Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting MAF Test Confirmation?

I got me a CEL and have engine code P0174. I was hunting around search results (ugh) and wasn't sure about the proper procedure...

I just had about $1200-worth of maintenance done by the dealer (I know I know) including, but not limited to, intake gaskets, fuel pump and filter, wheel bearings, fluid/oil flush and injector service.

They were telling me that my MAF might be bad and need to be replaced but I told them to hold off. The KKM I had on it has been through 2 SVTs and about 150,000 miles. Well I replaced it right away and cleaned the MAF with some non-chlorinated brake cleaner the best I could. I didn't disaseemble it 'cause I didn't have the tool to take the 2 screws out from the top of the MAF. The CEL light didn't come on right away either - I've had the car back for about 8 days now and it just came on a day or 2 ago.

ANyway, if I disconnect the MAF, run the car, and the CEL goes away - does that pretty much mean my MAF is shot? Or is there really no quick way to test it out like that?

If it is bad, should I go stock or for the price can I get something better?

I figured if that's the proper procedure for the test, it would be the easiest to test. It's a 00 SVT with about 87,000 miles.

Thanks!

Basically if you drive without the MAF connected, you should see a BIG drop in performance (there's nothing to measure the air coming into the engine). But, if you don't notice any difference between driving with the MAF connected/disconnected, that either means that it is dirty or toast. 2 questions:

1) Do you run an oil-type filter? If so, it is really common for the oil from the filter to foul up the MAF. Clean the MAF using Electrical Connector cleaner found at any radio shack/kragen. And clean your filter good. (Only put a tiny amount of oil on the filter after it has been cleaned)

2) Do you hear any noises under the hood that sound like air is whooshing through a hose? A common problem for the 174&171 codes is vacuum leak. Even if you don't hear any air noises, an easy way to check for leaks is to spray Carb Cleaner around the UIM, TB, and vaccuum lines. If your engine stalls or sputters bad, then you found the leak!

Reply with your results.

Disconnected the MAF and it ran like shite. Reconnected and it was much much better. In fact the car runs very well now except for the gas mileage. Currently I don't think I'm going to break 200 on my last tank.

I replaced my old KKM Air Intake with a brand new KKM Air Intake about one week ago exactly... So I don't THINK that's the problem.

However, I have been hearing this moaning/groaning sound coming from somewhere up front but I haven't been able to figure it out.

I picked up a can of carb cleaner today but didn't get to try it yet! Cheers for the tip and I'll keep you posted!

Originally posted by AlwaysWorkin:

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Basically if you drive without the MAF connected, you should see a BIG drop in performance (there's nothing to measure the air coming into the engine). But, if you don't notice any difference between driving with the MAF connected/disconnected, that either means that it is dirty or toast. 2 questions:

1) Do you run an oil-type filter? If so, it is really common for the oil from the filter to foul up the MAF. Clean the MAF using Electrical Connector cleaner found at any radio shack/kragen. And clean your filter good. (Only put a tiny amount of oil on the filter after it has been cleaned)

2) Do you hear any noises under the hood that sound like air is whooshing through a hose? A common problem for the 174&171 codes is vacuum leak. Even if you don't hear any air noises, an easy way to check for leaks is to spray Carb Cleaner around the UIM, TB, and vaccuum lines. If your engine stalls or sputters bad, then you found the leak!

Reply with your results.

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