I usually don't post much here besides reading other member's posts but what I did today really got me excited hence worth posting.

A month after installing my Z-TUBE and K&N filter, I noticed that I was losing power. The car felt great right after the install but seems to deteriorate in performance over time. Even my wife noticed the decrease in performance. In other words, the car felt bogged down whenever I accelerate even though slightly from a stop. Accelerating at high speeds also seems more sluggish.

So then I thought to myself, could it be the K&N filter messing up my MAF (Mass Airflow sensor) ? I heard that the oils on those filter could affect it so I decided to borrow a can of Electronic Contact Cleaner from my workplace and decided to spray it on the MAF. To do so, I simply removed my Z-TUBE, lifted the MAF housing up, put a towel over the grilled end of the tube and sprayed the Contact Cleaner like there was no tomorrow on my MAF.

LOW and BEHOLD, when I started my car and hit the gaz pedal lightly, my tires actually spun and I almost hit my neighbor's garage door!

The performance felt was night and day! Now I can really feel my 5/16' MD plenum, K&N and Z-TUBE and MAF working in sweet harmony! My car runs like a champion!

Just thought I'd share...

Alex

BTW, I have a '03 Sedan with > 103000km. Only mods are the ones mentionned above and iridium ngk spark plugs.

 

What is the Brand of cleaner that you used?

 

I used : MG Chemicals Electrosolve Contact Cleaner (No residue).

I believe any Electronic Contact Cleaners will work...just don't use alcohol or carburator cleaners, windex etc.

You can also search for DG Electronic Contact Cleaner...

Alex

 

Did you reoil the K&N ever? If you didn't I think there is a placebo effect going on. If you don't over oil the filter it doesn't coat the mass air housing at all...

 

Interesting. I might give that a try. Can't hurt.

 

so cleaning ur K&N air filter made your car seem faster? i have the newer ijen cold air with injen filter (i think) ....where can i get a can of this cleaner?

 

No, he cleaned the MAF

 

I would suggest using the MAF cleaner from autostores as opposed to electrical and eletronics cleaner

my 2 cents

 

CRC's Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner works quite well.

 

No I did not re-oil my filter. My K&N filter is only 1 month old so it's already pre-oiled and clean when I checked today.

Alex

 

Just came back home...and boy what a fun drive. For those wanting to clean your MAF, just a word of advice : Be careful not to touch the wires / elements of your MAF or else you'll need to replace it because it damages easily I've been told. Simply position your cleaner a few inches from it and spray, wait until it dries and spray again. I did this around four times.

Also, I believe the reason I'm feeling the difference is because my car is an '03 with high mileage and the MAF has never been cleaned before. Cleaning the MAF on a new G35 wouldn't yield performance gains..

Alex

 

I've experienced the same problems as you with a loss of power at low RPM's and have been trying to diagnose it for the last week. I've got every bolt on possible, so it's been a PITA to single out the problem, but now I'm 99% sure that it's the MAF.

Can you explain exactly what the loss of power felt like? With mine, it feels like something is holding it back from going faster from 1,500 RPM - 4,500 RPM. You can FEEL, in increments of 500RPMs the car getting a little more power, but something still feels wrong...

 

Thanks for the heads up!


I am looking to do the Z-tube/K&N relatively soon and am now a bit worried.


Anything you can suggest right from the start? Will I have to clean my MAF periodically?

 

The easiest way to describe it was before cleaning the MAF, acceleration didn't felt linear, especially from a stop...as if something is holding it back from going faster...then as the RPM rises then you feel the surge of power and the car advances. In fact, when accelerating from a stop, i kinda feel hesitation for half a second, then a jolt and the car advances...

Alex

 

i just cleaned my injen filter yesterday... took bout an hour to take off clean an put back on.... my ride feels smoother now but not a big jump... ill look into the cleaner for the MAF