Can a faulty air mass sensor cause engine damage if driven?

[bringemon]

Hi. Can a faulty air mass sensor cause engine damage. If the sensor is is telling the E.C.M its getting to much air, will the computer over-compensate by giving the engine to much fuel causing ring/engine damage?

Thank you

[RICERMAN]

The simple answer is no. Most of the time the car wont even run without this sensor working. You are refering to the MAF sensor I assume. The engine OBD system can only compensate within the preset factory default settings and still run. If not you will foul out the plugs and not damage the engine. What year model do you have?

[bringemon]

Pintara, 1991. If the air mass sensor can't tell the ECM how much air the engine is getting, say if the sensor was malfunctioning in a way that it was reporting to the ECM it was getting to much air, will the ECM compensate with responding by giving the engine more fuel? In the case of the car not going, mine JUST runs. A mechanic broke mine repairing the clucth. His head mechanic put it on the ground, and later another car ran over it - so they told me. I drove the car 6 times. One night after work I started the car and it (exploded) backfired badly. My car never backfired. Hence my question. This is what the cars doing.The cars ECM lights comes on after about 5 km's, massive amounts of un-burnt fuel is pumping out the back of the exhaust, stinks in the car from un-burnt fuel, the car JUST idles, stalls at lights, lacks power to name a few.

When I took my car to the mechanics it ran beautifully. But when I got it back, only because I had photos of the original sensor did we notice it had been changed. I have since had them get me another sensor as they addmitted it, changed the ignition leads and plugs, checked the air filter...I had the car diagnosed just prior to me finding out about the sensor by R.A.C.Q

Thanks

[RICERMAN]

I think something has been altered by a mechanic that might have not known what he was doing. Him letting cars run over your parts is a clue to this. Who knows? . Perhaps having it looked at by another mechanic can help. A tough problem when you arent sure what prior work has ben done