Can carb cleaner damage the MAF?

[Black95GTS]

Went to the local autozone (I know, but stay with me) to pick up some carb cleaner to do this clean the MAF thing I keep reading about. So I ask a guy where it is and we start talking and he said that using Carb cleaner on an MAF filament will damage it. The manager actually came over and backed him up on this and said I should only use 'throttle body' cleaner. That there was something in the carb cleaner that will eventually erode the sensor?

I threw up the flag right away as I've read many times about guys using it here to great success. To their dismay, I bought the carb cleaner anyway. Just wondering before I do this tomorrow if there is any truth to what they were saying?

- adam

 

[VibrantRedGT]

If your talking about cleaning the MAF element I would not blast carb cleaner at it. Take the electronics off the MAF and clean it with rubbing alcohol (with Q tip) or electronics cleaner (can be had from Radio Shack). You damage the element and the thing is toast. Becareful removing the electronics, don't be rough with it. While the element is out of the way now you can blast carb cleaner inside the empty MAF housing and wipe down with a rag.

 

[bjl95mustang]

Autozone has some good people there I know it's rare but they are good. I have gotten to know one of the managers at one by me and now have get the hookup.

 

[CManT1914]

Yea it's much safer to clean the filament with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol. Those things are fragile, so be careful with it.

 

[sKyZ]

I just cleaned mine with carb cleaner that i put on a q-tip.. It worked fine. I also cleaned out the whole tube and my throttle body.

 

[Westee]

a mechanic told me to use denatured alcohol because sometimes that is the only thing that doesn't really leave any sort of residue....You can buy it at home depot

 

[HISSIN50]

Electrical contact cleaner should be residue free. Compare the ingredients of it with that of brake cleaner sometime.

 

[DougNuts]

Windex works too. I've used it.

 

[Rootus]

I just used brake cleaner. Very potent cleaner much like carb cleaner, but no residue. Never had any problems.

 

[Black95GTS]

Thanks for the tips fellas, I used alcohol on a q-tip for the filament, and the actual carb cleaner on the housing and the TB housing. Works pretty good.

adam

 

[mo_dingo]

When the guy at autozone starts giving you advice, stop listening to him immediately. They get paid $5.15 per hour, and you should't trust a word out of their mouth,

I went to buy drum brakes for my old truck, and they looked it up in the computer, and said from my measurements either A. My measurments of the drum size was wrong, or B. Someone had swapped rear ends in my truck, because their computer only listed 1 size brake pad for my truck.

So I went to pep boys, they looked it up, saw the correct size listed, gave me my brakes, and voila.
Scott

 

[18mustangs]

When the guy at autozone starts giving you advice, stop listening to him immediately. They get paid $5.15 per hour, and you should't trust a word out of their mouth,

I went to buy drum brakes for my old truck, and they looked it up in the computer, and said from my measurements either A. My measurments of the drum size was wrong, or B. Someone had swapped rear ends in my truck, because their computer only listed 1 size brake pad for my truck.

So I went to pep boys, they looked it up, saw the correct size listed, gave me my brakes, and voila.
Scott

One stupid employee doens't make all of them bad, I'm sure that Pep Boys have some real winners as well. As we all know there are some people here who know less than they think they do, but the hand full of those people doesn't invalidate all of the good info that we give and get here. And no I don't work at Autozone!
Tim

 

[HISSIN50]

If a guy is telling you that you need pads for drums, that is a sign.

I agree with Tim, but since I live where Scott does, I know what he means. I only know of several really good parts guys.
Scott, Merle's has some good parts jockies in my experience.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

VW dealer sells specific MAF cleaner. We use it all the time and it works great. I wouldnlt mess with anything but.

 

[mo_dingo]

One stupid employee doens't make all of them bad, I'm sure that Pep Boys have some real winners as well. As we all know there are some people here who know less than they think they do, but the hand full of those people doesn't invalidate all of the good info that we give and get here. And no I don't work at Autozone!
Tim

Let me ellaborate a little. I have 2 acquaintences that worked for autozone. They were completely brain dead. I wouldn't trust a word out of their mouth.

A MANAGER at a local checker (broadway/camino seco) was trying to look up some throttle body gaskets for my friend John, and guess what, they were out of stock. So John thought asked if they had sheets of gasket material so we could cut our own. He said "Yes we do, but I GUARANTEE that they will leak, no matter what". I am not kidding. I guess cutting gasket material is too difficult for us plain folk...LOL.

So guess what, we made 2 gaskets, and voila, no problems. What a douche.

I have also had so many other experiences with AZ and other auto parts stores that generalization as such is warranted.

Now I would never say that ALL auto parts employees are uneducated w/ respect to cars, that would just be a fallible remark. I mean, if they were educated well, they wouldn't be working there. They could be technicians or service advisors at auto repair institutes. Now some parts stores are different, like Merle's here in Tucson. They actually seem to retain some of their employee's, and don't pay them minimum wage. They usually have a somewhat knowledgeable staff.

All I was trying to get across to Black95GTS was to take their words with a grain of salt, so to speak.
Scott

 

[bjl95mustang]

I have had problems with autozone, ect in the past.

But for now I have gotten to know the managers at the autozone by my house.

They are awesome and have helped me alot. I did get the wrong power steering pump with the 90* bend for the return line and they went throug the boxes to find the right one with the straight hookup.

Now when I go there I dont pay for vacuume line, fuel line, ect and I get parts discounts extended warrantys ect. And they took my broken steering rack as a core and saved me $85.

 

[R.J.]

The Autozone stories are good, I got one just like it. I had the mustang apart and was working on it and the wifes 99 mercury cougar needed a brake job. I call Autozone and had them put the parts aside so my wife did not have to deal with them and she could just pay and go. When she came home she was complaining about how heavy the boxes were?!? (99 cougar=4 lug, tiny rotors????) I looked in the car, the boxes were huge, so I look inside!!! 8 lug, hub in rotor F-250 rotors!!!!!!! I thought she just took the wrong set aside parts, NO the guy rechecked the order with her and even helped her out to the car (the cougar). So you did not notice that the rotors you just sold her are bigger than the tires on the car?!?! Needless to say I personally returned the rotors and when I spoke to the manager I found out even he was a couple of french fries short of a happy meal!

 

[Tayohs 95Gt]

i used Tb cleaner worked fine

 

[tsoccer3299]

yeah have had some experience with the guys at autozone and have come to the conclusion that they are all completely brain dead.