I have a 2015 Nissan Versa Sedan. It is a manual transmission and I have 151000 miles on it. It has a check engine light and when I took it in to Autozone to run diagnostic it gave P0101 and they said Mass Air flow sensor. Took it to my local trusted mechanic and he replaced it with an aftermarket MAF sensor ( Hitachi). I he reprogrammed and cleared the code. Check engine came back on after I drove it for about 30 miles. brought it back he checked and also cleaned out the throttle body and replaced the air intake hose in case there were leaks. Cleared codes but after another 30 miles light came back on. Took it to him a third time and he tried resetting it and told me to take it to a Nissan dealership to have them flash reset the computer. I did that and was charged $180. Drove it for a bit and the light came back. Brought it to dealer to run diagnostics and they wanted to replace the MAF sensor and clean the throttle body for $1400. I passed. Suggestions on what I should do? I'm about $800 into trying to fix it but don't want to throw any more money into it.
Trade it in and sell for a new 2025 Toyota Prius? I need a reliable commuter car that will last.
P0101 and they said Mass Air flow sensor
P0101 doesn't necessarily mean the MAF sensor itself is bad.
https://www.carparts.com/blog/p0101-code-mass-or-volume-air-flow-a-circuit-range-performance/
Took it to my local trusted mechanic and he replaced it with an aftermarket MAF sensor ( Hitachi)
Did he test the original sensor first? Although Hitachi is a good brand, aftermarket sensors frequently do not work properly. OEM is always best for critical sensors.
Cleared codes but after another 30 miles light came back on.
Obviously the underlying problem was not fixed. Did your mechanic investigate other possible causes for the code triggering, as documented at sites like the one linked to above?
told me to take it to a Nissan dealership to have them flash reset the computer. I did that and was charged $180. Drove it for a bit and the light came back.
Not a surprise. The dealer is one of the last places to bring a car for anything other than warranty or recall work.
Suggestions on what I should do?
If unable to work on it yourself you need a mechanic that will perform diagnostics rather than just swapping parts.
Trade it in and sell for a new 2025 Toyota Prius? I need a reliable commuter car that will last.
Not a bad idea. Although with manual transmission you dodged the Jatco CVT bullet the quality of those Versas is not very high.
Thanks for the response, Chuck. My mechanic who I've been taking my cars to for the past 15 years had run a diagnostic with his computer and mentioned everything including the new after market MAF sensor is running within parameters. He swapped the air intake hose as that was showing some wear and cracks. On the receipt to my mechanic they do warranty the parts and work for 2 years. Should I take it back for a fourth or fifth time? Also since the newly installed part isn't doing the trick do mechanics offer credit for a future repair or service if they don't do refunds?
The car drives but the acceleration is not like before. It feels like it's throttled down (limp mode). I live just outside Houston so not sure if I will pass the state inspection end of next month when it comes due.
Thanks
Vince
Well, obviously something is wrong that your mechanic didn't catch. Performance problem might be due to the aftermarket MAF sensor not performing exactly like Nissan's (which was probably made by Denso) but we can't tell from here. Refund policies are up to the individual shop.
In most states a check engine light is an automatic fail. Depending on the state's testing policy if you only have a pending code that has not triggered the light yet it might pass if the specific monitor involved is not required.
he replaced it
That was mistake #1. There are many causes for P0101 ( https://www.obd-codes.com/p0101)
Did this mechanic check for any of them?
with an aftermarket MAF sensor ( Hitachi).
Mistake #2. Don't use aftermarket sensors. At this point I already don't trust this mechanic as much as you do.
Check engine came back... Took it to him a third time
Exactly what you can expect from a part changing mechanic.
told me to take it to a Nissan dealership
Strike 3. Cross this mechanic off your list. The dealership is just going to clean out the rest of your wallet.
the light came back.... they wanted to replace the MAF sensor and clean the throttle body for $1400.
Bingo. No shocker there.
Suggestions on what I should do?
You need someone who knows what they're doing. Someone who can diagnose, has good electrical troubleshooting skills, can read a schematic, analyze OBD data, and not throw parts at it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a wiring issue. I hope you kept your Nissan sensor.
Thanks for the response, Chuck. My mechanic who I've been taking my cars to for the past 15 years had run a diagnostic with his computer and mentioned everything including the new after market MAF sensor is running within parameters. He swapped the air intake hose as that was showing some wear and cracks. On the receipt to my mechanic they do warranty the parts and work for 2 years. Should I take it back for a fourth or fifth time? Also since the newly installed part isn't doing the trick do mechanics offer credit for a future repair or service if they don't do refunds?
The car drives but the acceleration is not like before. It feels like it's throttled down (limp mode). I live just outside Houston so not sure if I will pass the state inspection end of next month when it comes due.
Thanks
Vince