Thread: Airflow meter bypass to get home!

I can only take the rough assumption that the potentiometer has worn out internally. If that is the issue, unscrew the top plate that retains the smoke (be sure not to let it escape) Inside you will see the carbon paper that is the potentiometer. Is you loosen the screws on the carbon paper plate and move the plate over slightly so that the needle is reading off a different part of the plate (that hasn't been used), you will have a brand new air flow meter until that section wears out..... or something else fails internally. IF the AFM is the issue, then trying that can't hurt. Just remember the smoke!

Disconnect it. Drive home.

Originally Posted by catch-22

Disconnect it. Drive home.

x 2

Originally Posted by Landie333

I can only take the rough assumption that the potentiometer has worn out internally. If that is the issue, unscrew the top plate that retains the smoke (be sure not to let it escape) Inside you will see the carbon paper that is the potentiometer. Is you loosen the screws on the carbon paper plate and move the plate over slightly so that the needle is reading off a different part of the plate (that hasn't been used), you will have a brand new air flow meter until that section wears out..... or something else fails internally. IF the AFM is the issue, then trying that can't hurt. Just remember the smoke!

On a Disco? That sounds more like a flapper type AFM on an old 3.5 Rangie.

Originally Posted by Landie333

I can only take the rough assumption that the potentiometer has worn out internally. If that is the issue, unscrew the top plate that retains the smoke (be sure not to let it escape) Inside you will see the carbon paper that is the potentiometer. Is you loosen the screws on the carbon paper plate and move the plate over slightly so that the needle is reading off a different part of the plate (that hasn't been used), you will have a brand new air flow meter until that section wears out..... or something else fails internally. IF the AFM is the issue, then trying that can't hurt. Just remember the smoke!

If the smoke gets away, can you replace it with some from the exhaust?

No, wrong colour... You need the original. Lucas Replacement Smoke Kit

There is, however, a method of manufacturing new smoke of the correct shade of whitish-grey, and this gives OEM reliability as long as a LUCAS lighter is used...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl4FOCK3fWY"]Land Rover Lucas Replacement Wiring Harness Smoke - YouTube[/ame]

Originally Posted by Scouse

On a Disco? That sounds more like a flapper type AFM on an old 3.5 Rangie.

As far as I'm aware, the "Air Flow Meter" on a disco is actually an "Air Mass Meter" two completely different things. Flapper type meters are flow meters, where as hot wire filament meters are mass meters. OP said it was "airflow"

Originally Posted by joel0407

If the smoke gets away, can you replace it with some from the exhaust?

Yes, but it must be white. Clear smoke has too little resistance in the wiring and black smoke has too much.

Originally Posted by Landie333

As far as I'm aware, the "Air Flow Meter" on a disco is actually an "Air Mass Meter" two completely different things. Flapper type meters are flow meters, where as hot wire filament meters are mass meters. OP said it was "airflow"

You're right there. Air Mass Meter will take into account air density. I wonder if the guy who invented it purposely meant for it to account for air density or he just had the idea and that is just a byproduct of the idea.

Originally Posted by Landie333

Yes, but it must be white. Clear smoke has too little resistance in the wiring and black smoke has too much.

Thanks for that. I don't smoke but I'll add a couple of cigarettes to my tool box in case I need to make some white smoke on the side of the road.

Happy Days