Cleaned MAF with Seafoam, now getting Code P0102

[toddious]

I had a friend that is an auto technician come over to look at my rough idle on my truck. We tried pulling codes, but got nothing.

He decided to run some Seafoam through the truck. We got the Spray Can of seafoam, and he sprayed it directly in through the throttle body, while I was reving up the motor. He also sprayed a few shots onto the MAF sensor.

We then let the truck sit for about 20 minutes, then started it back up. We didn't get the big smoke show (which I got the last time I used Seafoam about 5 years ago), but the idle seemed to be a little better. We drove it around a little bit, then parked it. A couple days later, I ran the codes again, and I got an error P0102: Mass Air Flow Circuit Low Input.

I have a feeling that spraying the Seafoam on the MAF was a bad idea. Do you think I ruined it? Should I get some MAF cleaner and spray it on the sensor, and see if I can still clean it this way? I really don't want to have to replace the MAF sensor for the $100-$270 that the part costs....

Any help is appreciated! Todd.

 

[Turdle]

Seafoam is oily, very similar to lighter fluid. It will leave a residue

Try cleaning it with Maf sensor cleaner. Remember to disconnect the battery while you do this so the code will clear.

If this fails I would go the the junk yard for a maf. Chances are it worked good enough to get the car wrecked--huh?

 

[jremington59]

Your friends a technician and sprayed seafoam on the maf? You might be better off finding another tech when you need one.

 

[Tavery1]

Your friends a technician and sprayed seafoam on the maf? You might be better off finding another tech when you need one.

Yea, that was not a wise idea. pour seafoam into the gas tank, the PCV hose,or the brake booster vacuum hose.

 

[toddious]

Your friends a technician and sprayed seafoam on the maf? You might be better off finding another tech when you need one.

It does say "sensor safe" on the bottle in his defense, and he admitted that he doesn't use the stuff. Buying Seafoam was more my idea than his, because i've inserted it through the vacuum line before and gotten good results. We figured spraying it through the TB wouldn't be bad for it, to clean that out as well. We checked the can, and it said "Sensor safe", so we gave the MAF a couple sprays.

Hopefully I can just clean it with some MAF cleaner.....

 

[celly]

Your friends a technician and sprayed seafoam on the maf? You might be better off finding another tech when you need one.

LOL, no kidding! Luckily, any real MAF/electronics cleaner should clean up the residue that the Seafoam left behind and the code should go away after a cleaning and a battery reset. If worse comes to worst, the guts of the MAF can be had for around $50 on eBay (I scored one this past summer without having to buy the whole housing).

 

[jremington59]

It does say "sensor safe" on the bottle in his defense, and he admitted that he doesn't use the stuff. Buying Seafoam was more my idea than his, because i've inserted it through the vacuum line before and gotten good results. We figured spraying it through the TB wouldn't be bad for it, to clean that out as well. We checked the can, and it said "Sensor safe", so we gave the MAF a couple sprays.

Hopefully I can just clean it with some MAF cleaner.....

I shouldn't have been so mean. But I don't believe that's the sensors they are talking about.

 

[Turdle]

OOps
I forgot the idle issue--
You might clean the IAC valve also. It controls the idle speed, but when the plunger inside gets gummed up it looses control.
There is a how to clean iac thread here on the forum