by JoeB » Sun Sep 04, 2005 12:03 pm
Scott, the recommended procedure is to not clean the MAF because of damage to the sensor wire. Personally, I ignore that advice and haven't had trouble.
One way to clean it is with the long Q-Tips and some of the pure alcahol, 97% or higher. The regular rubbing alcahol is not good, it is like 70% pure and the rest is skin softner that protects skin but is not good on electronic components. Then you very gently roll (not rub) the alcahol soaked Q-Tip over the 2 wires inside the MAF.
The other way is with a spray. If you have an electronics supply store near you, pick up a can of electronics spray cleaner that is safe for ABS plastic and has NO lubricants! Simply spray those 2 wires. With either way, make sure they are dry before you try to start the car. Either method will dry quickly since those chemicals evaporate quickly.
As always, this is a try at your own risk. Our stock MAF costs about $180. If you pull your MAF off and it is very dirty and dull, it's up to you to decide if you want to risk doing this. The way I look at it is, if you damage it, so what if you were going to have to buy a new one any way. I haven't damaged 1 yet. -JoeB
