21 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHCleaning the MAF
Leading reported evidence
Clean too often
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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1
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Suggestion · Original poster
However, I might not have unclipped it if I didn't need to take pictures, maybe I could have put a towel on the air filter housing (to catch the excess cleaning fluid) and then sprayed it with whichever cleaner and screwed it right back in.
Leading evidence: 'Clean too often' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean fluid)' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Use either intake cleaner, carb cleaner or electronics cleaner
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
The posters in thread in the 996 Turbo forum used either intake cleaner, carb cleaner or electronics cleaner but no one there was specific as to which part of the MAF to clean.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I have about 19k miles on the car and I use a K&N filter, do they usually get dirtier by then?
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Suggestion · Original poster
However, I might not have unclipped it if I didn't need to take pictures, maybe I could have put a towel on the air filter housing (to catch the excess cleaning fluid) and then sprayed it with whichever cleaner and screwed it right back in.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
I make cleaning the MAF as part of every oil change.
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Clean fluid)
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion · Original poster
However, I might not have unclipped it if I didn't need to take pictures, maybe I could have put a towel on the air filter housing (to catch the excess cleaning fluid) and then sprayed it with whichever cleaner and screwed it right back in.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
By the way, if anyone wants to clean their MAF and has never done so before, I'd recommend an offset ratcheting screwdriver so that you don't have to remove the air filter housing, in the event that you would like to clean the MAF but do not need to replace the air filter.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
21 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T201111Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Does anyone using this forum clean their Mass Airflow Sensor? If so, which part of the MAF needs to be cleaned? The wires? There are wires on the outside of the MAF and there appear to be wires inside as well (which I circled in yellow) as you can see from the picture below. Do they both need to be cleaned? Also there appears to be a window or film on my MAF that was somewhat dirty (under where the inner of the two arrows is in the last picture), does that need to be cleaned? What do you guys use to clean the MAF? The posters in thread in the 996 Turbo forum used either intake cleaner, carb cleaner or electronics cleaner but no one there was specific as to which part of the MAF to clean.
By the way, if anyone wants to clean their MAF and has never done so before, I'd recommend an offset ratcheting screwdriver so that you don't have to remove the air filter housing, in the event that you would like to clean the MAF but do not need to replace the air filter. Also I bought a set of the torx security bits on ebay for $3.00 which work great with the offset ratcheting screwdriver.
Incidently, my MAF wasn't that dirty. The pictures were all taken before I cleaned it. I have about 19k miles on the car and I use a K&N filter, do they usually get dirtier by then?
Great photos. As per a question I had in a post earlier, I am going to clean the sensor this weekend. To answer your question, couldn't hurt to clean both wires, right?
By the way, it looks like you just unscrewed the whole MAF sensor housing rather than muck around with trying to unclip it. Is that correct? I recall that Dell uses that technique as well.
I unscrewed the MAF sensor from the housing and it was then easier to unclip. But then I did unclip it and take it inside to take pictures. However, I might not have unclipped it if I didn't need to take pictures, maybe I could have put a towel on the air filter housing (to catch the excess cleaning fluid) and then sprayed it with whichever cleaner and screwed it right back in.
This is the area you want to clean. Use CRC electronic cleaner and spray in the hole. The sensor is inside there and when you spray it will spray across the sensor and clean it. DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR!
Yes, clean all areas of the MAF, plastic (below O ring) and metal. The MAF has various exposed resisters that can get gummed up. I make cleaning the MAF as part of every oil change. It cannot be cleaned too often. When you spray it, saturate it in order to wash any contaminants out.. This cleaning is not only necessary if you have an aftermarket filter, but often is required with the stock filter setup. The moisture in the air contains alot of contaminants, and some minerals will attached themselves to the MAF over time.
OK, I've owned 996's since my 2001. I've never cleaned the MAF, is this something the dealer does automatically when you get the oil changed?
What happens when you don't clean it?
What happens if you fill the entire area with Play-Doh?
Riad:
Chances are that if you never clean the MAF, you will have no negattive symptoms. And, no, the dealer will not clean at an oil change. As far as Play-doh....you got me there.
We just talked about this a couple days ago on a different thread. Here's the link:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/262690-rpm-needle-jumping-around.html
ToolPants offered a link lower down to the exact same concern that I raised and that you have. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Dumb Question, but what kind of tools are they (Fishman's 1st pic)? Is it some kind or ratchet screwdriver?
Sorry, but long term Boxster owner and short time 996 owner, not used to needing tools or seeing engine.
Fishman, I'm going to start by cleaning the MAF sensor first and go from there. If it comes to having to do some work on the Throttle Body, I'll definitely be venturing into way unchartered territory. Hopefully, there's pix somewhere to use as a guide (maybe over at RennTech). I'll post back here as soon as the CRC is delivered from Amazon....and hopefully after this weekend. That'll give you a better idea of what to expect.
Cleaning the throttle body probably would be easy. I guess just take off the hose that connects the throttle body to the air filter housing and spray with throttle body cleaner?
Yes, a ratcheting offset screwdriver sold at Sears:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...t=Screwdrivers
You also would need a t-20 security bit like these currently on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/7-Pc-Security-St...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-pc-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tamper-Proof-Sec...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/100-Pc-Security-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-pc-...QQcmdZViewItem
No, I ordered the electronic cleaner version, which I suspect is the same, but I love their marketing decision to sell a bottle specifically labeled for MAF cleaning. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Here's some more detailed info on cleaning the throttle body. It seems relatively straightforward:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...t/1272341.html
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
