DTC P0101: Mass Air Flow Sensor Performance: Description

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 13 other vehicles, including the 2002 GMC Yukon XL, 2002 GMC Sierra, 2002 GMC Savana Special, 2002 GMC Savana Camper Special, and 2002 GMC Savana. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor is an air flow meter that measures the amount of air entering the engine. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) uses the MAF sensor signal in order to provide the correct fuel delivery for a wide range of engine speeds and loads. A small quantity of air entering the engine indicates a deceleration or idle. A large quantity of air entering the engine indicates an acceleration or high load condition. The MAF sensor has an ignition 1 voltage circuit, a ground circuit, and a signal circuit. The PCM applies a voltage to the sensor on the signal circuit. The sensor uses the voltage in order to produce a frequency based on inlet air flow through the sensor bore. The frequency varies within a range of around 2000 Hertz at idle to about 10,000 Hertz at maximum engine load. The PCM uses the following sensor inputs in order to calculate a predicted MAF value:

The Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP).
The Intake Air Temperature (IAT).
The engine speed (RPM).

The PCM compares the actual MAF sensor frequency signal to the predicted MAF value. This comparison will determine if the signal is stuck based on a lack of variation, or is too low or too high for a given operating condition. DTC P0101 sets if the actual MAF sensor frequency signal is not within a predetermined range of the calculated MAF value.