The stock MAF housing has an arrow showing which way air is supposed to flow though the MAF housing. I was trying to make a shorter HAI so I turned my MAF housing around. Now my car wont stay started. Does the MAF have to be installed in a certain direction to work or do I have a IACV tube issue.... everything was working before I started playing around

 

Yes it has to be installed in the correct direction

 

Look at the MAF sensor housing closely, there's an arrow. Once you locate the arrow, right above that arrow, it reads 'FLOW'.

Seems like the answer to your question is in the question you asked.

 

if it didnt matter...would there be a freaking airflow direction arrow

 

this thread makes me laugh.

 

yes I can read.... it's just that the MAF doesnt "look" like it needs a certain direction, i didnt know if that arrow was to ensure that the MAF screen was on a certain side or if it was because of the MAF itself... flipping things around did fix the issue but I cant tell why it would make a difference.

 

 

it makes a difference...doesnt matter why

 

maybe not to you, but some people like to understand why things are the way they are

 

Take a look at the actual sensor and see what you learn.

 

take the sensor out of the housing

 

i didnt even look, but im guessing that the element has plastic which would keep airflow off if, say, your engine backfired and shot a bunch of gas or carbon or WE back up there. if its backwards, that would keep the INCOMING air off the element...

 

"Does the MAF have to be installed in a certain direction to work"

If you want to know, just use google "MAF-How it works" -this is what you will find:
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h34.pdf