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How-to: Cleaning your MAF Sensor


88pathoffroad
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

Be careful when cleaning out your MAF. I cleaned out mine using CRC's MAF Cleaner, and my truck immediately started running like sh*t. It wouldn't accelerate, and would surge then nearly die at idle. Same exact thing happened to my buddy and his 4.0L Ranger. We changed the sensors and everything's running fine now.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Just skimming through this and didn't see posted what I thought made removing the bottom screw A LOT easier.

 

Unhook the maf and open the air filter box, you can use a regular screwdriver that way and get way better leverage.

 

Feel free to :stickwack: me if this has already been posted.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 5 months later...

good question. I soppose it would depend on driving conditons (dusty) and your filter. last I cleaned mine it only left a few very thin black marks on the cotton swab and I don't think I'd been done b4. My guess would be every few years wouldn't hurt.

anyone?

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Considering how clean they were in my 2 pathys (and that I doubt anyone had ever done it before), I'd say several years interval, but that would of course change if you drive in harsh conditions. :shrug:

 

B

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Just cleaned the MAF because I thought the engine was idling a little high, just under 1,000 rpm. Thought I could reduce the idling speed by cleaning the MAF. The alcohol-tipped Q-tip sopped up a little bit of dirt but not much. RPMs did not change noticeably. (They drop if I turn on the air-conditioning or turn up the ventilation fan.) I should check the gap on the plugs....

 

Great thread 88. Thanks. Bernard's pictures were particularly useful.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm screwed...

 

Thanks to you for your valuable information...relating to the cleaning of the MAF... So i ran down to the garage with my big screw driver vise-grip and flash light...unfortunately, it seems like someone, previous owner or another screwdriver mechanic... has tried it before me, by the looks of the screws... i cannot remove them unless i get into some...'tidy 'manicure'' of the screws... it looks like it has never been undone :suicide:

 

...Patience is a vertu... guess i should get a big roll of it at the mall :headwall:

Edited by Pinip
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  • 4 months later...

88' Thanks for the info. on cleaning and changing the AMS(air mass sensor)But every year I have mine cleaned because my Pathy starts having an erratic idle.(between 800rpm-1500rpm)and the exhaust stinks like sh_t! I notice when I mess with the pigtail towards the back end of the AMS, it regulates the idle.(pigtail=wires going into black square that snaps on. What can I do? Is this an MAS problem?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just cleaned the MAF because I thought the engine was idling a little high, just under 1,000 rpm. Thought I could reduce the idling speed by cleaning the MAF. The alcohol-tipped Q-tip sopped up a little bit of dirt but not much. RPMs did not change noticeably. (They drop if I turn on the air-conditioning or turn up the ventilation fan.) I should check the gap on the plugs....

 

Great thread 88. Thanks. Bernard's pictures were particularly useful.

Was catching up on some reading and came across this thread again.

 

FYI: The idle issue was likely caused by a failed 02 sensor. It and the catalytic converter were kaput; the pathie failed Air Care (British Columbia Lower Mainland emissions testing) earlier this year. Once the 02 sensor and catalytic converter were replaced, the idle rpms dropped down to circa 750.

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I think this would help more on a throttle body motor because the sensor is so close to the throttle body and the crap that comes in thought the PCV. On a port injected truck the sensor is far from the engine so it doesn't get dirty. I will try it as soon as I get a chance.

 

James

Edited by JamesRich
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  • 4 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Just skimming through this and didn't see posted what I thought made removing the bottom screw A LOT easier.

 

Unhook the maf and open the air filter box, you can use a regular screwdriver that way and get way better leverage.

 

 

 

X2

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

I just did my first fix to my Pathfinder thanks to NPORA!

 

I have a 97 SE and I just cleaned the MAF with the help of the instructions here.

 

 

 

This is what it looks like when I took it off. I thought it looked pretty clean.

17.jpg

 

 

But then I turned it around and they black.

 

 

18.jpg

 

 

I found that the best way to clean them was by putting the qtip on softly and then gently turning the qtip.

 

Thanks again for the awesome instructions

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