According to some Toyota forums, cleaning Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor can fix low idling. At about 85,000 miles my Corolla’s idle speed decreased from 700 to about 500rpm and felt like it was going to stall sometimes after the AC compressor kicked off. Cleaning the MAF sensor seemed to have done the trick and it was a simple procedure that took no more than five minutes.
[update 5/7/14] – Corolla now has 147k miles and the low idle issue returned worse than ever. This time cleaning the MAF sensor didn’t help, so I removed and cleaned the throttle body which was pretty dirty and that fixed the problem.
Cleaning the Throttle Body:
You can do a quick in place cleaning of the throttle body without removing the assembly from the car, but this is somewhat difficult. Also, there’s the danger of losing the tb cleaner spray straw inside the tbody assembly or intake of the car. If that happens to you, you’ve got a lot more work to do. Basically a good first step in determining if your car needs to have the throttle body cleaned is to disconnect the air hose and have a look at the throttle body opening to asses how dirty it is. If it’s REALLY dirty (covered in black gunk) then removing it completely and cleaning it while removed is the best option. Here’s a reference picture of what a clean throttle body looks like:
Here’s a video on how to remove and clean the throttle body completely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKM6t1517AU
[equipment]
- Spray can of electronic components cleaner.
- Philips head screw driver.
[step 1] Locate the MAF sensor on the air filter box in the engine compartment. Disconnect the electrical connector and remove two Phillips head screws holding the sensor in place. Now wiggle it out carefully.
[step 2] Liberally spray cleaner over the visible sensor (but be careful not to touch it with your hands) until any dust buildup has been removed.
If you look inside the bottom opening of the component (where the circular hole is), there is a 2nd sensorย deep inside the plastic housing. Spray cleaner into the housing to remove dust from this sensor as well, but be careful not to touch the sensor with the straw of the spray can, it can easily be broken or damaged.
[step 3] Let the MAF sensor dry for a few minutes and re-install.
That’s it. Hope it helps someone else.
Comments
49 responses to “Cleaning the MAF sensor on a Corolla”
bueno deseo compartir mi historia hoy 25 de octubre de 2010
tengo un hyundai tiburon 2006 tengo un filtro de hongo cai injen y tiene una bolsita dike hydro shield soy de panama y llueve mucho pero me confie y pasaba no por hynundaciones perso si por charcos y manejaba muy rapido por fuertes lluvias hasta el dia de hoy que mi carro presentaba fallas al aceleradar y subir lomas inclinadas keria como apagarse llegue rapido a mi casa y cometi el error en acelerar el carro varias veces hasta que se me apago……
luego kise prenderlo y no encendio y boto gran cantidad de humo blanco por el escape. me asuste mucho temiendo lo peor revise bujias estaban secas kite el filtro y estaba humedo lo seque con un blower de peinar esas que usan las mujeres……el carro prendio pero al acelerar el motor al aumentar las revoluciones intentaba apagarce asike busque por internet y mencionaron el sensor de oxigeno. asike lo kite y efectivo tenia residuos de agua asike probe y lo seque con el blower y luego lo puse y limpie la tuberia del cai ya que tenia gotas de agua dentro. ecendi el carro lo acelere y acelero los rpm normal. sin ningun fallo…..solo me toca maรฑana probarlo en calle aver…..
David,
Worked like a charm. Thanks for the very complete and accurate description of the process.
Steve
Can you do this without taking out the sensor? I have a 2000 Corolla and I can see/ these sensors when I take out the air filter.
I’s not a good idea to clean without taking the sensor out. Honestly, it will take you a total of ten minutes to take out, clean, and put it back.
here is a step by step: http://spydermagazine.com/2002/March/maf_clean/maf_clean.htm
hope that helps
It worked perfectly well many thanks for a complete procedure on how to clean the maf sensor and the throttle body
David,
My engine light turned and when I connected my code reader it was a P0171. So I new my system was too lean. I found this website and figured I would try to clean the MAF sensor first since it was the least expensive option. It worked great so far. However, instead of buying electronics components cleaner, I purchased Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner. It was $6.99 at the auto parts store. It may be a little more expensive then electronic components cleaner but not sure.
Travis
Travis,
The problem is that your MAF sensor wasn’t completely dry when you re-installed it. It has happened to me a couple of times and all I needed to do was leave it to dry out a bit longer. Then of course I had to reset the stupid check engine light by disconnecting the battery for 10mins and then had to re-program all my radio stations. MAF sensor cleaner is essentially the same as electrical parts cleaner (I think – please don’t quote me on that). It’s a fast drying liquid cleaning compound that shouldn’t leave residue behind. Try resetting your check engine code and see if it comes back. If it does, your MAF sensor probably needs replacing…otherwise it was probably just wet when you put it back.
David
what if i disable my maf sensor?
If you disable your maf sensor you’re asking for problems:
– at best, you’ll get a constant check engine light.
– at worst you’ll cause permanent damage to your emission system.
Wouldn’t ever recommend disabling any sensor on the corolla.
David
I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla and my check engine light just came on. Car has just shy of 85000 miles. I will have to take my car to a mechanic. Just curious if you know approx cost for how much the MAF cleaning and or repair you mentioned in your post of 2010 costs. Thanks in advance.
Hi Rene,
The most common cause of check engine light on corollas is when the
gas tank is not sealed properly. It happened on my Corolla several
times. Basically it’s when the gas cap isn’t tight enough and when the
tank gets low air gets sucked in.
This is a very minor problem but the onboard computer will cause the
check engine light to come on and will store an error in the computer.
A mechanic can read these errors and will know what they mean and how
to fix them…but they usually charge for a diagnosis. Here is what I
do to determine if the check engine light is a real problem or just me
not having sealed the gas tank properly:
1. Turn the car off.
2. Open the hood.
3. Remove the positive connector on the battery for 5 minutes.
4. Check to make sure your gas cap is tightly sealed.
5. Reconnect the battery.
This will clear all errors from the onboard computer and should clear
the light. If the check engine light comes back, you may wanna take
your car to a mechanic. If it does not, you saved yourself a diagnosis
charge.
Cheers,
David Vielmetter
Note, disconnecting the battery will also reset all your music stations on the radio which sucks. So you can also buy an obd reader for 20 bucks on amazon and reset the check engine light was the that.
Thank you!!!!! Cleaning the MAF that work my car was diying if you was pressing the gas paddel for fast take off after I cleaning check engine light when off; before I cleaning I have codes for Oxygen sensor & ramdon misfire but I check sparks & was fine; like I said after I cleaning all the codes when off; do not forget to unplug the battery for few minutes to reset the engine computer.
Hi there your info regarding the MAS sensor on a 1993 corolla was helpful, however on our 93 corolla we cannot locate where it is and the picture does not give us enough info.
Thank you Tiffany Zuck
Hi Tiffany,
Unfortunately I have no idea where the MAF sensor is located on a 93 corolla. Mine is a 2004 and I know where to find it on models 2003 and up only. Perhaps take it to your mechanic and ask him.
Cheers,
David
Latest cars that controls by computer has the MAF sensor in the Air box ( I am not sure about 93 corrola But only thing I know is previously they used MAP (manifild air pressure sensor) and lately they are usinf MAF manifold aire flow, Can be found between the air filter box and manifold maninifold. In my 2000 corrola it is in the Air box. It has 4 wires connected. twowires goes to a themo couple to sense temperature and other two fine thin heating wires. those heating wires were covered with calcium like dirts. first I thought those dirts were part of the sensing system. after i cleaned I realised that sensor is just two metal heating wire and nothing else.
I also amazed how these flow sensor works. computer sends a voltage through this elements to keep the elements at certain temperature. as the flow increases it needs more current to keep the temperature constant . computer calculate the flow by measuring the current and the air temperature.
How you clean these wires are up to you. But keep in mind thes wires are very thin don’t damge it
You will see a big differnce in performans after clean it
Symptom of my trouble is
1. PO 0171 check engine trouble code
2. stumbles on accelaration
3. Automatic tranmission chattering and jumping during accelaration ( this may not be a happening to every one)
P:S- Keep a clean air filter before suspecting the MAF sensor
selva
you are right. before checking your MAF sensor make sure your air filter is clean . cleaning the MAF sensor will be useless if your air filter is dirty/plugged.
Hello, I write from Brazil. I have a Toyota Corolla 1.8 VVTI 16V, and your problem is that even though with the engine warmed up, sometimes starts to fail as it was cold and then back to normal, eliminated from the list of possible problems the ignition coils as they would with the car failed the whole time, so I left the MAF sensor and my suspicions have declined even more about this sensor as recently disconnected the plug and connect the back and the car gave a sign of improvement. Does cleaning indicated by you will help me? Thank you. Celso H. Silva
Hi Celso,
I’m not sure if cleaning the maf sensor is going to help. You can take it out (it’s easy enough to do) and have a look at it with a flashlight. If it looks like it has a bunch of dust on it, then go ahead and clean it and let it dry for a good while before re-installing it. If it looks clean, then the MAF sensor probably isn’t the problem. If you have a low idle situation and it’s so low that the engine dies at idle sometimes, then most likely your issue is a dirty throttle body or clogged air filter or problem with vacuum lines.
I found that with my 2003 corolla the thing that improved the low idle the most (before it was running 600rpm, now it is running 900rpm warm) was to clean the throttle body using some TB cleaner. While you’re at it, check all the vacuum hoses and make sure all of them are connected properly and the hoses aren’t leaking.
Hope it helps,
David
D
I read several different articles about the Mass Air Flow Sensor. In lieu of paying a certified mechanic to replace everything on the engine as he/they very much wanted to do, I purchased a can of MAF cleaner. I followed the procedure I selected to remove and clean the sensor. Prior to spray cleaning it I inspected it very closely and did notice a layer of black scum on one side of the glass temp sensor and two little black sensor probes deep inside the tube… I really didn’t know what to look for but I did see something. After using the cleaner liberally on everything, I re-inspected the probe and temp sensor and noticed that the glass temp sensor was clean on both sides and when I used a flashlight to look at the MAF sensor probes I noticed one of the probes that was uniform in shape and was light gray on the sensing part of the probe, it was the back one. The one that was toward the front was slightly de-formed and went from a light off white to a dark brown. It didn’t look right, like it had been fried, kinda like a burnt resistor on an electronics board. Hoping the cleaning would fix the badly running engine, I re-installed it, fired up the engine, and immediately knew the cleaning didn’t work. I decided that maybe the sensor was bad because of the one “burnt” probe that didn’t look as the other did. I went to two different auto parts places to find one and also experience some sticker shock. When I found a store with one in stock, I looked at the probes in the remanufactured one, and they both looked like the one good one in the old probe. When I installed the re-manufactured one and started the engine, it purred… how cool! The point here is, it took cleaning the sensor in order to see if the probes were OK. I now know what a good probe looks like and a bad one. If after cleaning the probes they look clean, are straight and uniform in shape and color, the probe is probably OK and ready to do the electrical test using a volt meter when running the engine if the engine still runs rough. I would recommend just replacing the sensor if after cleaning and inspecting it the probe(s) look burnt, brown and dirty. Take the old sensor with you as there is a $40-$55 core charge. Also compare the newly purchased one with the old one. The bad probe had 116K miles and was 13 years old.
Good luck!
Hi..
My self KP Singh, from INDIA. please help …
I have corolla 2003 model and he is not getting start,there is fuel available .
Can you advise me what are the reason and how can it start ???
Please share all details on my Email..
Thanks,
KP Singh
Does it crank and just doesn’t run? Or does it fail to crank?
Hi
This is Sanjay. I own an Altis 2009. Its meter clocks 90000Kms. Even I am facing issues related to rpm. At time I start the car in first gear abd leaves the clutch rpm drops down to 400 and somtimes with the same pressure on accelator the rpm goes to 2000. This is quite irritating ang gives a very rough start.
Pl. suggest has it got somthing to do wth. the throtal body or it is the accelator which is faulty.
Hi.
I had the same problem today.I pressed the gas peddle to the floor but the car was not responding.I took my Toyota Corolla to a local Mechanic, instructed him what to do, bought the exact cleaner as described above.It took some few mins of cleaning the sensor and the car was rolling well.Thanks!!!!!
David:
I recently had the check engine light come on for my 2005 toyota corolla and after being charged 79.99 for a diagnosis they told me it was the MAF. They told me cleaning it wouldn’t help and it would cost $165.00 to replace (not including labor). I googled the MAF and after seeing how easy it was to replace I bought one from carparts.com for $28.00 and replaced it in about five minutes. However, my problem is the check engine light stayed on so I reset it by disconnecting the battery. That turned it off, but it takes two tries to crank up the engine. Do you know why this might be? Does the sensor have to be programmed? Did I buy a cheap crappy sensor as opposed to a $50-$90 one? I noticed the wire with the glass ball on the new sensor is considerably shorter than the old one. Perhaps they sent me the wrong sensor? Help! Thanks.
Erick
Not sure man. Never heard that one before. So you have to crank it and then stop and then crank again for the engine to start? If so, it might be worth 50 bucks to rule out the cheap maf sensor cuz that sounds annoying as hell.
I took my car to Pep Boys because I had a code P0171on my Corolla 2001 and they were so positive that it was my o2 sensor so I they changed it. The next day my car died then few days later it started again. The egine lights is also back on. What should I do? Thanks!
Hi, I have a 2000 toyota corolla. I have changed the throttle body sensor as it was jerking prior to this. Its seems to be fine bt now my car does nt hold an idle. It switches off. Any idea?
Hi Everyone,
Would like to seek for your help / advise. I have my corolla 2004. The problem came out when I changed my VVT-i sensor, after changing it when I start the engine in cold temp the rpm goes down up to 200rpm and sometime it turn off the engine. but when the engine is warm all is good. What could be the problem? Could it be the MAF Sensor? Please help.
Thanks in advance!
I drive toyota corolla 2007 model, plastic cover of my car’s air filter has been broken, mecahnic told me that I dint change air filter at right time because of which so much of air pressure created that it broke the plastic cover.do I need to change the whole assembly or it can be repaired.thanx
Well, i call bullshit on the theory that the air filter housing broke because you didn’t change the air filter. I’d imagine that if your air filter was so clogged that no air could get into the engine, it would find a leak elsewhere before collapsing the manifold containing the air filter or just not run. That said, if the air intake assembly is in fact broken, then yes you should replace it. I’d have a look and see if it’s damaged beyond repair, replace it. if it has a few cracks, then just seal them up with some glue or caulking.
Hope it helps,
David
David,
Good day. I have a 1996 toyota corolla gli. The problem of my car is that when i turn on the car a/c the engine will stop. Even if im already driving on the street it will stop once my a/c is turned on. Also when my car is just idling and I turned on the a/c suddenly my cars engine dies.
Hi I just replaced my clutch on my 2004 Corolla. I’m reading a p0300 p0301 p0302 p0303 p0304 p0102 p0113 I bought MAF cleaner and throttle body cleaner in on convient set. I cleaned my maf sensor only fired up ran like shit then tried to erase my codes to see if it helped and nothing worked. Royally f’d if this doesn’t work. I’m 3 hours from home with 14 hours before I have to work. Please give me advice
If your maf got wet during cleaning or oily cuz you used oil based cleaner, it can cause the engine management computer to get confused. Make sure the maf sensor is clean and dry.
i have toyota corolla 2011 model it is stelling low rpm at 700 but i increase rpm .what can i do sir_
2003 and higher corolla models have an idle set by the ECU (or ECM). You cannot adjust the idle mechanically. The ECU takes a number of parameters and adjusts the idle according to those parameters. If your engine is idling low, then your best bet is to address one of the following:
1. Check the ECU for any error codes. If there are any replace the sensors that triggered those errors. Faulty sensors can lead to erroneous input to the ECU which can cause the ECU to incorrectly idle the car.
2. Check your Throttle Body assembly. If you have a clogged or dirty throttle body assembly, then that’ll case low and/or rough idling.
3. Check your spark plugs for buildup. This will indicate if your car is running rich which may mean you’ve got a busted sensor.
Check corolla forums for more help on your corolla’s symptoms. There are people who may be able to provide better suggestions than me.
Hope it helps,
David
i have toyota corolla 2011 model it is stelling low rpm at 700 but i increase rpm .what can i do sir_
[email protected]
hello..just wondering i have a 2001 corolla diesel..i changed the fuel filter but the engine seems to be very slow than normally i drive..i already hit the pedal hard at second gear but eventually after its gaining speed then its runs fine ..its just the low gear that is running slow..what could b the problem? can some one assist me..could it be the air intake clogged?
Hi all, I had a problem on my 2008 Corolla after clean the throttle body. During the car was moving, rpm was down and up again when I released gas pedal everytime.
But this doesn’t happened during idle condition, the rpm maintaining at 800 and stable.
Anyone of u can give me some advices on this issue? Tq
2008 corolla ce with 242k miles. a week ago I replaced the mas. error did not clear. returned the (?) defective unit and fault cleared. Now the error is back (same code). I’m hesitant to replace the sensor – getting one doa is unusual but two is very strange, leading me to suspect some other fault. Only one showing is the mas. Got the parts at Auto Zone where I’ve had good experience before.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
my 2004 Toyota corolla accelerates well when cold but it drags itself when the engine is warm and it also produces knocking sound when i press the accelerator. While knocking i also feel petrol smell. Have been to lots of mechanics but nothing worked. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Please corrolla 1.8 2007 where the gear refuse to change and sometimes change sluggishly and the car is moving and making a high sound.
David are you still monitoring this thread? My 96 has all the same symptoms. Runs perfect. Then horrible sputters…gas smell. Self diagnostic gave P0171. Finally 2 days ago the O2 cut the fuel supply. Disconnected O2 and it fired right up but still has acceleration and hesitation issues. I will follow your MAF cleaning steps and report back with the results.
Thanks
Me i also got a corolla verso 2004 model got a problem on idle sometimes use to idle low high low high there is a sound also comes inside the intake while it loosing a smooth idle or rev . I tried a lot now even to change petrol pump an also to clean the throttle body but what is confusing me is the engine management light is off
did you ever get your problem resolved . My 09 corolla is doing the same thing . The noise is something I never heard before on anything. car is getting worse and worse now wont idle at all.
2 weeks ago, my 1994 Toyota Corolla engine sudden stalled while I was doing 90 kph on a highway. There was no warning at all. Luckily, it was 5 am in the morning and I was able to pull safely to the side of the road. All warning lights came on. I was able to start the car several hours later and drive to a workshop. Over the next week or so, the car stalled several times and each, I was able to re-start after a while. I have been to 2 garages and changed/tested the fuel-pump, fuel-filter, relays, battery, distributor, spark-plugs, fuses but without any results. The car still stall while driving. Yesterday, I took it to another garage and they did some diagnostic tests with a computer and it reads ” MAP / Air Flow Sensor”. This part is difficult to find and costly or so they told me. I don’t think the MAP is the problem and I don’t wanna spent a small fortune to replace the MAP only to find the problem is something else. Does anyone know what’s wrong. Please help.
Kial
I have toyota avensiss 2001 model and it is no start up but Cranks
Can you advise me what are the reason and how can it start ???
Please share all details on my Email..
My toyota corolla 2007 ignition goes off when i start the morning till it get heated. Then when it’s parked for long hours it does the same. The ignition goes high and down as well till some time. When it happens and i move the vehicle it stops when i brake down. Please what might be the problem.
Hi just a bit of advice if you need to reset ECU, in fuse box under bonnet (hood) remove the 15amp efi fuse for a few mins that does the same as removing negative terminal on battery without losing any other codes (stereo etc etc…), hope this helps ?