sharrack

I think its time for me to go back to a traditional air filter.
I have the amsoil filter and its a check engine light , dirty sensor every 3 months without fail or a bug getting stuck to the sensor or even a cat hair in the sensor today.
I even carry a tool set up to clean the sensor on the road. It has happened.
The seal on the filter seems good as well.
Anyone else deal with this?

Kenny s

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

I have found the stock filter housing with either Wix or Toyota filter seem to work best for me.

Since installing 2 new sensors in both my 3.4 engines it has been about 3 years

Then I don`t try and clean the MAF sensor if the code trips more then 3 times I just put a new one in

They don`t like being dropped and I for sure am a fumble finger klutz .

I keep one on the shelf .

sharrack

Mine is fine even after 2 dozen cleanings.....its just that stuff is getting by the air filter and finds its way onto the diodes. That and the oil residue from oil charged filters seems to foul the q tip sensor with black soot. Even with light oil applications

ThorInc

Maybe a picture of the Amsoil filter would help us? I have read that it is quite a good product but I do beleive that they are no longer produced and sold by Amsoil. I have used a TRD oiled filter for well over a decade with no obvious issues and with 1-2 annual cleanings. I also have an AFE dry filter that I also swap in on occasion. I personally prefer the TRD model. I have never had the MAF fail in the life of my '97.
I think that the environment that you generally travel in also can play a significant role in the frequency of cleaning the filter and the sensor and that maybe your issue possibly?

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Well being in two pieces I just could not find all the missing parts.

Plastic gets old and brittle with age.

The sensors are cheap from the dealer last time I ordered 3

Mine are upgraded to the new style that bolt into the air filter housing not those big clunky older style ones that went into the air intake tube

With that style I had nothing but trouble changed to the newer style all is good

Just needed to move a few wires in the plug. .

TheDurk

According to my log. six times since 1999 with 180k miles. I did it with the plug changes (five times) and one P0171 code. Always WIX filter from NAPA 30k change interval, stock airbox. Pretty trouble-free.

Charchee

I only had to clean mine once in 150K miles. I do know that that type of sensor can't handle even a minute amount of oil on it. I like the idea of the oil charged filters but personally don't see enough benefit in them to warrant cleaning my MAF sensor every few thousand miles. I was actually told by the local dealer that those sensors were several hundred bucks a piece so I looked like I was doing heart surgery when I took mine out to clean it. I know the one on my older 4Runner 3VZE was $200 but there is a lot more to that one. If anybody else out there has actually bought one recently, what do they really cost? I've been scared to even lay a wrench down over there thinking I might break a $500 sensor.

TheDurk

[QUOTE=Charchee;52320447]I only had to clean mine once in 150K miles. I do know that that type of sensor can't handle even a minute amount of oil on it. I like the idea of the oil charged filters but personally don't see enough benefit in them to warrant cleaning my MAF sensor every few thousand miles. I was actually told by the local dealer that those sensors were several hundred bucks a piece so I looked like I was doing heart surgery when I took mine out to clean it. I know the one on my older 4Runner 3VZE was $200 but there is a lot more to that one. If anybody else out there has actually bought one recently, what do they really cost? I've been scared to even lay a wrench down over there thinking I might break a $500 sensor.[/QUOTE]

$129 plus shipping at Camelback. Relax.


http://partsfactory.camelbacktoyota....ir-mass-sensor

The older style costs more if you have it but at that point you are better off getting a new airbox at a junkyard in the new style and getting this one.

Charchee

While we're on the subject, is cleaning the sensor something something to include in a routine tuneup? Maybe at spark plug replacement? I know, on the last 3rd gen I had, it ran a whole lot better after I cleaned it. I think the code that I got pointed to the O2 sensor but after changing the O2, the CEL came back on with the same code. I believe I cleaned mine based on advice from the forum and it fixed it. I wonder if you can slowly loose performance as the sensor gets dirty at a rate that you wouldn't notice until the CEL comes on. Anybody out there cleaning theirs on a schedule?

sharrack

The sensor is pretty durable and you really cant touch the actual diodes.
You just have to use sensor/ electronics cleaner.
The only time i feel my truck run rough is when the light comes on.
Its usually black gunk on a sensor or a bug on a sensor( which will stop your truck in its tracks)
Lol....went through a cloud of termites once.....ugh ! stall...cough cough...no power

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

I've had a lot of luck with the AFE dry element filters. They flow better than stock and filter almost as well. AFE makes the filters for TRD.

Jomoka

Yeah, dry filter FTW in this aspect. When I bought my 99 the CEL was on, and I got a couple of hundred knocked off the price, all because the K&N oiled filter had fouled the MAF sensor.