While cleaning my Holley air filter on my SS I sprayed a little it more and I think my maf get wet while I was driving. The engine hesitated during acceleration and the check engine light comes on. After a week a the light goes off and my car engine is back to its original performance.

Is there a probabilty of damaging the maf sensor? Is there need for cleaning it?

Before the light comes on the car was accelerating faster than ever, what was the management system was doing during that stage, is it something like sensing nos coming through induction system richening the fuel mixture.

 

If you put too much oil on the filter, the oil coats the MAF sensor elements. The sensor works by measuring how much energy it uses to heat the air that is passing through it. The oil acts as an insulator, and causes the sensor to under estimate the actual air flow. The PCM adds less fuel because it thinks there is less air than there really is. Then the O2 sensors see the lean condition and the PCM starts jacking up the long term fuel corrections to get the A/F ratio back where it belongs. There is a limit to how much fuel the long term corrections can add.

There is a factory warning bulletin on problems related to over oiling the gauze type filters.

Even if it seems to be running fine, it would be a good idea to clean the MAF sensor. It has to be done very gently, with a high quality electronic parts cleaner, that does not leave a residue.

 

Any other details about cleaning maf will be appreciated since I don't want to buy a new one

So if I understand correctly I felt the car going better because more fuel is sent, I asked it because my car seems to have a richer mixture so shouldnt more fuel worse the situation .

 

I've heard of people using cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol, but I dont recommend doing it. Just leave it alone and the air will probably blow the oil off. One little bumb and you could destroy the sensor.