Master Air Flow Sensor

[mark from sac]

Haven't been here in a while. I haven't had any problems for about a year!! But now an old problem I thought I had fixed has returned. I am about to buy another used master air flow sensor (second one in a year). I have cleaned this unit per the instructions on the site and it worked great for about 2 months. Suddenly it started acting rough again at acceleration from a stop and other times. Cleaned it again and was good for less time. On Christmas day it started to fail again. Now I am going to get another one from a local salvage dealer. He will let me test it first before I buy it. New ones are too expensive.

I have replaced the air cleaner filter every time I change the oil at around 4000 miles. I also have cleaned the throttle body a few times as well.

Is there any thing that could be damaging these air flow sensors electrically, or causing them to fail? Or could it be that I need to just give up and stop buying used parts?

[maxnix]

First, it is a Masss Air Flow sensor, and you shouldn't have to change the air filter everytime.

Constantly flexing the wires to the plug is not good for it, and the connection will fatigue. Why the preferred way to get to the oil filter is on a lift from underneath.

There is a post in the Infiniti Mechanic Forum about improving the wiring to the MAF plug.

[mark from sac]

Thank you for the input. The oil is changed from below, and at the sametime I have the airfilter changed. The only time the connection is moved is when I have had to replace it.

I am still wondering if there is something else that causes the MAF to fail. They seem to last about 6 months - albiet they both have been used.

[elwesso]

MAF's fail on their own, they definitely dont need any outside help failing!!

[96Qowner]

Actually, haven't we tentatively found that one of the major causes for failure is the crappy way they've done the internal wiring? The connections inside the MAF housing fail, and the burnoff cycle deriorates? The plug wiring is bad, too, but that can be dealt with by cleaning the connection or replacing the plug, but there's a problem inside the housing too. Yes?

[Q45tech]

Burn off cycle ? Are you confusing GM and Ford MAF with Nissan?

[96Qowner]

Heheh, probably. Nissan doesn't have a burnoff cycle on their MAFs? No means of self-cleaning its element?

I just recall more than one poster referring to poorly engineered electrical connections internally. I assumed it had to be a line carrying greater current than a sensor would require.

Why do MAFs fail?