
Technically, the limp mode should be safe to drive in, but the problem is that it more than likely makes the engine run rich, just in case. The safe/limp mode is not optimal for long-term driving, and your engine needs the MAF sensor to run properly. While unplugging the MAF sensor to test whether it’s the cause of your problems is fine, you should not continue driving without it. As the name implies, the performance will be reduced and the turbocharger won’t work, but you’ll be able to drive the car.įor the safe/limp mode to offer more power than the regular mode, it means that the MAF sensor is suffering from severe failure, you could still try cleaning it first, but it’s unlikely to help. On the other hand, unplugging the MAF sensor will be recognized by ECU, which will put the car into a safe/limp mode. When the MAF sensor fails, the ECU will incorrectly adjust the air-fuel mixture, causing the engine to run rich. Your car’s ECU is a computer responsible for processing and handling a variety of tasks, including translating the MAF sensor signal into usable data. Why Does Unplugging The Sensor Make The Car Run Better? If the symptoms are minor, the sensor can be cleaned with a dedicated MAF cleaner, but if unplugging the sensor makes the car run better, it should be replaced. Over time, the particles accumulate on the MAF sensor, causing it to produce inaccurate readings. However, the air filter does not filtrate 100% of the particles, especially if it’s old. As it is located after the air filter, the air flowing over it should be clean. The MAF sensor is a very accurate, but also a very delicate component. With no fuel wasted, the fuel economy is at its best, and it also reduces the negative effect on the environment. The optimal air-fuel mixture leads to higher power output and ensures all the fuel gets used up. If you want more tutorials on the Nissan Frontier, go to our Nissan Frontier category.For modern fuel injection systems, precision is everything, and knowing how much air is available in every millisecond allows the ECU to adjust the fuel injection frequently.

97 NISSAN PICKUP MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR PROBLEMS HOW TO
Now you know how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Nissan Frontier, you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine. If you are too afraid of destroying it, you can as well clean them with a brake fluid in the form of an aerosol by spraying the jet on these filaments.

With the help of a fine brush and solvent, delicately clean the two filaments of your mass air flow sensor. You have to be very cautious, otherwise your mass air flow sensor will be permanently damaged.

Now we’ll move on to the very gentle cleaning of the flow meter filaments.Let soak the lower section of your mass air flow sensor (not the plug part) in acetone or another solvent for a few minutes, which will take out most of the grime.The aim of this cleaning will be to take out all its impurities to allow it to work efficiently again. This sensor will, with time, get dirty and its two “filaments” that will give information to your computer on the quality and temperature of the air will no longer be able to collect data accurately, it is in this sense that it will affect the operation of the engine of your Nissan Frontier. Once taken apart, you will be able to continue to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Nissan Frontier.To do this, work delicately, but you will just have to disassemble it on both sides of the air duct and disconnect the electrical plug on top of it.

