Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

But wouldn't a bad coil throw a code?

LS430inDE.

Ok. I read this again for the 5th time. Seems like I comprehend something new each time..lol.

I understand your description that the car shutoff, by itself?! Or did you did YOU actually shut her down?

mrboca

Have you noticed a change in fuel consumption ? Which part of the MAF have you cleaned ? The part of the MAF to be cleaned is inside tube. Two resistor like components in parallel. You need to use MAF cleaner or electrical connector cleaner which do not leave residue. How does it run with MAF disconnected ?

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Yes the car shut off by itself after idling in the snow. It took a about 10min and a couple of tries before It started again.


Yes my consumption have dropped by 1.5 mpg. :-(. On the MAF, there a little bulbous like thingy that I always wipe clean when I do it. The two resistors I don't or can't see. My car is an 05 so it may be different from other years.

mrboca

The bulbous component with two leads is the Intake Air Temperature sensor. While this also needs to be cleaned, it is not the MAF component that needs to be cleaned. You need to look into the tube with a flashlight and you will see two components (that look like resistors). Those are the parts that need to be cleaned with a MAF sensor cleaner. You need to leave the cleaned sensor to dry about 1/2 hour to ensure that it is completely dry prior to re-installation.

See the pics before and after cleaning.

JffGRY706

from the only stupid ? is the one not asked. What is the difference with the cheap MAF sensors for sale on ebay for $20 and the ones that club members try to clean? I would think it would be better to just put in a new one than to try to clean an easily broken sensor. How much are OEM MAF sensors....afraid to ask

mrboca

I actually used a brand new non-OEM MAF I had bought from ebay for $18. I tried it first and the car ran great, with 3mpg improvement. I still have it installed with no problems. The original one I cleaned is the spare, just in case. I checked the fuel trims, O2 sensor levels and they are all in spec. Let's see how long it will last.

The Denso (OEM) MAF 197-6030 is around $75 at amazon.

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for that info mrboca. I'll give it another look.

Fellas i will just go ahead and buy a new MAF sensor either from eBay or Amazon. It has been cleaned numerous times and is probably due for a swap. I prefer Denso/OEM. Also i will grab a coolant temp sensor and maybe a TPS while im at it. These parts have gotten relatively cheap over the past few years so what the hell. I will replace one at a time to see who's the culprit. If its neither of them, then i'll turn my attention to the cats.


Now, i found two part numbers for the MAF. Both looks to be OEM and is said to fit the car. The ebay one is $58 vs. Amazon at $75. Most likely i will just buy the one that matches whats one my car now but this is interesting.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321945157858

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Update: Still having issues at the moment. I do have a coolant tempo sensor on the way. As far as the MAF, i did unplug it while the car was running and it did shut off. Not sure if thats a proper way of telling if the sensor is working properly. It did trigger the 3 dash lights but i did a soft reset and it went away. Either way i will just buy a new one just in case since its the cheapest route and those two parts are due to be replaced anyway since the car has 180k+ on it so its only right. After that, if no change then ill point to the TPS and cats.

ancdmd

Speaking of sensors, at your car's mileage the O2 sensors are likely not responding readily to changes in exhaust composition. I don't bet they're the source of your problem, but could be related. Even though you don't show a CEL, old O2 sensors don't send signals fast enough to the car's computer, resulting in poor combustion, lack of throttle response, and engine pinging. I had a persistent pinging that was only eliminated by installing new sensors to replace the originals that had 170k miles on em. Like the engine temp sensor and MAF, I believe many of these sensors should be replaced at some kind of regular intervals, even though they don't throw specific codes.

Tom57

Only the two pre-cat O2 sensors should be changed.

ancdmd

Yes thank you for clarifying, I should have mentioned that. Two post-cat sensors won't affect anything.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

So the MAF sensor was not replaced right? This is most likely the problem considering the way it was cleaned. Unplugging it is not the proper way. New pre-cat and engine temp sensors would not hurt but as Tom mentioned it is unlikely this will fix the issue.

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Temp sensor will be changed out today since it's already here along with fresh coolant. MAF is on order so that's next up yo bat. One of the precat sensors is new. Time for the pass side one

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Temp sensor swapped out with a fresh coolant change. Didnt solve my problem as expected but the engine do seem a lot more calmer when reeving. MAF is on its way followed by a TPS if that doesn't work. You can say im throwing parts at this situation but these parts were on my to-do list anyways so i wouldn't say its a waste. Plus, with the low prices of these parts, why not change them.