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Maf sensor cleaning

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by moha777, Jul 4, 2020.

  1. moha777

    moha777 Junior Member

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    Hi has anyone used wd40 to clean mass air flow sensor.my mechanic said it wouldn't be a problem.TIA

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Get another mechanic lol.

    You should only use a Mass Air Flow specific cleaner. They're a very pure/clean solvent, similar to electronic contact cleaner. Leaves no residue.

    Maybe just inspect the MAF sensor, and if it looks clean, leave it alone. They are expensive btw.
     
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  3. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    I would be worried about any residue that could be left on the sensor after spraying it with WD40. WD40 has many uses, one of them as a type of lubricant, which over time could gum up whatever it has been sprayed on, I believe. From my point of view, saving the few pounds that the official MAF sensor cleaner would cost is not worth the risk.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    One of my previous jobs, the boss sprayed wd40 into his computer power supply fan, to quiet it down. The entire inside of the pc was kinda "rust proofed"...
     
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  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Do not use anything other than electronic cleaner or MAF sensor cleaner for the sensor.

    These sensors are not suppose to be cleaned on a regular basis. If you get an error for that sensor, you can try cleaning it. But if it's operating without any errors, you don't have to mess with it. In this case, don't fix it if it's not broken.

    +1 on Mendel, get another mechanic
     
    #5 JC91006, Jul 4, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The OP is asking about a MAF sensor = Mass Air Flow sensor. You are talking about a MAP sensor = Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor
     
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  7. JerryScript

    JerryScript Junior Member

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    WD40 is used as a lubricant, but was actually developed to remove water, Water Displacement 40th formula. It is not recommended as a solvent to be used for any cleaning purpose.
     
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  8. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Concur that MAFS spray is probably over-kill but it will not hurt the sensor - and even with the crippling inflation that we're suffering under I would not pay more than about $5-10 for a can of the stuff.
    If your car isn't spitting codes, and if you're monitoring your fuel efficiency and notice no decrease, you're probably better off just leaving the MAFS alone and let it keep doing it's thing.
    HOWEVER (comma!) I do clean mine whenever I replace the air filter - so there's that.
    I've cleaned mine with the car parked and off although some people insist that you should unplug the sensor before cleaning it.
    DON'T touch the actual sensor (wire or wires and a thermistor inside the housing) with your paws if you can get to them because they're VERY fragile and your grimy mitts will leave residue and whatever you do, do not EVER use a mechanic that suggests using WD-40, which is essentially "residue in a can."

    Some people are tempted to use brake cleaner or starting fluid, which can (probably will) damage the sensor AND leave a residue although some people also suggest that these things can get so gummed up that these products are better than nothing.
    I don't concur with this, but hey......people are gonna people.

    So yeah.
    Maybe $5-10 for a can of MAFS might NOT be a bad idea for most people.
    It will be good for several (5-10?) cleanings and really - how many air filters do you think you will BUY for the car?

    MY mileage.
    ACTUAL mileage will vary.
     
    #8 ETC(SS), Mar 26, 2024 at 7:07 AM
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2024 at 1:42 PM
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  9. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    +1 ETC post (and video) above.

    Use the right tools for the job !
    DO NOT USE WD-40
    Yes, those sensor wires can be fragile and easy to contaminate/ damage if care is ignored.

    Let us know if cleaning was needed and if the cleaning cleaned up any issue you were experiencing.