I've seen a lot of people asking about how to clean the MAF, so I decide to do my own and show it to them.

Things you need during the cleaning:
CRC MAF cleaner
Torx screwderiver #15
10mm wrench


Preparation:
Park you car under a shade or a place that isn't dusty.
Disconnect the bettary using the 10mm wrench to avoid damaging the ECU.


Location:
The Mass Air Flow sensor is located on a tube between the engine filter box and the throttle filter.

 

Remove the MAF:
1. Clean the area around the MAF and blow away the dust on it.
2. Press the clip on the socket and pull upwards to dissconnect the MAF.

3. Unsrew to screws that hold the MAF using the Torx screwderiver #15. Pull the MAF upwards to remove from the housing. If it's difficult to pull it out, twist the MAF 90 degree, so you can pull it out with your both hands.

4. Remove the MAF carefully from the housing and make sure you don't drop it. Clean the housing and cover it with a damp towel to prevent dust getting in.

 

Clean the MAF:
1. A MAF has two air tunnels on it, so you have to clean both of them.
( red arrows show how air flows through the MAF)
Only 5.5th gen has this intake air temp sensor, 5th gen has seperated one.

2. Take you MAF cleaner and put the pipe on it, so you can reach small areas. When you clean the MAF, DO NOT touch anything in side the tunnel with the pipe because that can damage the sensor.

3. Keep blowing the cleaner for 2-3 seconds to each tunnel, and you can also clean the resistor at the same time. After cleaning the MAF, let it sit for 15 minutes to dry. I prefer to put it like this, so dust won't get in.


Reinstall:
When you put the MAF back, just make sure the air flow direction is correct, with two tunnels/holes facing to the air filter.


Relearn procedure:
After putting the MAF back to the car, perform the ECU reset and Idle relearn procedures.

 

I have yet to see maf cleaner work on the 5.5 gen maf. But on other vehicles it works great.

 

So... any thoughts after it was cleaned? Because I sprayed mine with the CRC too and did nothing. Perhaps mine is already gone... but I ordered a new one and JUST received it via FedEx from DaveB as I'm typing this reply lol. Imma install it @ lunch! w00t w00t! Fingers crossed! Hopefully no more 15-17mpg!

 

i wouldnt recommend doing this in your bathroom dont u need a well ventilated area when usin the cleaner j/k with ya nice lil write up. any difference after the clean up?

 

I get a greater gm / s reading after I clean mine.

 

Any increase in MPG??

 

thorttle responses better and rev harder. idle is smoother then before.

 

I'd say 1-2mpg higher

 

I just install my new MAF and maxi is pulling like a champ! I guess I had a bad MAF the whole time with no codes. Moral of story is... it doesn't matter how you clean it or what you clean it with... when it craps out, it's just out, period! <--- That's the case for me at least. Time to see what MPG I gonna get!

But anyways! Mad props for the step by step with color pix!

 

Worked fine on mine. After installing a K&N panel filter, I noticed a slight bog on light to moderate acceleration around 2500 rpm. Pulled out my MAF, sprayed it down with CRC, let it dry, reinstalled it and no more bog.

Didn't reset the ECU or do an idle relearn either. Cleaning the MAF didn't seem to affect anything other than getting rid of the bog.

--------------------

You don't have to worry too much about how you reinstall the MAF, it only bolts up with it in the correct position.

 

Hey! Great write-up op! You made the process so easy I immediately ran to my car and brought my MAF inside to clean...however, to my surprise I noticed that my MAF was slightly different than yours...there is no resistor as yours has shown in the picture! I was wondering if you could tell me the value that yours is reading across that resistor? If anyone knows the value of the resistor that is on the MAF please let me know I would like to put a replacement in before I order a new MAF....might as well try! Thanks

 

Or is this a Thermistor of some type??? Is it replaceable? The help is much appreciated

EDIT: This is the thread that I read about a Thermistor that is the main difference between 2k2 and 00 MAFs...I have an 00 is this the reason there is no "therm/resistor in that spot?

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....+for+2k2's

 

Jason: Did this cure your throttle lag problem you posted in another thread?

BTW:Good write up and excellent pics.

 

Awesome write up. I'm going to clean my MAF tomorrow.

 

it does cure the throttle lag a little, but not very much, I think my MAF is about to die or somehow.
but this is a good write up for those who want to clean their MAF.

 

what is your car?
I think the Nissan X-Trail uses the same MAF because I used to drive that car, and I had the MAF replaced.
I don't know if the QR25DEs use the same MAF as ours, but the X-Trail was QR25DE.

 

It's been established, 00-01's do not have the thermistor, 02-03's do.

 

i cleaned my 02 MAF and noticed a slight improvement

thank you for the good pics
must threads like this have blurry pics because people dont know how to use the macro

 

I actually cleaned my 01 AE's MAF today. Doesn't bog at 3500 rpm anymore.

 

Maybe I'll take mine out and take a look at, I'm sure it could use a cleaning.

 

It's a little hard to tell if it''s dirty by looking at it. Just use this write-up, it couldn't hurt.

 

Excellent.

Is the CRC product the only one to use, or are there others worth using?

 

I've got a 2000 I30. I am thinking that it's just a thermistor as stated in http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=258878&highlight=2k1+MAF+upgrade+ for+2k2's....the pictures don't work on this page so I couldn't be exactly sure from the pictures. Thanks for the help everyone, and sorry for the pestering I just want to be absolutely sure. Thanks

 

coming from someone who in no way claims to be mechanically suave, would you recommend for me to do this? i just don't want to mess anything up... I drive a 2000 Max and it has roughly 133k miles.

and I have noticed that I do bog around 3500rpm

 

great write up! I'll take a look at both of my maximas. I'll see if there is a difference after cleaning!

 

Good write-up. I need to do this to my MAF.

 

Great writeup, good pictures!

I cleaned it last night and this morning felt better response, nice! Did not reset ecu or idle relearn procedures.

I wonder how frequently this can be done?

 

I do mine every time I clean my K&N.

 

cleaned the MAF last night while we installed an RSB on my buddies accord
took 20 minutes all together and most of that was waiting for it to dry
DEF feel a difference
no more hesitation from a stop, and more consistent power curve. I dont feel as many jumps in power, now its a smooth acceleration
thanks for the write up, ive wanted to do it but was tooooooooooooo lazy to get off my *** and do it until this write up

 

That stuff dries in seconds, more like evaporates.

 

not in south florida where the humidity is 100% 24/7/365

 

I'm lucky to exceed 12% here.

 

i did it... and wow, I noticed a vast difference in response. It also got rid of the check engine light :P

 

but still needs to dry, not to dry the cleaner, but the moisture that happens when cleaner vaporises.

 

it's easy to do, so I think I'll do it every other oil change.

 

it's the CRC maf cleaner the only one to use if you don't want to mess up the sensor.

 

Evaporate?

 

nice write up, adding this to the list of junk to do