MAF sensor wire damaged (P0103 code)

[becausethexo]

Hello fellow BRZ friends,

This is the wiring that leads to my Mass Air Flow sensor (as you can probably already tell).


Is this something someone (me) with no mechanical experience or tools to solder, repair etc. can repair himself, or should I just bring it to a mechanic?


It's giving me P0103 code. How much cost wise *should* this run me? Under 1 hour labour?


Any ideas what could've caused this? It looks like it had electrical tape over this area before.


I had ordered an MAF sensor replacement and waited 2 weeks for it (because that's what Subaru had told me was the problem), got it, popped the hood, and saw this instead.


Thanks guys.



(Read next post if you want to hear absolute horror stories of a Dealership being as shady as humanly possible..)

[becausethexo]

if you don't care to read this, just please
*NEVER BRING YOUR CAR TO SUBARU DEALERSHIP ON UPPER JAMES OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO*


As I said above, I had ordered a new MAF sensor replacement, since that's what the Subaru Dealership on Upper James (Hamilton, Ontario) had told me.

Full story (they're very shady, please never bring your vehicle there under any circumstances):

So I was driving and my car stalled at the intersection, started thumping etc. Check engine light came on.
So I ran code, P0103 came back. Barely drove it home, booked an appointment with the Dealership next day.

At first, they called me almost 1 hour after dropping it off and said it's ready. I couldn't believe it. They said they just cleared the code and called me to come pick up my car, no issues, $150 just to run software and clear it (same thing I did, I already knew the code).
I said this can't be right, I couldn't clear it, please have your mechanic look at it again. I speak to him, so he did and then he drove it around and the code came on again. (So they already attempted to charge me 150 having done nothing).
They call me back a second time, the lady on the phone tells me "you need stock air intake, since yours is cold air intake, that's what's causing it actually". I say no that can't be it, I've had this for over 145,000 km no issues.
That alone won't trip this code. Then the mechanic calls me back, says it's because I'm running catless.
So far I'm trying to be sold stock intake AND stock exhaust, by two separate people. That's their solution, neither the problem (of course).
Finally after convincing them (why am I convincing a mechanic and dealership in the first place? they should be the experts) that that's not the issue and to please look again, she calls me back and says
my MAF sensor isn't reading correctly and is reading lean and I need a new one. I said okay.. how much? She said $475 ish for the part, and $100ish for the labour + tax (I think total was $630ish). I said no thank you, I'll take care of it myself.
Frustrated, I hang up. I'm already frustrated because they tried to sell me stock exhaust, and stock intake, when those weren't near the issue, and now they're trying to sell me something else.
I call back and kindly ask her to speak to the mechanic himself again (I wanted details, did you clean the MAF sensor? Did you try looking at the air filter etc.) I wanted to know what to do next and what has been done.
She says he'll call me back. An hour passes, no call back. So I call, and I'm told the mechanic went home with my car now not getting looked at.
She now tells me the MAF sensor isn't reading at all (so one says it's reading, but reading lean. The other tells me it's not reading AT ALL). She denies the other lady having told me that, but I assure you she did (she said the other later isn't authorized to give that kind of information etc.).
30 minutes on the phone, me trying to figure out what has been done, arranging pick-up and payment etc. She's going on about how "to be honest, we don't even appreciate you bringing your car here because it's not stock and some mechanics will not even touch it".
I'm asking well why are you taking it then? She admits (on a recorded line) to misdiagnosing it twice (the air intake + the exhaust). She then calls one of her ex-mechanics an "idiot" that was fired (after I had brought up an issue from before that I told her I wasn't even going to mention).
All in all, she's still trying to charge me $150 "for the mechanic's time", settle on half and I go and pick up my car. An absolute dishonest and extremely shady experience.

So next, I go home, and order my own MAF sensor for $150 to replace myself (since it seemed easy enough online).
My biggest mistake? Taking their word on it being the MAF sensor after they were already dishonest with me twice (more than twice, I'll explain my 2 other shady experiences below).
I pop the hood, and immediately see the wires damaged and not connected. I still replace the MAF sensor anyhow even though I'm 99% sure it'll still give me the same issues, and sure enough it does. So it wasn't and never was the MAF sensor, it was cut or damaged wires (check the attachment). This is now THREE misdiagnoses, ignoring it and either corrupt or incredibly incompetent, since I noticed in ten seconds, you guys see the picture? it's hard to miss.
Surely.. surely the mechanic would've seen this, if I would notice it within 10 seconds, having no mechanic experience right? Why say it's the MAF sensor and that needs to be replaced for over $600 when it's clearly not that and the wire damage?
3 improper diagnoses. Each one extremely costly and rejected. All in one visit. They tried 3 different ways for me to cough up tons and tons of money. First air intake, then exhaust, then MAF sensor.


So now 3 weeks later back to square one, feeling like they could've charged me $800, $600 and then another $650 all for things that wasn't even the issue. Imagine Grandma using these guys knowing even less than myself? They must be taking advantage of almost everybody not under warranty.

That was just this experience.. let me quickly explain my two other experiences.

First one was over a year ago, I was having issues with my brakes. I decided to just completely get new pads and rotors for all 4 since I needed new ones anyhow (debatable, but oh well). After this, I was still having the same issue as before so I knew it wasn't pad/rotor related.
So I brought it into the dealer this time (as opposed to the mechanic that did the job) and wanted them to look at it. But the key thing here is, I just told them I was having brake issues, and not that I just completely replaced my pads and rotors.
Their diagnosis? I need new pads, rotors. Quote me over $800. Can you believe this? Did they even look at it? I left and told myself never again, since that can't be it and that's incredibly shady.
This is also the case she was referring to the old mechanic as being an "idiot" for after I brought this occurrence up to her.

Second was much more recent, June of this year to be exact. I decided to go with them because I needed the full service D (spark plugs, oil, auto transmission and differential, hoses clamps etc. almost everything + tire swaps).
They quoted me $1100 when other mechanic's as low as $1350 and as high as $1700. So I said what the hell, what can go wrong?
They call me one hour in, and the same lady I have been dealing with during almost all of these occasions, says in a very monotone voice "hey so, your passenger engine mount is cracked, you need a new one." I like always ask, so how much is that? I forget the exact figure but it was say around $450-500 with labour.
I again, say no thank you I'll handle that myself (since technically you can still drive your car with it just being cracked, I would've assessed myself and brought it somewhere if I deemed it unsafe to drive). After hearing my response of no thank you, she says.. "let me call you back"
I thought this was very strange but said okay (not knowing what she possibly could've been calling me back for? my answer was no).
She calls me back and confesses the mechanic/dealership actually broke it when elevating the car (whatever that means? is that even possible?) and that they'll cover it free of charge! More like they broke it, tried charging me $500 for their own incompetence, and after I kindly said no,
realizing they can't send me home without an engine mount (on the passenger side) and realizing they can't hustle that amount out of me, had no choice but to put a replacement one on.

Three insanely shady and borderline illegal occurrences.

Should I take any recourse? Any good places to file a report?

Sorry if this is all discombobulated and out of sorts, I wrote it all in one take, it's honestly all so overwhelming and frustrating. Only because I know I can't be the only one experiencing this, it's happened literally every time (3 for 3), and each case could've ended up being very very costly,
and for absolutely nothing, which must people would've just thought they had no choice and said "Yes" to all of their suggestions, which would've put me out over $3000 by now for almost no reason.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by becausethexo

Hello fellow BRZ friends,

This is the wiring that leads to my Mass Air Flow sensor (as you can probably already tell).


Is this something someone (me) with no mechanical experience or tools to solder, repair etc. can repair himself, or should I just bring it to a mechanic?

To answer your question, it appears that is something you can repair yourself. Just strip back the loom till all the wires look good, then reattach the broken wires (be sure to color match them). Then either solder them or wrap them with electrical tape. Fire up the car, clear any codes and see how she runs.

As far as your experience with that dealership, I suggest you find a different dealership -

[DarkPira7e]

If you unclip it from the a/c condenser bracket, I could see this being skimmed by the belt pretty easily. Apologies, I did not read your venting about the dealership. Best of luck with that, any beef you have with a dealership needs to be addressed between you, and corporate customer service.

[RickyRacer]

the fix is possible will just take some time, carefully slice the wires and put them back together matching up the colors, a new MAF sesnsor doesnt hurt either

[p1l0t]

Yeah when you depart stock the dealerships want no part in it. Even when it's completely unrelated they will blame aftermarket parts as an out. Always do any work on your car that you know you can do and you have time for. Even if you don't have time to do the full repair self-diagnosing can save you hundreds or thousands from stealerships or shady mechanics. I've actually great experiences (albeit expensive) from using dealerships on stock vehicles. That said, once I start modifing a car I only go to the dealership for stock parts (sometimes stock parts are better especially bearings and gaskets with Subarus) because I know they won't touch it. The only problem is when they ask for a VIN number... then I'm like well if you use my VIN it's going to be wrong...

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[ls1ac]

Just wondering, was that a rodent problem or did the wires get in the way of something?

[solidsnake11]

From years of wiring cars, use solder or plan on pulling over ever so often and fixing the twisted wires.
The sensors also do not read right with loose and corroded wires.

[RZNT4R]

That's definitely DIY-able. Inline splice, solder and shrink tube and it'll be as good as new.

Also, dealers suck for any issue that doesn't have a tsb or recall. I brought my 2017 in for a check engine (due to tight valves) and they blamed my "aftermarket" "red" intake which is stock for 2017 after just opening the hood and doing no other checks (dashcam).

That was over a year before the tsb was out.