"Advance" codes for Service Engine Soon light

[Sherrysham]

Hey! My 'Service Engine Soon' light came on, enroute home tonight. I stopped in at "Advance", and their print out came up with this: either the MAF or the VAF is at fault.....P0101. Know the MAF is the Mass Air Flow, but what is the VAF? Car's not running bad at all, and know this is supposed to only be some sort of air sensor. Anyone got any ideas?

First time here with my 2000 Intrigue! She's got nearly 130,000miles on her. Bought her with 100,000 miles on her! Thanks in advance for any advice!

[canatto]

I scooped the following from google, and hope it more or less helps.

P0101 OBD Trouble Code

Technical Description

Mass Air Flow (MAF) Circuit Range/Performance Problem

What does that mean?

Basically this means that there is a problem with the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor or circuit. The PCM detects that the actual MAF sensor frequency signal is not within a predetermined range of the calculated MAF value for more than 4.0 seconds.

Symptoms

You will likely not notice any serious drivability problems, although there may be symptoms.

Possible Solutions

The simplest thing to do is to reset the code and see if it comes back. Then start with the cheapest, easiest repair procedures:

Inspect for the following conditions:
An incorrectly routed harness--Inspect the harness of the MAF sensor in order to verify that it is not routed too close to the following components:
- The secondary ignition wires or coils
- Any solenoids
- Any relays
- Any motors
A low minimum air rate through the sensor bore may cause this DTC to set at idle or during deceleration. Inspect for any vacuum leaks downstream of the MAF sensor.
A wide open throttle (WOT) acceleration from a stop should cause the MAF sensor g/s display on the scan tool to increase rapidly. This increase should be from 6-12 g/s at idle to 230 g/s or more at the time of the 1-2 shift. If the increase is not observed, inspect for a restriction in the induction system or the exhaust system.

The barometric pressure (BARO) that is used in order to calculate the predicted MAF value is initially based on the MAP sensor at key ON.
When the engine is running the MAP sensor value is continually updated near WOT. A skewed MAP sensor will cause the calculated MAF value to be inaccurate. The value shown for the MAP sensor display varies with the altitude. With the ignition ON and the engine OFF, 103 kPa is the approximate value near sea level. This value will decrease by approximately 3 kPa for every 305 meters (1,000 feet) of altitude.
A high resistance on the ground circuit of the MAP sensor can cause this DTC to set.

Any loss of vacuum to the MAP sensor can cause this DTC to set.
If you suspect the condition may be related to aftermarket accessories, refer to Checking Aftermarket Accessories in Wiring Systems.

By the way I believe VAF refers to Vane Airflow sensor, another type of air flow metering device in place of an MAF sensor. Our cars have an MAF, and don't have a VAF.

[Sherrysham]

Thanks so much for your help! A buddy a work is hooking me up to his computer after work and gonna see what he comes up with. Hopefully, we can get by with simply resetting it. If not, we'll take it one step at a time. Again, THANKS!

[dtownfb]

I had the saem thing happen to my 2000 Intrigue. I cleaned the air intake box, air filter, mass flow sensor and the throttle body. I haven't seen the code return in over a month. That was the cheapest method.