Help cleaning MAF sensor

I have spent the last half hour searching for a DIY on cleaning the Mass Airflow Sensor. I swear I have found one on here before and can't find anything other than people suggesting to clean it. In the Haynes manual it just shows you where it is and how to remove it. Do I just remove it, spray it off, let it dry, and put it back in? Or do you have to spray out the whole air box/throttle body? If I remember right in the DIY I think I remember finding they took the throttle body off...

I used to get around 18.5 mpg and it's steadily declined over the last year or so. Put in new plugs and new air filter, now considering cleaning the MAF sensor. I've come to understand it's pretty sensitive so make sure it touches nothing but MAF cleaner, and make sure the MAF cleaner touches but the MAF sensor...correct?

 

ONLY use MAF cleaner or just plain ole compressed air. Any other liquid should not touch it

 

Thanks. Will it be visibly dirty? The majority of what I've read on other threads is people recommend cleaning it, but it sounds like they can get damaged easily. If you're careful it's probably good to go ahead an clean it it? It's a 2005 4.0L and it hasn't been cleaned before...

 

Since you have lower gas mileage, you may want to clean the Throttle body. I think it would do more good than the MAF, but since you have to take it apart to get to the throttle, you can clean both and see if the mileage goes up.

This is my 3rd thread since yesterday offering advice on cleaning the throttle body. Maybe yearly cleaning of the throttle body could help prevent problems. Just as you get your teeth cleaned once or twice a year, you could clean your throttle body once a year.

 

Thanks I'll see if I can find a DIY on cleaning the throttle body too.

 

Hey Faller...check this one out...
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/199967-cleaning-my-throttle-body-what-i-found.html

I read a good one from George(something)...and I followed it... he had red arrows in all the pics.... real easy to follow... do some more searching...

Over

 

Thanks for the help. I just found this one too:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/94203-how-throttle-body-cleaning-2005-v6.html