Im having a debate with a friend who says our cars DO NOT HAVE A MAP SENSOR but have an air flow mass sensor in place of it. I believe our cars have a MAP sensor. Who is right? Also, is the pressure sensor the equivalent of the map sensor?

 

they have both kinda...

the air flow meter is used to control fuel. and they also have a pressure sensor.

some cars only have a pressure sensor. which is called a map sensor when it's the one that is used for fuel.

 

Yep we have both. The airflow meter is the ECU's primary load sensor, and the pressure sensor is used as a secondary sensor, mainly to control timing. On Turbos it also tells the ECU when to cut fuel (8.6psi boost) and it runs the boost gauge.

Technically we don't have a mass airflow sensor, since flapper AFM's actually measure air volume flow. The AFM has a built-in air temp sensor, and the two signals are sent to the ECU, which works out mass airflow from them both. Hot-wire AFM's are true mass airflow sensors because their output is directly proportional to mass airflow and does not need temperature correction.

Yes the pressure sensor is the same as a MAP sensor. In automotive terms, MAP sensor is the more common name. MAP stands for manifold absolute pressure.