P2281
Air Leak Between MAF and Throttle Body
The ECU detects unmetered air entering between the mass airflow sensor and the throttle body. The actual airflow into the engine is greater than what the MAF measures, leading to lean conditions.
- Check engine light: Yes
- Emissions related: Yes
- Repair difficulty: easy
Symptoms
- Check engine light on
- Power loss, hesitation under acceleration
- Rough or unstable idle
- Increased fuel consumption
- Possible difficulty starting
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Cracked or torn intake hoseCommon
- Loose hose clampPossible
Parts involved
- Intake Duct
- Throttle Body
- Mass Air Flow Sensor
- Intake Hose
P2281 is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.