Oh snap! The MAF of DOOM!

[Jesda]

Last year I bought a used MAF for my Q but received a 96 MAF with the incorrect connector. I removed the screws and thought I could just swap the connectors, but realized I was wrong when I heard a snap and the solder connections broke.

Every 1-2 months the MAF would act up, I'd have to remove the connector, bend the pins to make contact, apply a little bit of dielectric grease, and reattach it. I tried soldering but only succeeded in getting solder tin all over the connector area.

Well, I finally got a solution. A friend of mine is good with a soldering iron, so he attached three wires directly to the MAF and directly to the connector.

Introducing the FrankenMAF:

Bo (bobotech on NICO) and the FrankenMAF.













Drove it across the country and it works beautifully. Idle is super smooth and takeoffs are slick and quick. The "hot soak" problem I had seems to have gone away, but I cant be sure yet.

+1 for American re-engineering!

[elwesso]

+1 for Jerry rigging!! w00t

[bobotech]

I want to know what Dennis thinks. :-)

[Rex]

I smell a possible side business if you can make a better easily installed connector, AND test the MAF's to make sure the used ones are good.

[Q-less]

I can't believe you kept it running with just 'contact.'

Gee I wonder where you got that idea though................zer...85784
Modified by CherryPoppinQ45 at 10:02 AM 8/22/2005

[bobotech]

I got the idea from looking at the unit and realizing that the existing 3 connectors were seriously damaged by poor soldering and figured that if I cut the traces and then soldered the 2 outside wires directly to the solder pads on the circuit board bypassing the damaged external connectors.

Thats where I got the idea and it worked. :-)

[Jeff Williams]

Way to GO!

I like the FRANKEN MAF!

Great write-up. I might have to do this on Layla.

[Jesda]

Great news. Turns out that directly connecting the wires from the board to the MAF connector (bypassing the pins) resolved my annoying 'hot soak' problem where the Q would run poorly (idle flux, stalling) on hot days. Issue resolved!