Recently a member had the MAF fail & the dealer
blamed it on the CAI. At first I could see no
reason for CAI to contribute to the MAF failing.
But, if the MAF on the Titan is typical & works
by controlling its temperature in relationship to
the air flow, then it seems the CAI would be
causing more power to be put on the MAF to maintain
the temp as compared to stock??????????????????
Input from technical experts?

Recently a member had the MAF fail & the dealer
blamed it on the CAI. At first I could see no
reason for CAI to contribute to the MAF failing.
But, if the MAF on the Titan is typical & works
by controlling its temperature in relationship to
the air flow, then it seems the CAI would be
causing more power to be put on the MAF to maintain
the temp as compared to stock??????????????????
Input from technical experts?

That's certainly an interesting concept. I seriously doubt the CAI caused his MAS to fail. If it's dropped or mishandled in any way then I can see it failing. That's not to say the member you're talking about did that, I'm just speculating as to other reasons for the MAS to fail. Heck it could of just been coincidental and the dealer is just wanting to blame the CAI because it's the easy road to take.

Pardon my ignorance, but What is CAI?

CAI - Cold Air Intake. K&N, Volant, AirAid, and several others make them for the Titan.

How do you install a CAI?
The only mod I know on intakes is the one that the guys at the TacomaTerritory would do. They would cut a big hole on the side of the filter box and add something to it. I never did it on my truck, but I remember somebody saying somethin about the silicone sealant having to be MAF "friendly".

I am insterested on this also

Go to the how to section and you'll see a thread on the Volant install. They're fairly easy to install, basic hand tools and a little bit of time is all you'll need.

Okay, I found the thread. I see the light now... thank you very much.

After seeing the pictures I don't understand how that installation would mess up the MAF. I guess the dealer decided to blame it on the CAI. Then again... I am no expert

Some mass air flow sensors have reportedly been damaged after owners over-oiled the cotton filters during routine maintenance of their CAIs.

Some mass air flow sensors have reportedly been damaged after owners over-oiled the cotton filters during routine maintenance of their CAIs.

Correct-amundo!
The MAF is like a little "Electric Space heater" device. As air is Drawn across it, it cools. The 'puter measures the amount of current needed to maintain the little "heater", thus measuring Airflow.
If too much oil is introduced, it cannot "burn-off" the excess oil and "Fouls" the sensor.

So be Careful when Re-oiling your Filters.
I doesn't NEED to be "Dripping"! LOL!

I just thought it was an interesting question & I
had never thought about it that way before. It seems
as though CAI would probably cause more electrical
current to flow to the MAF.

Not an expert, but here's my .02, anyway.

You have to keep in mind that the MAF is a typical hot-wire type sensor. Like Titan57 pointed out, it will try to maintain a constant temp regardless of amt of air flowing across it. The voltage output changes with the change in airflow as the hot wire tries to maintain this temp. Also, the MAF goes through a burn-off cycle periodically which superheats the wire in an effort to rid itself of dirt, or oil if coated by a performance filter.....which I don't think it likes too much. Similar to how a halogen lamp will fail prematurely if you touch it with your hands before installing it, just from the light oil from your skin.

Also, I believe the IAT temp sensor is part of the MAF, so if either of these fail, you're replacing the whole deal. I would guess that it was the MAF sensor that failed, and not the IAT which uses a typical thermistor, which are pretty reliable.

The best advice is keep the old intake stuff around..So if a check engine light comes on, you can install it and not get any flack from the dealer..But its a not fun to do..( I have a couple customers do this because my boss is a stickler about things)..

The best advice is keep the old intake stuff around..So if a check engine light comes on, you can install it and not get any flack from the dealer..But its a not fun to do..( I have a couple customers do this because my boss is a stickler about things)..

Agreed......and swapping out intakes only takes about 15 minutes tops, for me.

Yeah, its kind of a "bum deal" and if I had it my way, I wouldn't care..But like another post of mine said, my boss and his stick are in charge.!

Sooo would installing just a K&N drop in and maybe doing the airbox mod cause any problems with the MAF?

I 've put K&N's in almost every vehicle and never re-oiled them, should I have? They never looked dirty or dry.

J

A couple of my techs and manager both believe that an aftermarket filter or CAI can caus MAF sensor damage.

A couple of my techs and manager both believe that an aftermarket filter or CAI can caus MAF sensor damage.

Due to Excess oil?
Or, Excess Air?

Oil is believed to be the culprit..

Sooo would installing just a K&N drop in and maybe doing the airbox mod cause any problems with the MAF?

I 've put K&N's in almost every vehicle and never re-oiled them, should I have? They never looked dirty or dry.

J
I just had Blackstone do an oil analysis on my wife's Toyota Camry. It came back great with one note. They noticed that the silicone level was more than it should have been compared to the rest of the sample results. This reminded me that I had not cleaned my K&N filter in over a year. These filters will fool you by looking at them, because they absorb a lot of dirt deep within the cotton fibers. I always saved my paper filter, because, when I clean my K&N, it's a 2-day job. I am very careful about letting the filter dry, before I add the oil. Water and oil don't mix, so a lot of the oiling problems come from adding oil to a wet filter. I also allow the oiled filter to set for 1 day to allow the oil to completely absorb into the filter. Then I reinstall it and so far after using these filters or years now, I have not had a problem.

... when I clean my K&N, it's a 2-day job. I am very careful about letting the filter dry, before I add the oil. Water and oil don't mix, so a lot of the oiling problems come from adding oil to a wet filter. I also allow the oiled filter to set for 1 day to allow the oil to completely absorb into the filter. Then I reinstall it and so far after using these filters or years now, I have not had a problem.

Excellent Suggestion!
I'm VERY Guilty of "Rushing" the Process, and Gittin'-'er-dun' in about 15min!!

I haven't cleaned my Titan's filter yet, but that is how I've cleaned my old Jimmy's Filter.

If you are really interested, contact K&N about this "MAF failure due to oil" business. I had a really long and interesting conversation with a rep at the 4X4 Truck Show. Basically a percentage of MAF's fail on their own and dealers have a tendency to blame CAI/Filter mods. When K&N has an opportunity to test these "Failed" sensors, they have found that the failure wasn't due to oil contamination of the unit, FWIW.

And I don't even have a K&N, LOL, just thought it was an interesting topic so I asked about it.

If you are really interested, contact K&N about this "MAF failure due to oil" business. I had a really long and interesting conversation with a rep at the 4X4 Truck Show. Basically a percentage of MAF's fail on their own and dealers have a tendency to blame CAI/Filter mods. When K&N has an opportunity to test these "Failed" sensors, they have found that the failure wasn't due to oil contamination of the unit, FWIW.

And I don't even have a K&N, LOL, just thought it was an interesting topic so I asked about it.

That doesnt supprise me at all..One thing I have seen in the auto business is everyone loves to point the finger at someone else...I know everywhere I have worked at, if something is failed, the first thing a tech says is.."I dont know what they have done/they have aftermarket stuff, that could cause a failure.." I get so tired of hearing that..I just wish they would just fix the F'n car sometimes.....Me, I could careless what you have for an intake or air filter..If you are in warranty and its bad..fix it free..but my boss has a different opinion and he signs my check..

When I put a brand new (factory oiled) K&N filter in my Ranger my gas mileage dropped from 17 to 16 on the first tank of gas. Over the next 3000 miles my mileage dropped to 13mpg. I cleaned my MAF and my mileage went back to 16mpg but dropped to 13mpg again over 3000 miles. This time I cleaned the MAF and the filter, I lightly reoiled it, same results; started at 16 dropped to 13. I then threw the K&N filter away, put a Fram filter in it and cleaned the MAF. Next tank of gas was 17mpg and has remained that way for the past year or so.
I emailed K&N about this and six months later they replied. They said I should have disconnected my battery to reset my computer. I might beleive that would account for the initial 1mpg drop, but not the continued drop over time.
I stock parts at a couple of local dealerships and the GM dealer that I service flat refused to stock K&N because they get so many fouled MAFs with K&N filters.

That's just my personal experience. I will not use an oiled air filter again on any vehicle.