Cleaning MAF Really Necessary?

At 60,000 miles is it really necessary to clean the MAF?

 

If your manual says to do it then yes, besides it's a good idea to do anyway especially if you have an oiled filter. Cleaning it can also help with gas mileage and let the fuel be burned cleaner and better. Do it, it doesn't take but 5 minutes.

 

it takes like 5 minutes and a can of MAF cleaner you can use about 50 times.

just do it

 

Oh and what about the throttle body. Does that need cleaned too?

 

You can do it, again it's a 20 minute job tops.

 

The MAF is a sensor, or a more specifically, a resistor that is sensitive to air flow. The ECU heats up the resister and a predetermined level, and maintains that level. As the engine pulls air across the sensor it is cooled, the computer detects this cooling of the resister and adds more voltage to maintain the set parameter. This voltage change indicates an increase in airflow and thus a change is required by the ECU to adjust fuel parameters as well. As you can imagine, a dirty sensor will give a faulty reading and incorrect measurements as it will not be sensitive enough.

So, in short, clean your MAF regularly.

 

When you say regularly do you mean like every oil change? When the manual tells you to do it? Or what? I've noticed my MPGs have dropped off a bit and I'm not sure if it's due to "winter gas" or some other issue. My truck is only a 2010 with ~20,000 miles on it. I do have a modest lift, Terra Grapplers, and an AFE Pro Dry air filter all of which can effect MPG. But My last couple of fill-ups have been right around 16 when I'm normally around 18. Could cleaning the MAF help?

 

When I ran a drop in K&N filter, I had to clean my MAF every oil change. I do however, have the secondary filter removed from my airbox. But I would get wierd idle characteristics, running high or really low, and stalling. I've since switched back to OEM filters, and haven't had to clean it as often, but I still do it anyways, cheap insurance.

 

I check mine every time I clean the filter and I give it a shot of MAF cleaner if I see anything on it. So far I think I've cleaned it 2 or 3 times its never dirty.

 

It's certainly worth a shot. I have cleaned my vehicles around once a year with dry filters. Depends on where and how you drive your truck will depend on how dirty stuff gets.

 

Easy to clean! I clean mine with each oil change....

 

My throttle body and MAF sensor gets cleaned every other oil change. Once you start, you can't stop.

 

Do most of you spray the MAF while still in the air intake, or do you pull it out and clean it? Any risk of damaging the fine wires on the MAF?

 

Just pull it out. It's two little bolts. Easiest MAF sensor to clean that I've ever seen.

 

I saw a how to write up on thiss subject. Maybe someone can link it.