Mass Air Flow Sensor ?

I have a 01 grand prix gt 3.8 n/s. i have a code for mass air flow sensor it runs better if unplugged but my question is can i drive with it unplugged for like a week until i get the cash or should i just leave it plugged up. also i noticed my wheel senor on my passenger side is caught up by the axel causing my abs/trac light to stay on can i just replace the sensor or can i leave the one i have unplugged until i can get a new one. And will driving with the abs/trac light on hurt the car>

You can leave the MAF sensor unplugged until you get the replacement.

Driving with the ABS/TRAC OFF light is OK. All you will lose is the ABS and traction control capability. Conventional braking should be fine. To replace the wheel sensor you will need to replace the complete hub assembly.

Also rather than paying the dealership price for a MAF (350ish when mine went bad), a lot of us consider buying ported ZZP throttle body. It comes complete with the IAC, MAF, and TPS. Here is a link to one of a 3800NA.

http://www.zzperformance.com/grand_prix/products1.php?id=223&catid=113

Just make sure you swap over the t-body screen when you install the new t-body. I left mine out for a while and had some torque converter indecision shifts. After I put the screen back in, all was well.

There seem to be more posts on this board about MAF problems on the '97-'03 Grand Prix than any other single issue. I've been trying to correct this on my wife's daughter's '00 Grand 3.8 Prix for over a year. A new MAF from Advance Auto Parts didn't fix the problem. Luckily, they took it back and refunded the $150. I found a leak between the throttle body and the intake manifold when replacing the MAF and thought it was the cause of the trouble code. Not so, however. The service engine soon light is on and off several times a week. The engine surges at idle about the same with and without the MAF connected. Sometimes, when the light is out, the idle surge goes away.

I've owned eight other GM cars with MAF's on V-6's without any failures. Several of these cars had 100,000+ miles on them. Why is the Grand Prix 3.8 MAF so troublesome?

I dont think its so much the Grand Prix thats the problem, but just the and probably junk right out of the box. Do you have another 3800 motor or a friend with one that will let you borrow their MAF? Maybe you could swap one out from a know good one.3800. A lot of GM 3800's have MAF problems and also Crank Position Sensor issues are common.

That MAF you bought form advance was probably an A1 Cardone brand, and if so, probably junk right out of the box. Maybe you could swap out the MAF from another vehicle with the 3800 that runs good.

Do you have a Check Engine Light on? Have advance read the codes for free and post them here for us.

Is your only problem an unstable/surging idle? If so, IAC problems can cause idle issues also. Just pull it off and clean it up.

Hello, I new here and have a question not sure if this is the best way to ask in the midddle of this thread but it is related. My 1997 GTP will not get beyond 4000 RPM. When running it will stall out. Everyone has said MAF but I diconected it and nothing different. Any ideas? I have spent $1000 already b/c I left it with the mechanic to figure out. He replaced my fuel filter, the ECM (ACDELCO). Please help ME! I cannot sped any more money at that shop!

It is possible that the cat is partially clog. Is the SES light on, and if so what are the DTC that have been set.

Stalls above 4000 rpm's? What is fuel pressure?

Welcome to AF Gary1979.

Does it stall out at 4000 rpms in park or neutral, or when in gear? If when in park/neutral, this is normal and is the PCM's rev limiter protecting the engine from being free-revved too hard. If that is in gear, then you have a problem.