Mass air flow sensor removal

[whaleplane]

Hey guys,

I've got a 2001 2.4t v70 that has the check engine light on and needs to have the MAF sensor cleaned. I've tried the conventional way and can't get the MAF housing disconnected from the down flow housing. The air filter housing is easy enough by undoing the torx bolts but the other side won't come off. I've loosened the bracket that holds the parts together and tried about everything I can think of. It just won't come off. My thought is that it's 10 years old and never been removed. 10 years of engine heat, plastic tubing and grit from the air flow have sealed the two pieces together. Which on the positive side means that I've got a good seal but as I mentioned they won't come apart.

My question is can you remove the sensor by the outer torx security bolts? Is the sensor self contained like a fuse or is it in parts held together by the bolts?

Thanks in advance for help with a very frustrating problem.

[matthew1]

Just pull. My 2004 V70's MAF was hell to get off a couple months ago because of the same problem. I pulled and twisted and I thought surely I would break something. Perhaps try it when the car's warm, after driving. Materials become easier (or harder in some cases) to work with when they're warm.

I don't know if the sensor will fall apart if the security torx bolts are removed, but I have a feeling it would not, that they are only there to hold it in the housing.

I would certainly have gone that route if I owned security torx bits, if not for the removal reason, but because it's hard to ensure you're spraying the filament when you clean it while it's inside the housing.

[bobice]

I used a flat-head screwdriver to peel the connector, and then use the other hand to pull ... pull hard.

[t5ftw]

Hey guys,

My question is can you remove the sensor by the outer torx security bolts? Is the sensor self contained like a fuse or is it in parts held together by the bolts?

Thanks in advance for help with a very frustrating problem.

I unscrew those two security torx (5-point star not 6-point star) bolts around electric connector to sensor when I clean the sensor wires. I got the torx bits on ebay for about $10. There is a rubber o-ring. So, you will need something like a flat head screw driver to pull it off. But be careful not to stick the driver in too deep because you may end up damaging the sensor wire. In fact, when I first cleaned it, I didn't have 5-point star torx bits. So, I used a needle noise plier to grab the side of the bolt and turned it to unscrew. It wasn't easy but I was done.

Here is the link to how it looks when you take it off

here is the link to the torx bits
http://cgi.ebay.com/5-point-torx-star-s ... 255ceb2de3