MAF - questions?

[Key Walshe]

I'm currently running with no MAF, with it plugged in it was struggling to rev past 4k rpm and would often badly stutter at 3k rpm, meaning I'd have to depress the accelerator and start again, slowly! With the MAF disconnected it stalls constantly at idle which is no major problem, but now rev's much more freely (though only to 6.2k rpm) and is using less fuel too, which is nice! Tried cleaning the MAF but with no improvements.

So, my questions are thus. Are these the symptoms of a MAF which is past it's best?

If it's not the MAF, what else could it be?

If it is the MAF, is it worth replacing with the RS2 item as I believe it's slightly more free flowing? And is it a direct swap?

And finally, does anyone have any recommendations on where to get one from? I've got a price from a friend of £211 all in for a brand new OE item, is that reasonable?

Thanks for any replies

[s2_bo]

Sounds like your MAF is dead. Running with out it is not a good long term solution so you will need to replace it.

I think i have a spare RS2 one that is unused if you wanted to buy that its a direct swap....

Will check.

Cheers.
Bo

[vonbeck]

i think my maf is on the way out too the main stealers have quoted me £196+vat faor an aby maf would it be beneficial to get an rs2 maf if i`m buying a new one?

[Key Walshe]

Thanks Bo, PM sent

[Key Walshe]

I've been speaking with my Dad today, he's an RAC instructor, and he's been doing some courses this week with the Audi patrol mechanics (part of the RAC too) and he's been asking them about the MAF for an S2. The topic of the RS2 item came up about being an alternative, but it was said to him that to run properly it would need an air sensor which connects to the MAF, and that it's not quite as simple as a straight swap.

Is this the case, or could it be that they were thinking of a 3B engined S2, and not an ABY engined S2? If it were to be a straight swap then that'd be great, as if they're a similar price then it's always better to upgrade - can anyone shed any light on this? I've searched the site, and though there's lots of stuff about the S2 MAF, I havn't yet found the answers I'm looking for (more thorough searching maybe called for!), and I understand this is possibly a common question to ask, but any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks for any replies

[S2central.net]

You CAN fit the RS2 MAF onto the S2...

I'm not just telling you that for laughs - I have done it to my own car - and I'm not the 1st on here to have done so.

I have no idea what that info from the RAC man is all about - without sounding disrespectful I would have to say the chances of finding an RAC man who knows anything significant about the workings of 15yr old Bosch / Audi is pretty slim - especially if he is getting instruction from the 'experts' at Audi... How ****ing often do they ever work on them ?

I also know for fact that some Audi centres use this website, mine and others to help faultfind curiious errors when anyone is foolish enough to take their I5T engined machine in for diagnostics on so called complex problems.

[Key Walshe]

The RAC man is my Dad, so easy there, he's very knowledgable about cars (done the job for 36 years now and is an teacher/instructor after being lead patrol) but his base is general cars, so for specialist knowledge he does need to ask questions himself, but can usually figure it out from there. As for the Audi men, of the 5 there, he said 2 have/had an S2, and 1 has a UR quattro and are all long term Audi mechanics, though only one mentioned the air sensor and none of the others agreed nor denied it that the 2 items were interchangable. The course is a week long so he's got more questions to ask them tomorrow... He just doesn't want to see me put a part on my car which might not be best for it, he knows if it goes wrong it's upto him or my Step-Dad (again, another mechanic with his own place) to fix it at no charge, and they hate that!

How long have you been running your S2 with the RS2 MAF, I guess your original one was broke so replaced it? If it wasn't broke, did you notice any difference? And, is it simply just a direct swap - plug & play so to speak?

[Jamo]

I run an RS2 MAF, listen no disrespect to your old man but S2central is a chip master if he and Mihnea at MRC say there is no difference electronically in the MAF's then you know it's aint bull.

[S2central.net]

^^^ What he said... I've had my RS2 MAF running for ~9 months. I only changed it cos I wanted to see if I could 'feel' a difference with it versus the S2 MAF... That and it was a cracking price new from VAGparts (RIP) at the time. I was doing the RS2 airbox upgrade at the same time - and it was the airbox that makes the difference you can feel.

I do want to get proper plots on a flowbench of many different MAFs - I have found what looks like MAF curves in the Motronic chips - so I might - I stress MIGHT be able to get bigger , less restrictive MAFs working on an S2/RS2 one day... In about 3yrs at the rate I am cracking the ECU - my head is fried.

[Key Walshe]

Thanks for the replies fellas, looks like an RS2 item it is then, and I can gloat to my Dad that his 'Audi specialist' buddies were wrong! Hopefully this will cure my problem of not revving as it should, if not, it's an expensive mod with minimal difference, but atleast I can say it's been done

Sorry for doubting you, but I just wanted to be certain! Oh yea, I guess from the (RIP) comment that VAGParts are no longer around, is there any other suppliers of MAF's at good prices?

[UrS4boy]

It's a bit late but I did post MAF information last week I think. Here it is again, FWIW:

http://forums.audiworld.com/s4s6/msgs/140143.phtml

[newsh]

Oh yea, I guess from the (RIP) comment that VAGParts are no longer around, is there any other suppliers of MAF's at good prices?

I got mine from S2 Bo.

[Rozvor]

Hi to all

My first post, i'm from Spain so...sorry for my "english"

My MAF is dead and i'm thinking

I don't need the MAF. How I can "lie" to the J220 that enter a lot of air?

Regards

[Davidsinclair05]

i've got a used maf from a 3B for sale if you PM me?

[s2_bo]

Hi to all

My first post, i'm from Spain so...sorry for my "english"

My MAF is dead and i'm thinking

I don't need the MAF. How I can "lie" to the J220 that enter a lot of air?

Regards

You can do that but its not recommended at all.

I had a similar idea when my maf died a few years ago and was quickly advised against it by everyone on here.


Just buy a new maf and your engine will not die a horrible death.....