(T) need help with mass air flow sensor????

when driving with maf sensor connected the car would simulate 'limp home' mode but with it dissconnected it runs almost perfectly. use a new sensor and car is fine for 1 day then it is as above. which leads me to my questions:

can anyone please explain how these work and what could cause them to go faulty???

my understanding is that it is just a sensor that gives the ecu a reading when requested and thats it?

if so, then could increased air flow cause it to go faulty ie. to much is going passed it and causing it to try and read out of its usual parameters and die. or could anything else cause it to go faulty.

if not then what else would cause it to run the way it does with it connected/dissconnected?

legend status to anyone that can make sense of this

Sorry Frank I tried to put up an explanation for you but took to long and then tried a link to some of the stuff I have been reading up on just Google How do mass airflow sensors work and loads will come up for you mate good reading there for all you people also interesting article somewhere on why wax is harmful to a car [the dirty little secret the car industry have been trying to keep quiet for years ]

so in theory then the more air passing the sensor the higher the voltage that is sent to it from the ecu. if the voltage gets too high it then shorts the maf rendering it useless? but why would it work so well without it?

I also have a Hyundai Coupe and the MAF on that is dead. It runs absolutely fine, apparently due to it also having a throttle sensor. Dunno what that has to do with owt, but an expert told me so it's good enough for me.

The problem comes at MOT time. It only just got through the emissions test, and I mean ONLY JUST!
And apparently the cat could be damaged because the car is running too rich.

yeah got my mate to put it through an emissions test and it was double the legal limit.

cheers for the replies all