Any MAF failures with the cotton (oil-free) Evo cone filter??

Anyone have had the original oiled filter that caused MAF failure and replaced it with the cotton and still had MAF go bad??

 

havent heard any issues after they introduced the oil-free filter of MAF failure. oil on an air filter helps trap dirt. so im not sure if there are any other problems beyond MAF issues that could stem from an oil-less filter. I know K&N air filters have been known to let damaging particles through the filter even with oil.

 

Has it been establshed that the MAF's have actually failed, and that the failure was solely associated with an air filter?

I've been running "oiled" filters (either BMC or EVO) in my Turbo for over three years with no CEL issues or failed MAF's. I did have some minor issues associated with a fouled MAF, but they cleared when I cleaned it.

 

I had mine fail yesterday and I have the new oil free dry filter.

Tried cleaning it twice buts its toast.

Got a a new Boxster version coming.

It failed a day after installing my GT700 kit.

 

I have the original EVO V-Flow (w/oil) . . . no problems so far.

Craig

 

Why would an oiled air filter cause the MAF to fail? The MAF just measures air flow electronically using a wire and a couple of metal plates. I can see the MAF getting dirty, but failing? Hard to figure out.

The MAF is electric, and maybe the upgraded ECU programs are causing an electrical failure of the MAF, but someone needs to explain why a light covering of oil is going to cause a failured.

 

cause the oil was saturating the MAF sensor and causing it to fail not allowing the correct sensitivity. EVO acknoweldged this was the case and changed to a dry filter. I'm not convinced a dry filter is the best solution

 

I guess it depends on the definition of "failed". A MAF that's not working proplerly because it's dirty is not a permanent failure...it just needs cleaning.

It doesn't seem that a properly oiled filter would cause permanent MAF problems. If they always caused problems you'd think that after three years something serious would have shown up in my Turbo.

 

I think that you were missing Dock's question: Is the MAF having a TOTAL failure (ie, the unit no longer works, throwing ABS/PSM lights, voltage issue) or is it just getting dirty and reading the wrong air flow rate?

He can't see how "oil" and dirt would cause it to fail electrically, that's what he is trying to get at. If it doesn't fail electrically and is only contaminated with dirt and oil, it should be cleanable.

 

That's it.

 

thats what mine is doing.

ie, the unit no longer works, throwing ABS/PSM lights, voltage issue, all the time.

 

oil can corrode parts and ruin them permanately if not cleaned. especially an electronic part that "senses" and measures air flow. The MAF is only suppose to have air run through it, not air mixed with oil. The air intake/filter should be preventing anything to get pass the point of the air filter

ever let too much oil build up on a spark plug? spark plug corrodes.. wont spark or misfires... how about a corroded battery terminal? car wont even crank. corrosion or saturation of the MAF sensor can lead to malfunction, permanent or temporary. just depends on how bad your MAF got blasted by the oil, dirt, water, or anything else other than air.

 

Ted:

I have the EVO 1st generation filter and no MAF failure (knock on wood 3x). And I just cleaned the MAF couple weeks ago and it's not even dirty but I could feel the car pulls afterwards and easily hit 1.2 BAR.

Do you have any pics of your car with the Gemballa wheels?

 

Here's what I think... the MAF works by trying to maintain a certain temp in the airflow stream of the intake... the more air, the more voltage is run across it to maintain a certain temp. And it is via that voltage reading that the ECU derives the MAF reading.

Well, if your MAF is coated, it could result in higher than normal current being run due to the insulating factor. This is my theory.

Additionally, on high HP applications, the MAF is well beyond its limits... so much so that the ECU doesn't even use MAF readings, and instead, goes to the trim maps set by the tuners. This is why some tuners can get high hp output in very specific conditions, and yet, go flat once conditions change, such as humicity, altitude, temp, etc.

 

Ideally, you need a MAF capable of higher readings and programming that can take advantage of it.