K
Kev
Guest
whats the best thing to use 2 clean a maf sensor?
Currently reading:
maf sensor
A
Anonymous
Guest
something that will leave no residue.
Try some Isopropyl-Alcohol.
Try some Isopropyl-Alcohol.
T
Tom
Guest
Make sure you are SURE its the part at fault as you could **** it up.
G
Grandad
Guest
Tom, they aren't as delicate as that! I bought a new one and scrubbed the old one out with IPA and a very stiff small artists brush, rinsed well with the IPA, let it dry and guess what? It's nearly as good as the new one!
T
Tom
Guest
You scrubbed the hot wire?
G
Grandad
Guest
Yup!
O
Owen
Guest
Hello lads,
the JTD bosch MAF sensor doesent use a hot wire, but a semiconductor sensor. you can see it if you pull off the cap on the bit with the airflow port. I assume it works on the same principle as a hot wire though. I took photo's to do a tutorial on cleaning them but never got around to writing it.
you can also clean hot wire types if you are very careful..
Owen.
the JTD bosch MAF sensor doesent use a hot wire, but a semiconductor sensor. you can see it if you pull off the cap on the bit with the airflow port. I assume it works on the same principle as a hot wire though. I took photo's to do a tutorial on cleaning them but never got around to writing it.
you can also clean hot wire types if you are very careful..
Owen.
T
Tom
Guest
Who said it was a JTD 
Kev, I assume this isn't for your 1.6.
Kev, I assume this isn't for your 1.6.
A
afonso
Guest
This is getting interesting now.
Ok, I don't know how to clean maf sensor but I would LOVE to. Please gentleman, do not take me wrong here but there is something that doesn't make all the sense.
That diode you are talking about, from an electrical point of view - and as far I remember from my classes - will not change its electrical behaviour depending on the amount of air going through/around it. I saw that diode on my old maf and it looks a standard diode used in AM/FM radios. Special diodes can change their electrical behaviour (conductivity) upon different light conditions or temperature conditions. And that doesn't seam to be the case either.
So, I would guess that the air is actually measured in the pins at the end of a small semi-open chamber on the tip of the sensor body (not the tube). I would imagine that those pins would have an alternate signal and depending on the air density the conductivity would change... et voilá.
The fact that those pins are dirty, explains the faulty behaviour of the maf... I think. Now, it doesn't make much sense that the maf stops working if you rub it. Unless, the pins are coated with a noble metal (e.g. gold or smth else).
Well... this is just some food for thoughts really, but in case you have the formula to fix those nasty parts, please advise me. I would be very happy to know and fix my old maf (the current one is not getting any better also).
Cheers,
Afonso
Ok, I don't know how to clean maf sensor but I would LOVE to. Please gentleman, do not take me wrong here but there is something that doesn't make all the sense.
That diode you are talking about, from an electrical point of view - and as far I remember from my classes - will not change its electrical behaviour depending on the amount of air going through/around it. I saw that diode on my old maf and it looks a standard diode used in AM/FM radios. Special diodes can change their electrical behaviour (conductivity) upon different light conditions or temperature conditions. And that doesn't seam to be the case either.
So, I would guess that the air is actually measured in the pins at the end of a small semi-open chamber on the tip of the sensor body (not the tube). I would imagine that those pins would have an alternate signal and depending on the air density the conductivity would change... et voilá.
The fact that those pins are dirty, explains the faulty behaviour of the maf... I think. Now, it doesn't make much sense that the maf stops working if you rub it. Unless, the pins are coated with a noble metal (e.g. gold or smth else).
Well... this is just some food for thoughts really, but in case you have the formula to fix those nasty parts, please advise me. I would be very happy to know and fix my old maf (the current one is not getting any better also).
Cheers,
Afonso
G
Grandad
Guest
As well as the wire in the bottom slot, there is a metal plate in the through slot above it. It is in the side of the airway, and is very hard to distinguish until you clean it, when it becomes very shiny. I presume it's the muck on this surface that prevents the current from changing.
T
Tom
Guest
ALL diodes change their conduction characteristics with temperature and light, its just most are encased in black plastic/ceramic so can't see the light. Simple fact of physics, all the equations include a term for temperature. Same with all metals and all semiconductors.
MAF sensors have 2 sensors, a cold one and a hot one. The diode will be the cold one most likely.
The wire is platinum. The danger is if you jab something in there and damage/snap the wire, then the MAF is totally fooked. They do erode over time.
MAF sensors have 2 sensors, a cold one and a hot one. The diode will be the cold one most likely.
The wire is platinum. The danger is if you jab something in there and damage/snap the wire, then the MAF is totally fooked. They do erode over time.
G
Grandad
Guest
Tom, I don't jab.
T
Tom
Guest
You might not but someone else might
OP
OP
Kev
Guest
yes this was for my 1.6! why tom?
A
Afonso
Guest
Hi Tom,
Thank you for your insight on the subject. I now understand the diode phenomena. I found a paper that explains a bit how MAFs work and possible explanations why they fail:
http://www.performancempg.com/lubricationnews/lubricationnews_mar-jan_2004.htm
I wonder now, the catalistic converters also use platinum and they are expected to last 100.000 km. And those are heavily exposed to erosion. My MAF lasted 43.000 km only...
Cheers,
Afonso
Thank you for your insight on the subject. I now understand the diode phenomena. I found a paper that explains a bit how MAFs work and possible explanations why they fail:
http://www.performancempg.com/lubricationnews/lubricationnews_mar-jan_2004.htm
I wonder now, the catalistic converters also use platinum and they are expected to last 100.000 km. And those are heavily exposed to erosion. My MAF lasted 43.000 km only...
Cheers,
Afonso
T
Tom
Guest
Cats use platinum and a mix of other metals in a ceramic substrate and they work at a few hundred deg C. The exhaust gas is relatively clean, no debris or liquid oil.
The wire in a MAF is heated to 1000c (ie it glows red) to clean itself, this errodes the surface. It can also bake on oil and the such and ruin the wire.
The wire in a MAF is heated to 1000c (ie it glows red) to clean itself, this errodes the surface. It can also bake on oil and the such and ruin the wire.
M
Mr Marea
Guest
Cleaned my MAF over the weekend, as Fiat said i need a new one so thoughts have nothing to use.
Very easy to clean, took about 5 mins to get out 10 mins to clean and 2 mins to get back in.
I think the JTD can be done without taking the whole tube out. Just undo the two screws either side of the serial connector and gently twist and pull out. This part is only held in by a green rubber ring.
I used 99.7% isopropyl from work, there seemed to be two parts a thick wire with a small bulb of resin half way up the block and a metal plate the lower part. Just gently cleaned both with a cotton bud.
Anyway i am positive the cars running better but don't know if this will give better mpg than 45 I'm getting at the moment or if it will stop the injector light coming on.
Cheers
Me Marea
Very easy to clean, took about 5 mins to get out 10 mins to clean and 2 mins to get back in.
I think the JTD can be done without taking the whole tube out. Just undo the two screws either side of the serial connector and gently twist and pull out. This part is only held in by a green rubber ring.
I used 99.7% isopropyl from work, there seemed to be two parts a thick wire with a small bulb of resin half way up the block and a metal plate the lower part. Just gently cleaned both with a cotton bud.
Anyway i am positive the cars running better but don't know if this will give better mpg than 45 I'm getting at the moment or if it will stop the injector light coming on.
Cheers
Me Marea
A
AlfaNige
Guest
We change an average of 3 MAF's per week. If the MAF is fecked, cleaning will not help it - I know as we tried a bucket of them and got 1 in 10 working.
MAF's rarely completely fail though which is why a diagnostic rarely picks it up, they just read incorrectly.
The difference though between a working cleaned one and a new one though is very wide in our experience. The cleaned one is ok, works wel enough and the car runs but the new one is a different step up.
The biggest culprit of MAF destruction is either an open cone sports air filter (like the laughable K&N 75i), over oiled sports air filters, poor fitting airbox lids or simply old air filters.
Always buy a MAF from a reputible source and NOT ebay as the cheap ones on there have been causing lots of people lots of problems long term!
If you do want to clean them, it is possible to do it with care and a few cotton buds and an electrical contact cleaner (but not one that leavs an oily residue!) However you are more likely to bugger up a working one if you just want to clean it for the sake of trying it.
MAF's rarely completely fail though which is why a diagnostic rarely picks it up, they just read incorrectly.
The difference though between a working cleaned one and a new one though is very wide in our experience. The cleaned one is ok, works wel enough and the car runs but the new one is a different step up.
The biggest culprit of MAF destruction is either an open cone sports air filter (like the laughable K&N 75i), over oiled sports air filters, poor fitting airbox lids or simply old air filters.
Always buy a MAF from a reputible source and NOT ebay as the cheap ones on there have been causing lots of people lots of problems long term!
If you do want to clean them, it is possible to do it with care and a few cotton buds and an electrical contact cleaner (but not one that leavs an oily residue!) However you are more likely to bugger up a working one if you just want to clean it for the sake of trying it.
M
Mr Marea
Guest
Hi Nige,
i will get my car remapped, just trying to fix the little gremlins in it.
If you were to replace the MAF and remap how much would it be?
AC Williams want £105 plus fitting (not sure if this includes VAT).
cheers
Mr Marea
i will get my car remapped, just trying to fix the little gremlins in it.
If you were to replace the MAF and remap how much would it be?
AC Williams want £105 plus fitting (not sure if this includes VAT).
cheers
Mr Marea
A
Anonymous
Guest
email us on [email protected] for a price, we dont do prices on forums