o!eration once the engine has started and air flow has egun.
The meter also contains a factory adjusted idle adjusting screw that is covered y a
tam!er 3resistant !lug. The re!air manual does not !rovide !rocedures on resetting this
screw in cases where it has een tam!ered with.
Types of VAF Meters
There were two major ty!es of &AF meters. The first design, is the oldest ty!e. (t uses
attery voltage for su!!ly voltage. )ith this ty!e of &AF meter, as the measuring !late
o!ens signal voltage increases.
Karmen Vortex Air Flow Meter
This air flow meter !rovides the same ty!e of information $intake air volume% as the
&ane Air Flow Meter. (t consists of the following com!onents+
, &orte# 'enerator.
, Mirror $metal foil%.
, -hoto Cou!ler $4E* and !hoto transistor%.
Karman Vortex Air Flow Meter Operation
(ntake air flow reacting against the vorte# generator creates a swirling effect to the air
downstream, very similar to the wake created in the water after a oat !asses. This
wake or flutter is referred to as a 0"arman &orte#.0 The fre5uencies of the vortices vary
in !ro!ortion to the intake air velocity $engine load%.
The vortices are metered into a !ressure directing hole from which they act u!on the
metal foil mirror. The air flow against the mirror causes it to oscillate in !ro!ortion to the
vorte# fre5uency.
This causes the illumination from the !hoto cou!ler6s 4E* to e alternately a!!lied to
and diverted away from a !hoto transistor. As a result, the !hoto transistor alternately
grounds or o!ens the 73volt "S signal to the ECM.
This creates a 7 volt s5uare wave signal that increases fre5uency in !ro!ortion to the
increase in intake air flow. /ecause of the ra!id, high fre5uency nature of this signal,
accurate signal ins!ection at various engine o!erating ranges re5uires using a high
5uality digital multimeter $with fre5uency ca!ailities% or oscillosco!e.