Hey guys!

So I replaced my MAF sensor in about August of 09 and it seems as though it has gone bad again. I was having the same issues with the car just losing power and being jumpy. I pulled the codes and got p0102, unplugged my MAF and it started running fine again. I bought a can of MAF cleaner at my local auto parts store and sprayed it down really good. It seemed like it was working fine for 1-2 days and then the problems came back. Unplugged the MAF again and everything has been ok for about a week. My car is a 98 s70 t5 with about 213k on the clock. I'm also running a K&N filter in the car. Is their anything that would make the MAF go bad so fast? Would the k&n filter have anything to do with it? I bought the Bosch MAF sensor (part# 0280217107) from IPD. Thanks for your help in advance!

 

The MAF sensor on our S70's is almost identical to the MAF sensor I had fail on my ///AMG. And likely for EXACTLY the same reason... read on, sir:

The Bosch MAF sensor features a self-cleaning heated element that is responsible for burning off any impurities that stick to it. It gives you a much longer life for the MAF, except for one circumstance. K&N and other oiled air filters are heated-element MAF killers. The (admittedly very small amount of) oil that breaks loose from a K&N filter will collect and char on the element of your MAF. The resulting char causes oxidation/corrosion of the element, and the MAF fails.

To qualify my explanation, I need to mention that the first time you use a K&N filter out of the box, it is rare for the above to happen. Usually, there is the perfect amount of oil applied to the cotton of the filter element before it gets packaged and shipped. It is usually right after you clean and oil the element yourself for the first time that this nasty char process begins. The margin for oil distrubution error is rediculously small on these filters. A little too much oil in one tiny little area, or perhaps the filter wasn't left in a cool, dry environment for 24 hours after it was oiled, so the oil could spread evenly throughout the cotton. Then, the oil can "mist" off the filter material under hard acceleration. It sticks to the heated MAF element and turns into a corrosive ash-sludge. The element itself is so thin, you can't really see it in your garage. Take it in the house and put it under a desk lamp with a magnifying glass, and it'll hit you like a root canal.

To verify that this is indeed your problem, I would recommend running a white "kleenex" on the inside of the lid of your airbox if you run a drop-in. If you run a cone, run the kleenex around the inside of the 3" tube between the cone and the MAF.

I'll bet you $1 that kleenex comes away dirty, with a faint, sickly pink tinge forming a bit of a ring around the filth.

As I mentioned in the beginning... my inexperienced use of the $10 clean and recharge kit turned a technological miracle with 429 supercharged horsepower into nothing more than a pretty garage decoration until the new MAF sensor came in the mail.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
LG

 

That is VERY helpful! Just wish I knew this before I bought the new MAF, lol. I run the drop in air filter. I'm going to bet the test will be dirty. I guess i'll switch back to an old filter and buy another MAF. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.

 

goldwing, do you think I would be able to clean it and slap in a new filter or is it pretty much done for once the oil gets on the sensor?

 

It's really easy to get the unit in and out, so it can't hurt to try cleaning it. Drive it as long as you're able, but I wouldn't count on that amount of time being very long.

 

Figured I would update this for anyone with this problem in the future. I replaced my K&N filter with a standard paper one. Cleaned my MAF with the MAF cleaner you buy at your local auto parts store and I haven't had a problem with it in about a month. Thanks again goldwing!