MAF cleaner. Any experiences??

[eliot]

disconnect the maf and see how it runs. if its still lumpy etc, your maf isnt faulty. (it uses map/throttle when the maf is disconnected)
My 540 didnt even throw a light with it disconnected!

[bearman68]

J4CKO said:

That and the very real possibility of ending up like a Tibetan Monk, i.e. running around on fire, please do not ask me how I know this....

Oh go on..... Not only should it be an amusing story (assuming no-one was killed or otherwise harmed in the making of this experience), it ought to teach me to avoid it.

[eltax91]

eliot said:

disconnect the maf and see how it runs. if its still lumpy etc, your maf isnt faulty. (it uses map/throttle when the maf is disconnected)
My 540 didnt even throw a light with it disconnected!

I've happily done that in the past with the older vag TDi units I've had. This more modern and infinitely more complex thing worries me though. EVERYTHING throws a bloody code on this thing.

[Rawhide]

There is a way to test a MAF. Have a look on YouTube. You only need a multimeter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdGPuerxuvU

Edited by Rawhide on Sunday 23 June 19:47

[cars1993]

i used it on my passat tdi and it made a big difference to performance and economy as I was doing 600 miles a week in the car

Really does make a difference

[panholio]

eltax91 said:

Interesting additional point. 2 questions, how and why?

Disconnect the battery for ten minutes or pull the fuse for the ecu out for the same amount. Then take it for a good thrash (once warmed up). Theory is you will clear the ecu's "memory" and allow it to adjust to the better info coming from the clean maf.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Yeah, this sounds similar to the MAF on my Porsche 911 (996) which is the same kind of Bosch sensor as yours, with the wire in it.

Car started running with similar symptoms.

Disconnecting the MAF (despite casing check lights to show on the dash) gave smooth running again, so I then knew it was a faulty MAF.

Plugging it back in clears the lights, and once you've done a few start-ups and shut-downs, clears the fault code from the ECU.



Anyway, I read similar things about cleaning it, so I did so with some electrical contact cleaner. The result? Next to bugger all difference

I also encountered similar prices for a genuine new Bosch item (circa 400 quid) but there are also dire warnings about buying from ebay and similar places because there are both fakes around, and also apparently two different quality Bosch units available...there are German ones, and also Indian ones which are not great.

Anyway, I went to my local parts supplier, and they could supply German Bosch units for 250 quid - so already a saving over buying from Porsche.

And I may have turned up at their counter wearing my genuine Mercedes Benz Service overalls, and I didn't go out of my way to correct their assumption that I was from the Mercedes main dealers down the road so they gave it to me at trade - 140 quid. Ta