Please Explain in girl terms?

Question

Ok... I have an 05 Infinity G35 coupe... and it breaks down on me... i tow it to the dealer.. for them to tell me that its the Mass Air Flow Sensor... i purchased this car used... and to find out this is now the 3rd one that has been on this car... they are telling me its because the prior owner put a Fram air filter and not a dealer filter... now here is the question.... is that a true statement or is there somemore wrong with my car that needs to looked at.. my feeling is that there is something more going on here...

I would like to thank all of you for your answers.... i figured that they were putting a bandaid on the issue...

Answer 1

I'll buy them saying it's the sensor, but since Fram makes one of the best filters on the market, I'd say they are stretching the truth about why it keeps going out.

Answer 2

The only way that could be the case is if the filter is some sort where you have to put oil on it (and from the look of things, Fram doesn't make those) or they cleaned the thing then put it in wet or with debris on it or something. In that case something could have gotten on the MAF and damaged it.

Otherwise, the dealer is full of ****, and you've been getting bad MAFs put in. My money is on the dealer being full of ****. I'd ask around on Infiniti G35 and Nissan 350Z forums and see if anyone else has been having the same problem.

These look likely:
http://g35driver.com/home/
http://www.my350z.com/home/

edit: Also, the MAF tells the engine computer how much volume of air is going into the engine. That, in combination with data from the oxygen sensor, tells the computer how much fuel it has to inject to keep the car running properly. Just in case you didn't know why this thing is important.

Answer 3

Sounds like you have good sense about mechanics. The information you are getting seems untrustworthy.

Fram is a quality air filter, and most brand filters should work fine. I've been reading at Mass Air Flow Sensor sites that those Sensors have common problems with repair scams.

Here is an explanation of the part from a website Don't be intimidated by the language. It will give you a general understanding.

//The Air Flow Sensor or Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF) is one of the components of an electronic fuel injection system and is found in many of modern vehicles. The Mass Air Flow sensor is usually installed inside the intake air duct between the air filter and the engine. The Mass Air Flow sensor is used to measure the amount of air entering the engine. This measurement is used by the engine computer or ECM to calculate proper amount of fuel injected into the cylinders in order to provide optimum combustion and low emissions.
Problems with Mass Air Flow sensors are common. Bad or contaminated Mass Air Flow sensor can possibly cause a wide range of various vehicle driveability problems such as stalling, especially when the engine is cold, misfiring, poor acceleration, etc.
In addition, a problem with the Mass Air Flow sensor often causes the "check engine" or "service engine soon" light in the vehicle instrument panel to illuminate.
The "check engine" or "service engine soon" light comes on when the engine computer detects some fault in one of the components of the emission control system. //

Comments from another site:

“We’ve tested Mass Air Flow sensors and discovered these parts are being replaced when they don’t need to be,” said K&N Senior Lab Manager Rich Dwyer. “Consumers are sometimes told readings from the Mass Air Flow sensor show it is saturated with oil from a K&N Filter. This is not true. Consumers should ask to see the Mass Air Sensor codes and/or get a second opinion.”

Good luck!

Answer 4

OK, in girl terms.

The air filter should not be an important issue with the vehicle. Furthermore, if the reason that the MAF (mass air-flow) is not working properly was the air filter, you wouldn't need to replace it at all. All you would need to do is replace the air filter with a stock issue filter, and the problem would be solved.

Try this: Every dealer now has online support. Ask your service advisor (very sweetly, as they aren't required to do this...) if he will pull the dealer service report on any ongoing issues with the MAF. This is a support bulletin that the automaker puts out to help service departments keep up on issues that certain makes and models have. When he types in your VIN number and problem, his computer will bring up any ongoing issues with the MAF. This is the best way to know EXACTLY what is going on with your car.

NOW...the bad news....I have NEVER heard of a problem with the MAF causing your car to be undrivable. Even a totally unworkable MAF will usually just cause the engine light to go on. My suspicion is that you may have deeper issues. The problem is, the dealership can only fix what your onboard computer tells it to fix. So, if the error code is in the MAF, they will not look at other issues on the car.

I wish I could be more helpful, but, alas, my experiance is mostly in domestic brands....

Good luck.

Answer 5

They're BS'ing you on the Fram filter thing. I'm also not sure why a bad MAF sensor would cause the car to break down. If there's warranty left on it I'd go to another Infinity dealer..this one sounds like a crook.

Answer 6

A mass airflow senser can good bad but that often sounds fishy. i would email Fram and ask them if the use of there air filter can damage The MAF

Answer 7

I think they are FOS....go to another mechanic that has experience with your make of car. Ask around to see which ones are reputable. I'd generally steer clear of dealerships.

Answer 8

sounds like b.s. to me. an air filter(new) shouldn't make the car shut off.