How to clean the MAF (fixes the low idle surge issue)

mosconiac

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Hate to rain the parade, but it is not a 100% solution. I tried it (twice) and had no appreciable effect. I rained CRC electronic cleaner on that MAF sensor and IAT sensor like a hurricane! I still think the "miss" is an EGR/DPFE related issue. Spark plugs have no effect.
 

mike79

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Its worked on 95% of the cars that have done it. There may be something else wrong with your car then. Maybe your FRPS is going? Position of your MAF could be wrong for your car? I know people with some plugs at too low of a gap, or too high have said that was the problem. NKG's at a low gap do it.
 

mosconiac

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I'm at stock boost & tune. So far, I've tried:

1) New FRPS (no effect)
2) MAF clock position (no effect)
3) MAF/IAT cleaning (twice, no effect)
4) Taking it to the dealer (no effect)
5) Many spark plugs & gaps (no effect)
6) Disconnecting DPFE sensor (some improvement)
7) Reset PCM (temporary solution, "miss" comes back as PCM remaps)

Some have tried:

1) New DPFE sensor (little to no effect)
2) Disconnecting EGR sensor (disconnection cured problem for some)
3) Many more spark plugs & gaps (no effect)
4) Tuning (solved problem)

I think it is more commonly a tuning issue from Ford. The mix is lean down low (due to EGR) and causes the "miss". Good tuners can work around it.
 
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1/2 bent

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Doesn't work for me. I have had the miss for awhile. Tried all kinds of things. Tomorrow im buying it22's to put in and see what happens. I have tr6's gapped at 34-36 in there now. BTW the maf how to can be made alot easier by just unscrewing the two torx screws on it and taking it out to clean. You wont have to go through all the other hassle.
 

mike79

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Originally posted by 1/2 bent
Doesn't work for me. I have had the miss for awhile. Tried all kinds of things. Tomorrow im buying it22's to put in and see what happens. I have tr6's gapped at 34-36 in there now. BTW the maf how to can be made alot easier by just unscrewing the two torx screws on it and taking it out to clean. You wont have to go through all the other hassle.

True, its just not everyone has torx drivers, so I figured I would do it this way, besides the housing protects the wires while its out.


This is very interesting though. I didnt have the low idle surge issue prior to the pulley, but after I do. I do know that people reported that too low of a gap will induce the problem, but my gap is VERY low, and I dont have it since I did this. This may sound really dumb, but did you disconect the battery when you cleaned the MAF? This way it resets the fuel tables, reseting the EEC. Then it relearns the proper fuel tables and AF readings. (disconected for like a half an hour or so, so it discharges whatever capacitors are in the EEC keeping the info in memory)
 

05 Roush

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This might help the situation here.

  1. If this does not solve your problem, it's most likely your tune.
  2. If it does solve your problem, well, problem solved!

Make sure you have the most recent tune on the ECU, then reprogram your chip. The original tune on my ECU would cause a nasty bog between 1500-2000 RPM while cruising.

That went away, but the rough idle and hesistation didn't. Cleaned the MAF, problem solved!

This is the BEST simple fix this site has seen. I would bet to say that the MAF could have been part of the problem with the stall too.

:beer:
 

3GROC

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stupid question that I know the answer too but hell Ill ask anyways. I have Superchips custom prog in the car. it wont erase it disconnection the batttery. I sound like a rook but hell I dont remember the answer....

you all can beat me later
 

combatstang

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mine still surges a little.. but only if im going downhill.. if im going uphill or stright away its gone.. thanks to the fix..

but cant figure out why it does it when going downhill!!


Marc
 

metaman

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Mine started doing it a couple of thousand miles ago. I did not try to fix the problem. Then the other day I put a bottle of the lucas fuel treatment in my car and the problem went away. I have no idea why this worked.
 

hmwave

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Wear glasses when you spray the MAF. It's 'cupped' and will shoot the spray back in your eyes.
Believe me, it stings, a lot.
 

ncc386

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mosconiac said:
Hate to rain the parade, but it is not a 100% solution. I tried it (twice) and had no appreciable effect. I rained CRC electronic cleaner on that MAF sensor and IAT sensor like a hurricane! I still think the "miss" is an EGR/DPFE related issue. Spark plugs have no effect.
hmmm... i had a miss at idle. i turned off my EGR system and it went away. along with a little gas mileage hehe
 

ncc386

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hmwave said:
Wear glasses when you spray the MAF. It's 'cupped' and will shoot the spray back in your eyes.
Believe me, it stings, a lot.
hahahaha good god
 

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