How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol
There are various types of sensors on cars. However, the type of sensor we are talking about today is the air flow sensor. The mass air flow sensor measures the amount of air entering the engine. At the same time, this information also calculates how much gas is being fed into the engine. So car owners can have the proper ratio of air and gas.
To locate car parts, air quality airflow sensors are installed under the hood. However, this location means the sensor can get dirty over time. This has many consequences. One of them results in vehicle owners being unable to control their vehicles in the correct manner. Nonetheless, it can be easily fixed by cleaning the mass air flow sensor. This part can be cleaned multiple times and drivers don’t have to worry about buying new ones. But how do we do it?
How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol? To answer the question How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol, our experts will guide car owners through all the necessary steps required. After reading this guide, drivers will definitely be able to clean your Automotive Air Quality Sensor themselves.
Mass Air Sensor Cleaning Guide: Tools and Supplies
In order to answer the question How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol, the first thing we need is of course alcohol. For this reason, choosing the right alcohol is by far one of the most critical steps. Car owners don’t need to prepare anything fancy. In fact, it’s actually pretty easy if you follow this guide exactly.
There are many different combinations, however, our list of tools and supplies would be:
1.Isopropanol
2.A rag (or paper towel will also work)
3.A clean spray bottle
4.Tool to remove the sensor (anything you want)
5.A stick (used to fix the car hood)
6.Your vehicle manual
In this list, you may want to pay attention to alcohol and bottles. We prefer that the alcohol used for cleaning be exclusively isopropyl, no other types of alcohol are allowed. The main reason we can’t use other types of cleaning alcohol is that they either won’t clean the sensors from harsh environments, or they might damage them.
Other than that, it needs a clean spray bottle. Our explanation for this is that old, dirty bottles may have dirt and impurities inside. If you are using it, you are most likely adding more dirt inside the sensor instead of cleaning it.
How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol guide
positioning sensor
First, after you have all your supplies and tools together, locating the mass air flow sensor is the next critical step. In most cases, the sensor is located under the hood of the vehicle. Owners may need to open the hood before accessing the lever located under the dashboard area for cleaning.
The hood is the part we need to keep open so it doesn’t fall off and smash our fingers. So grab your cane as we mentioned above to put the hood on. Now vehicle owners can locate the mass air flow sensor with confidence.
If your car can hold the hood up on its own, you don’t need a stick
Typically, car owners can find the sensor around the air filter area. However, if you can’t find it, it’s time to look in your car’s manual. Manuals are every car owner’s best friend because they tell you exactly where the parts on your car are.
One more thing, when checking your sensor, we need to pay attention to the sensor and the car battery. These two are important parts of your vehicle and we need to charge the car in order to function properly.
How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol guide: Removing the sensor
Ok, you must have found the air flow sensor by now. The next step is to remove the sensor. No doubt you can clean it internally. However, the job is much easier if the owner removes it from the vehicle. To remove the sensor, the driver can gently unplug the connection or wire, then slowly pull it out.
In various cars, you will need a special tool to remove the sensor. So if you can’t remove it manually, you may want to check your car manual. It will tell owners how to remove the mass air sensor, and if there is a dedicated tool for this task, it will be mentioned there as well.
Clean sensor
How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol? Another step in removing the mass airflow sensor is to clean it, which is actually a simple process. However, before starting the cleaning task, car owners are advised to cover all wires and wires coming from the sensors. We don’t want anything untoward to happen and getting the wires or power supply wet is one of them. If they do, the alcohol may damage the sensors and short out them.
So, after carefully covering them, car owners can now spray the sensors with isopropyl alcohol. Vehicle owners should use bottles to prevent anything else from coming into contact with the sensor. Any unintentional contact may cause false readings and damage. Of course, you don’t need to wipe off the sensor, as the alcohol will remove the dirt on its own. Be sure to get the isopropyl alcohol into the corners of the mass air flow sensor. These are the parts that need cleaning the most.
Dry sensor
Once the owner is sure the sensor is completely clean, it’s time to let it dry. Many new drivers use a blower to speed up the process. However, this may damage the sensor. Instead, we want the sensor to air dry and require a rag or paper towel.
Car owners should leave clean mass air flow sensors somewhere where they won’t be blown away or knocked over. Additionally, it needs to be a clean place so that the sensor does not get dust or debris on it. Our suggestion is to place a plastic container on top. Doing this protects the sensor from debris and other types of dirt.
This step requires patience as you want it to dry completely naturally. If a car owner attempts to reconnect the mass air flow sensor while it is wet, it can cause harm to your car’s engine. Not only will it give false readings, but it can damage the sensors as well as the entire vehicle. So we recommend letting it dry for about an hour or more.
How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol guide: Reinstall the sensor
Last but not least, we need to reconnect the mass air flow sensor. Once the owner has ensured that the sensor is completely dry, the reinstallation process begins. This is by far the easiest step since you already know where the sensors are. Keep in mind that if you used a special tool to remove the sensor, you’ll need that tool to reinsert it.
In summary
After reading this article, car owners now understand How to clean mass air flow sensor with alcohol. Among other things, you’ve learned how to locate and remove the sensor before cleaning it, and how to clean it with isopropyl alcohol.
Cleaning sensors is actually a task we can do at home. Not only does it save the driver a lot of money, but it also avoids damaging the engine.
