followed the direction i found here by doing a search for "cleaning maf" - what a difference - really works - simple quick and spectacular..highly recommended.

link:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ight=clean+maf

 

Might need the link attached to this thread since it will be one of the first people see.

 

I just wanted to bring up one thing that's been bothering me for a while about cleaning the MAF.

The general consensus to clean it is to use electronics cleaner, though I've seen a few people say they've used lightweight petroleum products such as kerosene that evaporate quickly, but I don't recommend this. These can damage the rubber gasket and/or the plastic MAF housing if you choose the wrong one. Secondly, they're not meant for cleaning delicate electronics and there's no guarantee it won't harm the MAF. The third thing is that they don't evaporate as well as electronics cleaner. Fourth, electronics cleaner is pressurized and comes with a handy dandy little tube that really lets you clean the MAF easily.

In the end, is it really that big a deal to spend $5 on a product specifically meant for cleaning electronics when you're trying to save a $350+ part? So please use the right tool for the job and don't try and cut corners with something else.

 

The MAF is NOT a delicate piece of electronic equipment. Electronics cleaner may sometimes not be strong enough to get rid of hardened carbon on the wires. Carb cleaner, alcohol, injector cleaner, acetone, starter fluid are all perfectly safe to use. Starter fluid and carb cleaner are the best, so to follow your observations, why waste time and money on electronics spray that may not do the job. Just use the carb cleaner or starter fluid and you won't have any problems.

 

How in the world does a device that is located just behind the air filter, and only senses the air flowing past it, accumulate carbon on it?

 

Then why do they go bad so easily from a little bit of oil on them?
Lightweight oils like starter fluid can damage rubber components such as the gasket on the MAF, as well as the plastic itself over time. Also, you haven't addressed how you get all of the starter fluid or other fluid out of the MAF after you clean it. These substances do not evaporate completely like electronics cleaner does.

Why are these the best when they're not specifically developed for doing exactly what electronics cleaner is designed to do? I'm not saying using the products you mention will definitely damage the MAF in the short-term by doing this. My point is that you should be using the correct tool for the job. You wouldn't use a pipe wrench to take your exhaust bolts off, and if you own a Porsche but can't afford $5 for a can of electronics spray that will last you forever, I don't know what to tell you!

Exactly.