FYI- ONLY! As the title says....

I had been experiencing some intermittent problems with cut outs, idle fluctuation and other performance degrading symptoms.

A little electrical parts cleaner and some K&N air filter cleaner on the Air Filter and my problems were solved.

This should be a regular servicable item about every 10K or less.

 

Considering the minimal effort involved, its not a bad idea. Its something I like to clean along with the K&N filter and the throttle body.

 

Ditto ..... I consider cleaning the MAF a standard step when cleaning my K&N filter.

 

They make a MAF cleaner that works fairly well and you don't have to worry about messing up the sensitive sensor

 

and after re-oiling the K&N you have to clean the MAF wires every couple months or so until the excess oil is gone

 

People over oil their K&N filters, thus causing MAF problems.

 

Interesting, I have never cleaned the MAF except to wipe down the inside of the bore. I've read that there is a 'self clean mode' that periodically cooks the hotwires clean. I was more concerned about hurting the thing with cleaner.

A properly oiled filter will not shed much oil at all. Especially if you let it set overnite before running.

I don't clean & oil the Moroso filter on my Z very often, and I don't overoil it, so my MAF probably gets less oil than many. Only once since I got this particular filter, with about 25k - 30k miles on it. I think a lot of guys overdo the filter service. Remember, they filter better the dirtier they are. And IMO the very little bit of power lost compared to the added filtration is OK. Even with that interval it was not very dirty. No rain or winters helps.

My truck, which has a vacuum-sensing 'filter pressure-drop indicator' has gone 80k with no measured change on the stock filter. I just knock the loose dirt and bugs off once in a while. It is completely gray, but not caked with dirt. It's an experiment; I'm just waiting for that indicator to show it needs changing.

K&N disputes the conserns that oil comes off, although I do see it happen on my dirtbike - that gets serviced very often. They also have done some pretty extreme tests on MAF contamination with their oil. FWIW:
http://www.knfilters.com/MAF/massairfindings.htm

Here's the K&N FAQ:
http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm#19

 

if you just keep shaking the dirt out of paper filters does not mean there are still good or unclogged . in 15,000 miles a paper filter is clogged , this is how to tell , take out your paper filter and shine a flashligt thru the filter , (hold the light close to the motor side of the filter and look at how much light goes thru the filter , little if none . , then grab your brand new filter and do the same thing and youll see alot of light thru the filter . thats the true way to tell if you need a new filter or not .


o ya that filter gauge will never move , they dont work , i know i see 10 of them a day on trucks at my lube shop and they never move in 100,000 miles or even in 500,000 miles

 

The Bosch MAF sensor used in the 3rd Gens (very unreliable) had a "burn-off" cycle to keep the wire clean, but that feature is not used on the GM MAF sensor (much more reliable) used in the 4th Gens.

I ran a K&N almost from the day my car was new, and never had a problem with dirt on the sensor, even when I removed it after 6 years/80K miles for the stroker buildup. If you clean and oil the filter correctly..... and K&N recommends 50K miles..... you will not have a problem.

 

There are some supposed pretty decent dry alternatives to K&N. A lot of people actually believe they are better. I have a K&N FIPK on my Jeep and replaced the filter with an AEM Dry Flow back in the summer. I'm sending out an oil sample soon. I'm curious to see whether the silicon levels drop compared to the K&N.

 

So what are you guys using to clean your maf? I can find the special cleaner anywhere. I was told I can use throttle body cleaner but I am a little worried about that messing up the maf.

 

Have you tried an auto parts store? I always see it on the shelves of the Autozone that i go to.

 

Yeah I have too when I wasent looking for it and now that Iam I cant find it. I looked at autozone and advance and napa and nothing. They said I could use throttle body cleaner do you recommend that?

 

PepBoys sells this MAF cleaner below. Some of the other parts cleaners may leave a residue and are not recommended. I also clean my filter and MAF at least once or twice a year. I used a leaf blower on the K&N to speed up the drying process and ensure that no oil would fly off onto the MAF. I wouldn't get too close though. Too much pressure may damage it.


http://www.crcindustries.com/auto/co...x?PN=05110&S=N

 

Would a dirty filter and mas flow sensor cause my car to drop out around highter rpms? Around 4500 and higher the car stops pulling.