hey guys first post. i purchased a 2002 a few months ago. the car is in good shape and seemed to be taken care of well. i don't know much about cars so i i figured i would post here.

my car was bucking here and there so i dropped it off at the dealer. i was told there is a bad air sensor and it needs to be replaced for $500+ (300 for the part and 200 labor). the insurance company won't cover the part & labor since there is the cause (as per the dealer) is from moisture. the air intake is an aftermarket part and they are claiming this is the cause of issue.

i don't feel like shelling out $500+ for this if possible. i have a few questions you mechanic guys might be able to help out.

1. is it likely the aftermarket part has caused the moisture in the air sensor?
2. i see the air sensor part for around $200 online. can i get this cheaper if i chose a non OEM part?
3. is it a bad move to get an aftermarket air sensor?
4. is this difficult to replace given my extent of car knowledge is (oil changes, battery changes, and alternator change)

thanks in advance!

 

Replacing air sensor is moderately easy even for a beginner. However, you can get the proper estimate for replacement of the part from the following link: http://repairpal.com/estimator?car_type_id=5820

 

thank you for your reply.

would a cleaner suffice? i just read up on a few other web sites suggesting moisture shoudlnt be a problem and i should try to use a MAF cleaner.


any thoughts?

thanks!

 

Extremely likely; you're lucky that was the only damage your car suffered when your intake encountered the moisture. FWIW, many cars have enough water introduced to the combustion chambers to cause irrepairable damage to the engine.

 

unfortunately the seller didnt have the original part.

what can i do to ensure the aftermarket part doesn't cause any future issues?

 

Find a bone yard, buy a stock factory intake from a wrecked car, and restore your car to the way it came off the line.

 

i'd try the cleaner first, but be sure to buy a cleaner ONLY made for MAF sensor, don't use brake cleaner, etc. i also bought one from junkyard for $60, cleaned it, works great.