map sensor

had my cars engine light checked out and i was told something about a map sensor. can anyone tell me axactly what that is and what it does. and maybe what might be happening while its not working correctly and what i should expect after having it replaced. thanx

the map sensor is on the intake manifold. it determines intake pressure and barometric pressure, therefore its name, manifold absolute pressure. it helps in determining air/fuel ratio.

what code did you have and what was wrong with the car?

i dont know the exact code. my gf took it to a mechanic friend of hers while i was stuck at work so i dont know what all was said from him. i was told by her that he mentioned its reccemended to be replaced along with my belt and im not deffinate but i think she said he mentioned something about a valve cover gasget. if it makes any difference im having milage touble. a full tank only less lasts me three or for days and i dont do that much driving. i was told changing that might help a lil.

the map sensor has nothing to do with the belt.

now your coolant sensor is probably the likely cause to the gas mileage issue.

ok well he read the engine light with a code reader and came up with map sensor. i know the belt would have nothe to do with belt. how does it go from map to coolant sensor? lol. arent there multiple coolant sensors or just one? and how can i tell if its bad or not before i spend money on a replacement

Sounds like your mechanic is guessing. If he had and knew how to use a volt meter and hand vacuum pump, he could easily confirm if the MAP sensor is working properly. If there is a MAP sensor code, it doesn't always mean that the MAP sensor is bad. There could be other issues like vacuum leaks or corroded wiring. Take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

is this on your 94 sl1? if so check the vaccum line from the map sensor to the intake manifold