I have a 1994 Mazda Protege DX, single cam. I unscrewed the access to the electrical on the Mass Air Flow Sensor, where I am sure I messed something up. I went to my local Kragen Auto Parts (the local auto part retailer) and when we looked for the M.A.F.S. (Mass Air Flow Sensor), we got 2 different ones. The first, a $170 part, said for all models "exempt VIN B" and the other was for "VIN Code B". My VIN number is JAMBG2244R0706286, where there is a B that appears. However, it is not in the normal spot for an Engine Code (which is what the Asst. Manager, my father, and myself figured to be what the computer meant when it said “exempt VIN B) and the Chilton book does not say anything about where the engine code is stated in the VIN number. Returning to the M.A.F.S., the part number off of the stock sensor is 197100-4090. The part I was looking to buy was made my A1 Cardone, and was exactly the same in all but 2 aspects. First, the part number is 197100-4110 (with the number 9108 058 directly cast below it). Also, there is what appears to be a small stop valve just to the left of the door to the air intake. The new part, when hooked up to an ohm-meter, measured within the parameters specified by the Chilton book for my make, model, and year of car. Would this be the right part? Or could something go terribly wrong if I used this M.A.F.S. instead of another?

 

First thing, the engine code is always the eighth digit starting from the left on a 17 digit VIN.

As far as your MAF go ahead and use the replacement part. Manufacturers are constantly superceding part numbers so you can't go by that. Most of the time the casting number means nothing to us, just the part manufacturer. If you put the part on the car and it does not work properly, it cannot hurt it anyways. I had to replace the same part on my Protege. I went to a salvage yard and found a good working part. It came off the same year model with same accessories and the part numbers were different. I cleaned it up and it worked perfectly!

 

BTW, here is the VIN description.

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