Help, question about Mass Air Flow Sensor on 1998 Forrester

[MOSFET]

Hi guys. This is my first post to this group.

I own a 1998 Subaru Forrester which has never given me a day of trouble
until last week. It would just die intermeddiately with no warning. The
car doen't miss or run ragged. It will run for 2 minutes or 2 hours and
then just die. All I have to do is let it sit for 5 minutes and then it
will start again like nothing happened. The "AT fluid at temperature"
indicator will come on when the car stops, and sometimes stay on for a few
minutes after it is running again, but that will turn off.

I took it to my local mechanic and after testing everything he said it was
the Mass Air Flow Sensor (he checked the Main Relay which is fine and the
ECM.

He wants me to buy a Mass Air Flow Meter (the AFM which is MUCH more
expensive). I asked him if I could just buy the AFS as that is a quarter of
the price. He said it's very difficult to install the AFS into the AFM
assembly.

But is it REALLY that difficult to replace the Air Flow Sensor? I'm not
terribly handy but as these components are right there on the top of the
engine I'm just not sure why it would be so much work.

So my basic question is "how difficult is it to replace just the Mass Air
Flow Sensor on a 1998 Subaru Forrester non-turbo". The air flow sensor kinf
of looks like a Pez dispensor with a flang on top for mounting and a four
wire connection harness port.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!!!

Nick

 

[Tony Hwang]

Hi guys. This is my first post to this group.

I own a 1998 Subaru Forrester which has never given me a day of trouble
until last week. It would just die intermeddiately with no warning. The
car doen't miss or run ragged. It will run for 2 minutes or 2 hours and
then just die. All I have to do is let it sit for 5 minutes and then it
will start again like nothing happened. The "AT fluid at temperature"
indicator will come on when the car stops, and sometimes stay on for a few
minutes after it is running again, but that will turn off.

I took it to my local mechanic and after testing everything he said it was
the Mass Air Flow Sensor (he checked the Main Relay which is fine and the
ECM.

He wants me to buy a Mass Air Flow Meter (the AFM which is MUCH more
expensive). I asked him if I could just buy the AFS as that is a quarter of
the price. He said it's very difficult to install the AFS into the AFM
assembly.

But is it REALLY that difficult to replace the Air Flow Sensor? I'm not
terribly handy but as these components are right there on the top of the
engine I'm just not sure why it would be so much work.

So my basic question is "how difficult is it to replace just the Mass Air
Flow Sensor on a 1998 Subaru Forrester non-turbo". The air flow sensor kinf
of looks like a Pez dispensor with a flang on top for mounting and a four
wire connection harness port.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!!!

Nick

Hi,
Have your air intake exposed to water splash or oil(by using reusable
oil sprayed filter)? Let's be logical. If AFM is easier to replace where
the MAS is mounted...... Hope you get it.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Hi guys. This is my first post to this group.

I own a 1998 Subaru Forrester which has never given me a day of trouble
until last week. It would just die intermeddiately with no warning. The
car doen't miss or run ragged. It will run for 2 minutes or 2 hours and
then just die. All I have to do is let it sit for 5 minutes and then it
will start again like nothing happened. The "AT fluid at temperature"
indicator will come on when the car stops, and sometimes stay on for a few
minutes after it is running again, but that will turn off.

I took it to my local mechanic and after testing everything he said it was
the Mass Air Flow Sensor (he checked the Main Relay which is fine and the
ECM.

He wants me to buy a Mass Air Flow Meter (the AFM which is MUCH more
expensive). I asked him if I could just buy the AFS as that is a quarter of
the price. He said it's very difficult to install the AFS into the AFM
assembly.

But is it REALLY that difficult to replace the Air Flow Sensor? I'm not
terribly handy but as these components are right there on the top of the
engine I'm just not sure why it would be so much work.

So my basic question is "how difficult is it to replace just the Mass Air
Flow Sensor on a 1998 Subaru Forrester non-turbo". The air flow sensor kinf
of looks like a Pez dispensor with a flang on top for mounting and a four
wire connection harness port.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!!!

Nick

I'm just wondering if he got an OBDII code indicationg the MAF -
especially after clearing them to see if it returned.
Some folks have experienced what you're describing when Crank Angle
Sensors have been intermittent with temperature.

I dunno, good luck

Carl

 

[John O]

Hi guys. This is my first post to this group.

I own a 1998 Subaru Forrester which has never given me a day of trouble
until last week. It would just die intermeddiately with no warning. The
car doen't miss or run ragged. It will run for 2 minutes or 2 hours and
then just die. All I have to do is let it sit for 5 minutes and then it
will start again like nothing happened. The "AT fluid at temperature"
indicator will come on when the car stops, and sometimes stay on for a few
minutes after it is running again, but that will turn off.

I took it to my local mechanic and after testing everything he said it was
the Mass Air Flow Sensor (he checked the Main Relay which is fine and the
ECM.

He wants me to buy a Mass Air Flow Meter (the AFM which is MUCH more
expensive). I asked him if I could just buy the AFS as that is a quarter
of the price. He said it's very difficult to install the AFS into the AFM
assembly.

But is it REALLY that difficult to replace the Air Flow Sensor? I'm not
terribly handy but as these components are right there on the top of the
engine I'm just not sure why it would be so much work.

So my basic question is "how difficult is it to replace just the Mass Air
Flow Sensor on a 1998 Subaru Forrester non-turbo". The air flow sensor
kinf of looks like a Pez dispensor with a flang on top for mounting and a
four wire connection harness port.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!!!

Nick

I almost posted the same question to a Saab group yesterday. My son's '94
900 stalls (won't idle) randomly. Talking to the mechanic, we decided to
order a used MAF assembly from an ebay parts dealer. $60 delivered,
hopefully by tomorrow. New ones for the Saab are $250.

We'll see.

-John O