my car just recently started acting up, and the engine light had been on for a really long time. the car will run fine when i start it cold, i can floor it and it's like nothing's wrong. but when it goes up to operating temperature, it starts sputtering. if i push the pedal halfway down or more, it's like it's bogging down. my first thought was the fuel pump, but it idles perfectly and starts perfectly, all the time (except after running for a while, but i think that has to do with what the codes were). the guy who read the codes said i had a bunch that popped up, but the two that caused them were the mass airflow sensor and crankshaft sensor. could these be making my car miss like it is?

 

Yes. What year by the way?

 

it's a 96 3.8 5 spd.

and another question, where is the crankshaft sensor located?

 

Under hood, center, front engine area, rear of crankshaft pulley, mounted in engine block


That is what is listed as location on AutoZone.com

 

and i assume the mass airflow sensor is the plug that's right above the intake?

someone told me that if i unplugged it that it would run better until i got a new one. i accidentally unplugged the crankshaft sensor, but realizedit and plugged it back up.so that could be why that code came up today. the light has been on forever though, and the last time i had it read it was the maf sensor, so i know for a fact i need that. the codes were cleared today, so the light should come back on and i'll getan accurate read before i go to a garage.

i've had fuel pumps go bad on me in other vehicles, and this doesn't seem like the case for the camaro. a good example of what it's doing: have you ever sprayed you engine off at a car wash? it'll sputter a bit until it dries. this is exactly what's going on here. i can still floor it and it'll pick up speed, but it misses horribly in the process.

 

It is possible that the MAF is misreadingand telling the PCM that it needs more or less fuel than actually is required. If you unplug the MAF your car should use the MAP sensor as a backup. It is not as accurate as the MAF, but should work nonetheless.

 

When my crank sensor went bad it caused a false MAF sensor as well...replaced the crank sensor and cleared the codes and the the light never came back on.

 

did you car misfire and all that good stuff?

 

i have the same problem with my 1994 3.4 v6 camaro.. not for sure what it is..it does the same thing like feels like its being chocked to death.. and 0-60 takes forever even flooring.. lol i cleaned fuel injectors.. the gas tank, fuel filter, new oil, still having the problem. So next is spark plug time.. but i might look at my Sensors now.. but i havent had an engine light come on though o.0 Any suggestions?

 

The MAF could cause this problem. If the ECM doesn't know how much air is comming into the engine it doesn't know how much fuel is needed. There for the more you open the throttle the more air is coming in and the computer doesn't know to add fuel do the car is running lean and starving for fuel.

TheGrimReaper73 is your check engine light working? Does it come on when you turn the key to "ON"