Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner

rustysaucepan

Can anyone help me find a cleaner for the maf in a car. i know you can get this in a spray in States but have tried everywhere in dublin including interparts and big autostores but they never heard of it. my car an m3. thanks

ocj

Just use carburetter cleaner. that's what I always use.
Any auto factor should have it

rustysaucepan

thanks but have been warned off using anything else but mass air flow cleaner in case of damage. sensor costs 800 and car worth over 30k so you can see dilemma

CPG

rustysaucepan wrote: »

thanks but have been warned off using anything else but mass air flow cleaner in case of damage. sensor costs 800 and car worth over 30k so you can see dilemma

Sell the money pit and buy something you can afford to run.

craichoe

rustysaucepan wrote: »

Can anyone help me find a cleaner for the maf in a car. i know you can get this in a spray in States but have tried everywhere in dublin including interparts and big autostores but they never heard of it. my car an m3. thanks

Well a dealer wont try cleaning the MAF for you, they classify it as a returnable part.

Just get some contact cleaner (you can buy it in Maplins). Its the same stuff anyway, an electrical part is just a part. Spray onto the filament, wait till it drys, repeat 5 times then try it out.

DO NOT apply directly with a cotton swab.

tossy

I used to clean one on my old car with electrical contact cleaner(making sure to make absolutely no contact with the actual sensor itself-DO NOT TOUCH IT!),it worked a treat but if your MAF is on the way out then cleaning results will only be short term.

Mr.Diagnostic

Can I ask.........why is it ok to spray some unknwn substance on the MAF but it it not ok to touch it?

rustysaucepan

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Can I ask.........why is it ok to spray some unknwn substance on the MAF but it it not ok to touch it?

youre right. it has to be mass air flow sensor cleaner. i have ordered it from the states and it is very specific to the maf sensor as other contact cleaners can harm the sensor and result in sadness. CRC Mass air flow sensor cleaner is the right stuff. It will improve 0-60 and mpg and cure flat spots and should be used each time you change the air filter

mickdw

Maplins do a range of electrical component cleaners which are 100% safe and are residual free. The trace residual is the problem with carburetor cleaners etc as it destroys the readings of the meter but trace free is fine. I know you have ordered a known brand at this stage but just for anyone running more standard equipment, You do need the cleaner to be residual free.

Timmaay

800quid for a maf sensor? WTF. As someone said cleaning them is a short term solution that doesn't always work. I'd be shopping around for a cheaper sensor. I assume thats from a main stealer here, trying ringing up a dealer in the uk.

rustysaucepan

Timmaay wrote: »

800quid for a maf sensor? WTF. As someone said cleaning them is a short term solution that doesn't always work. I'd be shopping around for a cheaper sensor. I assume thats from a main stealer here, trying ringing up a dealer in the uk.

youre spot on main stealers here are rip off merchants. bear in mind labour is €150 per hour!!!! their view on everything is new part and couple of hours labour and oh yeah v.a.t. they also have to run diagnostics test before they even open bonnet and this is €60 ...to plug in a unit for one minute! problem is if you dont document all works carried out on bmw cars esp m tech you could be in bother selling the damn things

voxpop

Dont know what car you have - but a MAF for a VW from the dealers cost me 80 quid (its about 130 but you get a refund for bringing in your old one) and the job takes about 5 mins to do.

As already mentioned, cleaning the MAF will not fix it long-term and may make it worse.

craichoe

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Can I ask.........why is it ok to spray some unknwn substance on the MAF but it it not ok to touch it?

At the end of the day its a sensor, doesnt have to be a specific branded spray, in manufacturing environment theres lots of these.

Touching it with a cotton bud will leave deposits or indeed crack the filament.

Alun

I'm still confused as to why these things are so difficult to clean without wrecking them. As I understand it it's just a wire that's heated and when air flows over it, it causes to cool down, which affects the resistance which is then measured and translated into a measurement of air flow. So why is it so sensitive?