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Mass air flow sensor cleaniing question

Discussion in 'Performance and Tuning' started by dustinclm, Dec 6, 2010.

  1. Dec 6, 2010 at 8:58 PM
    #1
    dustinclm

    dustinclm [OP] Well-Known Member

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    so i am cleaning my mass air flow sensor for the first time. i have it out and will use "CRC throttle body & air intake cleaner". since they are very delicate i want to make sure i do this correctly. i just spray it on the little wire things and let it dry completely? can i use too much?
    thanks
     
  2. Dec 6, 2010 at 9:01 PM
    #2
    HondaGM

    HondaGM CallSign Monke

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    i dont know if that stuff would be a good idea,i would use only electronic contact cleaner
     
  3. Dec 6, 2010 at 9:02 PM
    #3
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    I use electronic contact cleaner.
     
  4. Dec 6, 2010 at 9:08 PM
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    dustinclm

    dustinclm [OP] Well-Known Member

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    ok ill get some of that, thanks
     
  5. Dec 6, 2010 at 9:37 PM
    #5
    dustinclm

    dustinclm [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I'll get some of the electronic contact cleaner in the morning but in my research I have read that u can clean the sensor with rubbing alcohol? Is that just for older ones or a myth? I'm just curious
     
  6. Dec 6, 2010 at 10:01 PM
    #6
    TucsonMike

    TucsonMike Blank

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  7. Dec 12, 2010 at 12:36 AM
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    carmellocafe

    carmellocafe Begin With The End In Mind.

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  8. Dec 12, 2010 at 10:12 AM
    #8
    Gadget@URD

    Gadget@URD Well-Known Member Vendor

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    That is a very nice video.

    Unfortunately it is tell you to clean the wrong wires.

    The wires that where cleaned in that video have no factor on air flow data. The tip of those wires, the red bulb, measures the temp of the air. The tip, the red part needs to be kept clean so the ECU can get accurate air temp data.

    The wires that measure the volume of air coming into the engine are located inside of that main stalk. If you flip it over and look up inside you will see two parallel wires. Those wires are what measures the air volume coming into the engine. That is the critical part to be kept clean. To clean them, blast the same cleaner up inside the stalk until the wires are nice and clean.

    Those wires are heated to a certain temp. As the air flows across them they are cooled and more voltage is added to get them back up to temp. The amount of voltage needed to keep those wires at temp is how it measures air flow volume.

    When crud builds up on those wires they are not cooled properly by the incoming air and the reading is thrown way off. The crud acts as an insulator and prevents the air from cooling them. When that happens the ECU will not get accurate air flow data.

    All of the surfaces of the sensor unit need to be kept clean also. The design of it is a very carefully designed air metering device and it uses Bernoulli flow dynamics to get the air to flow into and out of the sensor properly. When crud builds up on the surfaces it will affect the airflow through the sensor as well and affect the reading.

    Great video, just the wrong wires being cleaned.

    G
     
  9. Dec 21, 2010 at 6:18 PM
    #9
    carmellocafe

    carmellocafe Begin With The End In Mind.

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    Yes. When I cleaned mine, I noticed the other wires up inside the tube. Made sure to clean them. I had an idea that the part getting cleaned in the video wasn't all that needed cleaning, but the housing for the sensor in this video was the closest to resembling the one on our engines. And some of the write-ups showing cleaning of the MAF while still attached to the airbox wouldn't be getting the spray up in the tube of the sensor either (I don't think).
     
  10. Dec 21, 2010 at 10:20 PM
    #10
    builthatch

    builthatch MiG-21 superfan

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    I have used the CRC MAF sensor cleaner. works fine. an interesting note is my friend's tuning shop is listed on the side of the can as the dyno that validated the power restored by cleaning the MAF.
     
  11. Dec 21, 2010 at 10:30 PM
    #11
    Drunknsloth

    Drunknsloth Indffrnce will be the fall of manknd but who cares

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    If you what you've read is that you can dump some rubbing alcohol on a towel and wipe it down then that is the worst way to do it. Nothing should ever touch the wires as they are extremely fragil.
     
  12. Dec 22, 2010 at 6:41 PM
    #12
    carmellocafe

    carmellocafe Begin With The End In Mind.

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    "Not to mention, that even with the length of a Q-tip, you'd never even reach far enough up into the tube on the sensor to actually reach those wires. They are way up in the very top of the casing. Spraying up into the tube is the only way you can clean them (At least the MAF sensor off of a 4.0)."
     
  13. Feb 2, 2011 at 6:56 PM
    #13
    joyota

    joyota Member

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    I just recently cleaned my mass air flow sensor with the crc mass air flow cleaner spray. I just cleaned every wire that I could see. I let it dry and it started right up and hasn't sputtered since. It's super easy....2 screws. at 190,000 miles, my old girl is running like a top again!
     

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