On the way home from work, my engine started to lope, miss, and carry on like I got a bad tank of gas. (I did just fill up yesterday) Anyway like I was saying; every time I got heavy on the pedal it would act up. If I eased on it, it seemed to be ok, except climbing hills. Try pulling out into traffic moving around 55mph, and barely touching the gas with a manual trans. (Pretty tough)
Made it to a friends garage, no idiot lights came on, and no codes on his scanner. It did see that it ran rough around 2200-2500 rpm on the way there. searching thru all the fancy things on his scanner, he came up on the maf sensor and ran the test. (still no idiot lights or codes)
When excelerating slowly the numbers slowly climbed but when he got to around 2000+ rpm the #'s started to jump all around.
He said " there's your prob." kewl... only a maf sensor...huh $200 for a new one. had to order one knowone keeps them around I guess. Drive home taking it easy and now it dosent even want to idle smooth?????


What I'm getting at is should I go with the sensor or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Oh yeah I did just put a new k&n air filter in last week.

HELP!!!

 

First, try a quick run without the K&N filter, but I doubt that is the problem.

My old F-150 acted the same way, complete with no codes. Turned out to be a clogged catalytic converter. Disconnect your exhaust at the Y-pipe and go for a quick spin to test.

 

Been thru the converter prob. already last year. It will never give me problems again. If you know what I mean.

 

What engine?

I'd take the K&N off and put the stock intake back on, clean the MAF with MAF cleaner and see what happens, before I spent money on a new MAF.

 

Second name for "K&N" is "MAF killers"
One way to confirm bad MAF is to pull the plug on it. The engine should go into default mode, that should give you at least 80% of normal power.

 

5.4L ENGINE DC
It's all oem intake just a K&N filter in the oe can

 

I have heard many people talk about the K&N's like that as well. I have run them since 1993 in every truck and minivan (yep, you just look for a car with the same engine and you get them perfectly fitted) and never had a problem.

The problem I have heard, and always avoided, was over-oiling of the filter. I did once get a new filter out of the box and thought is was too much oil. I put it in and checked the housing and sensor a few months later and it was indeed gumming the stuff up.

I cleaned the tubes/intake and I sprayed the sensor with contact cleaner and let it air dry, did not touch it with anything, worked great. I guess they have the MAF cleaner now since so many people were using the wrong stuff to clean it with, like parts cleaner.

 

What about brakleen or carb cleaner?

 

ONLY USE MAF CLEANER. BrakeKleen and CarbCleaner will damage the plastic components.

 

Well... spent the $$, got a new sensor and put it in, still ran CRAPPY. Decided to disconnect the neg. bat. term. for a few min. to reset everything. Ran a little better.
wondered if it was bad gas? so I put some Lucas feul treatment in and brought it to work today. Not sure what it was but it startet to run better the more I ran it so.....?
We'll see on the way home.