2001 Silverado won’t idle when really cold. Starts and will die.
February 14th, 2021, 9:58 AM
#1
2001 Silverado won’t idle when really cold. Starts and will die.
The truck will start and dies when it’s below 15 degrees outside. If I unplug the mass air flow sensor it runs perfect. Any ideas what my problem could be?
February 15th, 2021, 8:52 AM
#2
CF Monarch
Likely a bad MAF sensor. It's possible to clean them. Three options are to clean with MAF cleaner $$$, or use WD-40 brand contact cleaner, which is cleaner than brake cleaner (don't use it) or soak it in rubbing alcohol overnight, then let it dry completely before you use it. The elements inside must be clean and dry. In your case, I am suspecting that your MAF is beyond that cleaning and you'll likely need to replace it.It should operate properly at very low temps and it's not. You could verify this by using a hair-dryer to heat it up. If it starts working then it's a goner internally. P0100 to P0104 are the OBD codes for the MAF, but they often do not work properly at all.
February 15th, 2021, 12:40 PM
#3
Likely a bad MAF sensor. It's possible to clean them. Three options are to clean with MAF cleaner $$$, or use WD-40 brand contact cleaner, which is cleaner than brake cleaner (don't use it) or soak it in rubbing alcohol overnight, then let it dry completely before you use it. The elements inside must be clean and dry. In your case, I am suspecting that your MAF is beyond that cleaning and you'll likely need to replace it.It should operate properly at very low temps and it's not. You could verify this by using a hair-dryer to heat it up. If it starts working then it's a goner internally. P0100 to P0104 are the OBD codes for the MAF, but they often do not work properly at all.
I didn’t think of warming the MAF with a dyer good idea. A friend of mine had a used MAF that he let me try it on my truck but it did the same thing but who knows if the one he had was good. I did buy the MAF cleaner and cleaned mine but it didn’t change any.
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oilcanhenry (February 18th, 2021)
February 18th, 2021, 8:08 PM
#4
CF Monarch
Yeah if I was a professional tech I'd use MAF cleaner. It dries very quickly. That said electrical contact cleaner works just as well, IMO. I've used it in my own vehicles with no problems, and it can be used to clean other electrical items too. Glad to hear you got your issue solved. Those MAF sensors are usually easy to get to, and clean them so you know your ECM is getting the proper inputs.
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