Maf help!
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 73
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From: Aurora, CO
Car: '87 Trans Am
Engine: L98 (Corvette)
Transmission: M5
Maf help!
I posted this in electronics, too.
Mods can delete whichever doesn't get replies.
One of the (filament?) wires came loose
I'm getting a check engine light now
CAN IT BE REPAIRED? HOW? Solder? What? I'm freaking out
My car starts without it, but can I drive it? I can't afford a new MAF!
Mods can delete whichever doesn't get replies.
One of the (filament?) wires came loose
I'm getting a check engine light now
CAN IT BE REPAIRED? HOW? Solder? What? I'm freaking out
My car starts without it, but can I drive it? I can't afford a new MAF!
It's junk, time for a new one.
You can try unplugging it for the time being. Should run and drive, but you'll get worse mileage and drivability with it.
Try the boneyard if you need one for cheap...
You can try unplugging it for the time being. Should run and drive, but you'll get worse mileage and drivability with it.
Try the boneyard if you need one for cheap...
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I actually repaired a MAF hot wire on a Bosch MAF from my '86. It took me several days to find a supplier for the 0.0041" platinum wire, and that alone cost about $3.00/inch. The connections cannot be soldered, since the frequent burn off function turns the wire incandescent, which would melt away any solder at the joints and render the MAF useless. The ends are crimped and resistance welded, much like a heating element in a toaster. I accomplished that with a small brass clamp and a 48VDC power supply to finish the welds. You will need small tools, a good eye (or loupe), and near surgical skill to assemble the hot wire into place for welding.
When I got it all back together, it worked, but was not in tolerance. In other words, the output voltage was incorrect for a given measured amount of intake air. I'm guessing that the alloy I used was slightly different than what the Germans used, thus the resistivity and heat rejection characteristics of the wire were different. It was a good learning experience, however, and I got a good look at how the Bosch analog MAF functions, both physically and electronically. I spent about a week educating myself on hot wire sensors.
That, of course, was all done after I had replaced the original MAF with a new one. Unless you have a source for the correct platinum wire, and a lot of patience, you might have to bite the bullet and find a replacement sensor.
When I got it all back together, it worked, but was not in tolerance. In other words, the output voltage was incorrect for a given measured amount of intake air. I'm guessing that the alloy I used was slightly different than what the Germans used, thus the resistivity and heat rejection characteristics of the wire were different. It was a good learning experience, however, and I got a good look at how the Bosch analog MAF functions, both physically and electronically. I spent about a week educating myself on hot wire sensors.
That, of course, was all done after I had replaced the original MAF with a new one. Unless you have a source for the correct platinum wire, and a lot of patience, you might have to bite the bullet and find a replacement sensor.
Originally posted by Vader
I actually repaired a MAF hot wire on a Bosch MAF from my '86. It took me several days to find a supplier for the 0.0041" platinum wire, and that alone cost about $3.00/inch. The connections cannot be soldered, since the frequent burn off function turns the wire incandescent, which would melt away any solder at the joints and render the MAF useless. The ends are crimped and resistance welded, much like a heating element in a toaster. I accomplished that with a small brass clamp and a 48VDC power supply to finish the welds. You will need small tools, a good eye (or loupe), and near surgical skill to assemble the hot wire into place for welding.
When I got it all back together, it worked, but was not in tolerance. In other words, the output voltage was incorrect for a given measured amount of intake air. I'm guessing that the alloy I used was slightly different than what the Germans used, thus the resistivity and heat rejection characteristics of the wire were different. It was a good learning experience, however, and I got a good look at how the Bosch analog MAF functions, both physically and electronically. I spent about a week educating myself on hot wire sensors.
That, of course, was all done after I had replaced the original MAF with a new one. Unless you have a source for the correct platinum wire, and a lot of patience, you might have to bite the bullet and find a replacement sensor.
I actually repaired a MAF hot wire on a Bosch MAF from my '86. It took me several days to find a supplier for the 0.0041" platinum wire, and that alone cost about $3.00/inch. The connections cannot be soldered, since the frequent burn off function turns the wire incandescent, which would melt away any solder at the joints and render the MAF useless. The ends are crimped and resistance welded, much like a heating element in a toaster. I accomplished that with a small brass clamp and a 48VDC power supply to finish the welds. You will need small tools, a good eye (or loupe), and near surgical skill to assemble the hot wire into place for welding.
When I got it all back together, it worked, but was not in tolerance. In other words, the output voltage was incorrect for a given measured amount of intake air. I'm guessing that the alloy I used was slightly different than what the Germans used, thus the resistivity and heat rejection characteristics of the wire were different. It was a good learning experience, however, and I got a good look at how the Bosch analog MAF functions, both physically and electronically. I spent about a week educating myself on hot wire sensors.
That, of course, was all done after I had replaced the original MAF with a new one. Unless you have a source for the correct platinum wire, and a lot of patience, you might have to bite the bullet and find a replacement sensor.
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Do you remember where you got the platinum wire from?
And it was more like $3.00/ft, not $3.00/inch.
Climco Coils Co. -- Morrison, IL
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