Mass Air Flow Code

1998 Pontiac Transport 3.4l engine

The Check Engine Light came on for 2 days and then went off on this car. I had the codes read and it was code P0101 Manifold Absolute Pressure or Mass Air Flow Sensor. I changed the air filter today.

Could changing the filter eliminate the problem?

Could the error code itself be in error since the light went out and hasn't come back on for two days?

Should I have it looked out or let it go until the light comes back on?

Thanks

Sherm

 

First check for any vacuum leaks or busted hoses.

Air filter has nothing to do with this. Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) is located on the intake tube where your air filter is located. These go bad over time.

 

First I would remove and clean the sensor use some contact cleaner or some brake cleaner spray. You will see two thin wires be very carefull and do not hit these as you are cleaning. Just spray it real well with the little plastic extension nozzle and let it air dry.
I will tell you again dont probe the wires treat with care.
If the code is still on when you replace it reset it or have autozone do it. You can buy a scan tool as well that will do the reset.
Drive around and see if code comes back.(might take a few days).
I see after reading again light is off if so dont worry till light comes on.

 

And I would use a Mass Air Flow Sensor spray for this, since it is formulated for it. Brake cleaner may or may not leave a residue. The wires heat up the air going to your engine to a proper temperature. If you break one of the wires, it is trash. But Michael told you that already. I had that code as well as another problem on my wife's Saturn. Once I fixed the #2 problem, the Mass Air code went away and stayed.

 

In addition to the great advice already posted here, please be aware that the "Mass Air Flow" codes include things like "mass air flow circuit malfunction", "low input", "high input", etc....
There's not one "mass Air Code" or one meaning for the specific codes
I don't recall what 101 was specifically
I thought it was "sensor or circuit out of range"
The first thing I would do is clean the sensor as described above

The light came on, and then went off, because it is a problem that won't affect your getting home, or to the mechanics, but it's telling you the computer did find something that should be looked at

 

I replaced the air cleaner and had the sensor cleaned. We'll see if the light comes on again.

Thanks for the help.

Sherm

 

You could be lucky enough that the air filter fixed the problem, assuming the filter is dirty enough to create enough of an air flow restriction through the MAF sensor, seen it before. If it does come back on, it could be caused from faulty wiring, the MAP sensor, the MAF sensor itself, the PCM, or a spark plug wire routed too close to MAF sensor harness. Unfortunately, a scan tool would be required for proper diagnosis to eliminate a faulty sensor or the PCM, since it can monitor sensor/PCM data parameters.