RyanPerrella

I have long wondered what a cleaned MAF would do for you. I was considering getting mine replaced as it seemed like it could affect idle quality and many other things. Well all i did was clean it and it seems to have made quite a difference. This could be my brain playing tricks on me but the car is allot more responsive and the one time i started it from cold it idled as is should and didnt hunt around as it was doing.

What did I do, well ive considered spraying brake parts cleaner on it to clean up the hotwire but never did and just really paid the MAF no mind in this car and every other car i have owned previously. CRC recently started marketing a Mass Airflow Meter cleaner and thats what I used. I saw this demoed on a "Two Guys Garage" episode last week and thought i would give it a shot. Looked around for it last week but couldnt find it. I went to a Napa store looking for something else and came across the stuff and picked it up. I also later went to a Pep Boys and they too are now stocking it. Its $5.99, i suggest you all pick up a can, a can will probably do 2 MAF's. (For those with multiple 928's)

Probably takes an hour to do this. The time is getting to the MAF. I suggest you remove the top and bottom screens and spray from both directions. Spray the screens as well and let dry. Reassemble and reinstall.

Would be curious to hear others responses after doing this. Its funny the can claims +4 - +10 RWHP. It may serve to help others who are on the fence about the $400 rebuilt units.

Good luck

RyanPerrella

Here is what the can looks like

Bill51sdr

I posted a thread about this very product a couple of months ago. I used it on mine and noticed no discernable difference in the performance of the engine. My engine was not running poorly to begin with. This stuff will do nothing about the inevitable degradation of the platinum wire in the MAF and if you have deposits on the wire that the "burn-off" cycle of the MAF will not burn away, then you have problems much more serious than a dirty MAF.

RyanPerrella

I agree

I think that my MAF was rebuilt, as there is some silicon around the plastic box cover. Once cleaned i could see the wire and it looked like it was in good shape.

Obviously if there is an issue with your MAF, this will not make a faulty MAF good as new but for those that want to try this first, i think its a good thing to try before shelling out for a new MAF, it just may help, and in other instances it may not do a damn thing.

I honestly think it made a difference, if it didnt i wouldnt say a thing and it would be another product i just throw away and never bother with again.

Your mileage may vary

John Speake

The Picture on the can shows a Hot Film MAF, rather than the hot wire type that the 928 uses.

Hot film types have replaced the hot wire types (cheaper to produce) . The real difference between the two types is thhat the hot film does not have a burn off cycle. They are supposed to be so cleverly designed that they don't get contaminated. :-) Tell that to Boxster or 996 owners who have to change them after as little as 30k miles !

A spray cleaner will not repair an aged 928 hot wire. If there is more contamination from excess oil, then maybe cleaning will help a little.

Ryan - did you do a battery disconnect when you cleaned your MAF with this cleaner ?

Steve J.

Someone in the UK sells instructions on eBay on how to repair the Bosch maf. Has anyone tried this? How does it work? Check out Item # 110051527982

Mike Frye

Ryan,

Thanks for the tip on this. I invariably feel like there's an improvement when I do things on my car, including changing the plugs, which may or may not be actually in my head.

Based on everyone else's input I wouldn't rule out the possibility that removing and replacting your MAF may have just taken care of leaks from loose installation prior to your working on it. I invariably find hoses that weren't cleaned before replacement or were just loose when I got to them. Cleaning and/or tightening always helps some.

Either way, I think it falls under the heading of (as you said) it couldn't hurt and it might help, so for 6 bucks, why not give it a try?

ROG100

Ryan,
I have a can as well but after talking to John Speake about it did not use it.
Get a refurbished MAF from John.
I changed mine in my GTS and it made some nice improvements.
John is the only person I would trust with a MAF period.
Roger

ROG100

Steve,
The feedback is not bad - however anyone with a name BONDBUGKOICARP would give me problems.
Interested what John says about this feloow countryman?
Roger

John Speake

Hi Roger
I had a look at his eBay item. The picture shown is of a HOT FILM MAF.

I know that sometimes these types can respond to a clean, although I also hear this doesn't last. I imagine that this item is a cleaning kit.

The testimonals on his eBay are referring to cars using hot film MAFs.

People are forever asking if I rebuild these hot film units, they fail so often.

oups59

Concerning MAF, I will stick with John at JDS.

RyanPerrella

John,

When you reseal one of these, do you, or did you ever put silicon around the black plastic square cover where the wiring harness hooks up to?

I get your point that it wont make a corroded wire good again, but what harm will it do?

Mike good point about how when reinstalled i could have corrected something else, your absolutely right. And this could just be the placebo effect as well working here.

John Speake

Hello Ryan,
Bosch originally used silicon to seal the square lid over the electronics, and I do the same. The amount of silicon you may see around the edge depends on the skill of the operator involved...:-)

The lid has two lips on it, the one you see on the outside, and another one which slips over the insdie of the casting. The silcon should be confined to the channel between the two, out of sight.

Why do you ask ?

The cleaner you used probably won't do any damage, one hopes the solvents used won't attack the plastic parts in the sensor assembly. There is some risk also of snapping the 80 micron platinum wire.

RyanPerrella

the can clearly states safe for all plastic parts. It also suggests liberal spraying of the electrical connectors as well. I assume whatever is in this solution has both cleaning and lubricating properties such that it wont make corrosion an issue. It eventually evaporated although quite a bit slower then say a brake cleaner.

Bill Ball

The difference between the MAF cleaner and brake cleaner is the MAF cleaner has no acetone - hence, plastic-safe.

I have a can of the CRC MAF Cleaner. A local 928 buddy had a GT that was idling about 925-950 RPM. We swapped my newer MAF into his car, and the idle came right down to the GT spec. We zapped his MAF with the CRC cleaner and reinstalled it. The car idle was down within the GT spec! So, we were sold on the cleaner. However, after another 10 minutes of running, the idle was back up to 950. Oh, well. For a while I thought I had a great success report for the CRC MAF cleaner.