How-To: Clean Your MAF Sensor

Someone please move this to the how-to section. Thanks!!!

Well, after the other "how-to" did a whole lot of nothing other than tell you what the MAF was and what can happen to it, I decided to clean mine today. So here is the how to I made in the process, I hope it helps guys!!! If I left anything out feel free to let me know and I will add it in or you can post it in a separate post.

Difficulty: EASY
Time: 10 minutes

IItems Needed:

*CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner (can get at any autoparts store by the brake cleaner)- make sure it has the straw with it. Other people have use electronics cleaner, but I would play it safe when working with something this sensitive and expensive.

*Flat Head Screw Driver

*10mm Socket



This how to is based on aftermarket intakes, if you have the stock airbox, accessing your MAF sensor will be different, but the rest is the same.

(The MAF sensor housing is the black box)



First thing you need to do is unplug the wire harness that is connected to the MAF sensor (be sure to plug this back in when you are done or the car will run like total crap).

Undo the 10mm nut that connects the MAF housing to the bracket and once unplugged, loosen the clamps on the couplers so that you can pull the box out of the intake.



One side of the box will have plastic grating (the part that faces the front of the car) and the other will be unblocked. You will see a thin wire hanging inside the MAF housing, DO NOT TOUCH THE WIRE OR IT WILL BECOME DAMAGED AND YOU MAY NEED TO BUY ANOTHER WHICH IS ABOUT $200. Sorry for the blurry picture but in order to get close enough to see it in the picture it blurred it a little.



Take the MAF sensor cleaner and spray the sensor about 10 times on each side, you will have to stick the straw through the grating but don't touch the sensor and don't get too close or the force from the spray may damage it as well. Once you have sprayed the sensor on both sides you can assemble the intake in reverse order of how you took it apart. Let the sensor dry before you start the car again. Be sure to plug all harnesses back in. And while you are there you can also wipe off the IAT (intake air temperature), but be sure to put that back in as well.

Well that's about all their is to it. If I left anything out let me know or feel free to post below. I hope this helps. It's really easy to do and takes hardly any time, just be careful with the sensor as it is VERY fragile and VERY expensive. Enjoy!

Aaron

IS it possible to clean the AIT with the spray as well? No harmful side effects?

you dont really need to spray that...just wipe it off

after thinking about it and looking at the AIT itself, that makes perfect sense.
You don't want extra cruddy buildup on there to insulate the sensor and thereby give you inaccurate temp readings.

Where is the AIT so i can wipe mine off

The AIT sensor (or IAT as some call it,) should be right upstream of the MAF, the OEM intake puts it in the Filter box I believe, but I have the Simota CAI, which puts it in the tube just before the MAF.

garym0510 said:

Where is the AIT so i can wipe mine off

Click to expand...

In the very first picture it is right below the MAF sensor on the right side of the intake pipe

Hey guys, a question from a noob.
My gf's 00' LX protege throws a CEL code P0106, and the autozone guy says it's a vacuum leak and told us to use a carb cleaner to spray around the intake to see if the engine rpm will rise up. We tried but nothing happened. Can it be possible the MAF needs to be clean as well?
And the CEL does not come all the time, only kinda random every week or so.
I'm probably gonna try to clean this MAF sensor but just kinda worried since I don't want to put $200 risk on me.

Thanks

Josh

I just cleaned my MAF recently with electronic parts cleaner with no problems. If you read the ingredients on the back of the MAF cleaner you will see they are essentially the same. It was super easy and I will probably do it every time I clean the air filter from now on.

Uh...so I did it today, and now just wait for it to dry.
I was also looking for the IAT, and I took a pic. see attached.
is that the one, the one sticking out? It feels like plastic pole to me tho.


Josh

It seems ZM engine the MAF and IAT sensors are integrated. So can I spray the cleaner onto them both?
Honestly I can't really tell where the MAF sensor is, can someone tell me if there is anything missing in the picture?
is the red thing with the wire the MAF or IAT? there seem to be only one sensor but there are 5 wires coming out.

Josh

That looks like a different model MAF than what is in my Protege. I may be wrong though since it has a while ago that I had mine out.

Yeah sorry but I should have mentioned that MAF with AIT integrated is from my gf's '00 LX protege. I was wondering since the MAF and AIT are integrated together can I just spray the MAF cleaner on them...

Josh

you should be ok to spray the AIT as well. All it will do is clean it...

Yeah I felt a little stupid asking that question, but as you can see in the pic, that MAF&AIT stuff looks so different from P5's MAF, and also it's on the side instead of in the center. wierd weird.

And, is the thing in the pic of my post #10 the AIT? That's from my 2.0 P5, it looks like a plastic pole, I was expecting some wires or something metal.

Josh

GBean said:

The AIT sensor (or IAT as some call it,).

Click to expand...

The manufacturer calls it IAT ( intake air temperature) which is why some call it that. It's purpose is to measure the temp of the air going thru the intake not to measure the temperature of the air intake itself so that's probably why. Other people know what you mean tho...............Yeah, clean them both but don't break the 300.00 wire in the MAF trying to wipe it. No need to touch it, just spray it with MAF specific cleaner.

Ha did I say AIT? I should avoid typing on the forum in class...

Josh

would it work for a flap type afm?

I dont see how.

What if you pulled out your MAF and all you have is a "nub" sticking down, like a fireball from a back-fire broke off your MAF or something?

lol

CEL pointed to MAF, pulled MAF, compared to pictures, and mine is BROKEN.

haha

Thank you for this post, I was going to try cleaning it before replacing, but looks like I will have to replace...