MAF sensor cleaning

[Parrot of Doom]

Has anybody actually 'cleaned' a MAF sensor, using white vinegar or other such chemical?

I'm just talking about the wire/mesh bit, not the whole body. Just wondering as when my car is cold in the morning, I sometimes get a 'rev limiter' type behaviour where the car will kangaroo slightly at certain speeds, first I thought it was a daft gearbox issue and the car trying to hold the revs to warm the cats up, but someone else suggested a dicky MAF and that got me wondering.

Obviously I won't touch the wire at all.

Car is a Merc W210 E300 DT.

[Boosted Ls1]

It should be self cleaning. Every time you switch on the ignition mega volts should surge through the wire and burn off any crap

Boosted.

Oops, you just mean the screen filter? You could dip that in coco cola or similar overnight?

>> Edited by Boosted Ls1 on Tuesday 3rd January 16:59

[eccles]

i've read on other forums that you take the MAF off and clean it with a solvent like nail varnish remover/thinners as this doesn't leve any residue on the little sensor wire thingy. a bit of gentle agitation with a paint brush may help as well.

[vixpy1]

Parrot of Doom said:

Obviously I won't touch the wire at all. Car is a Merc W210 E300 DT.

Just buy the Piersberb one from the E320cdi, got one in mine and it works fine, £45 as well..

Once they go, they tend to .. um go

[DrDeAtH]

some MAF sensors are advised to NOT be cleaned... as it just ruins them. i suppose if you removed the sensor part first, the body can be cleaned however you like. the sensor part, maybe just careful wiping with a clean piece of cloth.

[eccles]

if the cleaning doesn't work and its that unreliable bosch one, it might be worth trying the dealers for a new one, as quite a few dealers will take your old in in, and sell you a re-con one fairly cheaply. just goes to show how unreliable it is if they end up having to offer this option!

[Parrot of Doom]

I don't know that its actually faulty, I just wanted to see if cleaning it would eliminate the behaviour....

[Dan172]

Carb Cleaner spray.

[warmfuzzies]

Carb cleaner spray on the ones I've seen, On beemers one way to check for the MAF going awol is to disconect it and see if the engine is more sprightly, if it is the MAF is shot.

kevin

[vee]

Electrical Contact cleaner is what I used in my Golf.
Only worked for a couple of days and then went back to they way it had been.
Once a MAF goes it needs to be replaced.

[NDT]

vee said:

Electrical Contact cleaner is what I used in my Golf. Only worked for a couple of days and then went back to they way it had been. Once a MAF goes it needs to be replaced.

I used this on my Impreza a few years ago.
Seemed to work OK.