Here is a little write up for a MAF sensor cleaning job.

I noticed my car was running a little rich, and didn't seem to have the kick that it should. No CEL, no codes, just an assessment made by the seat of the pants - oh, and by sniffing some exhaust fumes (uhhmmm, exhaust fumes!)

In the 996 (as with many cars) the ECU controls the fuel mix based largely on on input from the mass air flow (MAF) sensor. If this sensor becomes dirty or damaged the car won't run properly.

IMO the MAF sensor should be cleaned *every* time you change the air filter. I also suspect that regular cleaning will extend MAF sensor life (just a gut feel, I can't back it up with data). BTW it costs about ten bucks for the CRC sensor clean - one of the cheapest performance 'mods' you will ever do and this is a '1' on the difficulty scale. Even easier than an oil change,

On a 996 with a stock air intake the MAF sensor is located on the air intake housing just before it connects to the throttle body.




Remove the intake housing cover. There are about 8 screws that hold the intake cover in place.

You will also need to remove the MAF sensor lead and disconnect the housing from the throttle body by undoing the 2 hose clamps.



Once you have the housing out of the engine bay, you can easily see the MAF sensor body. It is held in place by a #20 tamper proof torx. Tamper proof torx screws have a pin in the middle - hence the tamper from torx bit.



I was fairly liberal with my use of the sensor cleaner. Spray it inside the sensor, around the sensor - I pretty much used most of the can. **You may want to wear gloves - I'm not entirely sure what type of solvent is in this, but it totally dried out out my hands. (ok, ok, I don't really care about that - I'm just saying...)



Well, this picture didn't turn out too clear. (too much exhaust fumes I guess).

Anyway, I let the MAF sensor dry for a about an hour before I re-assembled everything. Also replaced my air filter. And when I fired it up - just like should be, happy days again

 

Thanks for the write-up. I did this last december and was able to get rid of a P1128 and P1130 codes. Very easy indeed.

 

Love this type of posts! Thanks~

 

Hey I just got the P1128 and P1130 Codes and figured that my new K&N CAI caused its so i just did the same thing. I guess i'll know if a few more days if my problem is solved. The issue i was having was on a hard run up to 6500RPM if i let of the gas and pressed in the clutch the rps would just fall and the car would die. So far the problem is gone now.

 

do you wipe it also or just spray it?

 

MAF cleaner (or any electrical contact type cleaner) will evaporate very quickly so it really does not require wiping. Just make sure you hose it down enough to rinse any contaminants off. Touching the sensor wire can have disastrous effects - so it should be avoided.

 

Managed to find the right torx #20 in a set at Canadian Tire for a sale price of $5.97 and got the electronics cleaner for under $7.00, followed the great instructions and got rid of some serious roughness at startup and the idling is soooo smooth.

Thanks for putting in the effort to share your success.

My new used Porsche has a happier home for it.

 

Thanks for the write-up. Are the air filters available at the chain auto parts stores or do you need to order them online?

 

The stock filter? It'll be dealer or online...

 

OReily's Auto Parts has a complete set of security head torx for around 4 dollars, so if your car is like mine with security torx you can actually remove the MAF sensor. Great set to have around, it has about 15 different security heads, so you should never have another issue getting a part off.

 

Nice write up! Will do this

 

Great info, thanks for posting it.

 

02 sensors?

 

Got the 2 codes today while in a parking lot... Was cold outside too. I will have to go get a #20 tamper proof torx tomorrow and MAF cleaner to see if it clears these codes... Will the CEL go away by itself or do I have to reset it? I don't own OBDII sensor yet, got it checked for free at AutoZone.

 

I didn't have any error codes, but I did mine today along with a new air filter. Very unscientific butt-dyno says increased responsiveness. For those who are removing the intake housing for the first time (like me), there are three screws in the back - one about an inch from each corner, and one just to the right of the hose that goes to the throttle body.