Q: Car stuttering, trouble accelerating, check engine light flashing. Gasoline smell coming from exhaust.

asked by on August 04, 2017

Was driving and the car suddenly started stuttering and the check engine started flashing. It wouldn't really accelerate. I pulled over as quickly as possible. There was a distinct gasoline smell coming from the exhaust. The temperature gauge was normal. I checked coolant and oil. Coolant was fine, but oil was low (just a tiny bit on the end of the dip stick.)

My car has 160000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Mass Airflow Sensor Replacement $188.36 - $786.53 Get a Quote

What you are describing sounds like a dirty or faulty mass air flow sensor. The mass air flow sensor monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. This sensor relays vital information to the ECM which uses this to make adjustments to fuel supply to the motor. A dirty or faulty sensor can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This type of inconsistent fuel supply to the motor may cause a hesitation, loss of power, a jerking reaction, potentially a bit of black exhaust smoke and typically a strong smell of fuel when this sensor is malfunctioning. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

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