Thought of a creative way to test my MAF..

[Berman]

I'm working on getting my new project GN on the road. In trying to find out the cause of my off idle stumble (which was due to a vacuum leak), I wanted to test my GN's maf.

Well I know the LS1 maf is a common bolt on for the GN's, with the maf translator. So couldn't I just put the GN maf on the LS1 with the translator?? I know my LS1 runs correctly, so if I put on the GN maf and it doesn't work correctly, I know the maf is bad.

 

[NC87GN]

There are only 2 ways, I know of, to effectively check a 87 GN MAF. One way is with a scan tool and the "tap" test. The other way is to see what effect it has on injector timing by use of an oscilliscope. The problems with the MAF's we have is either the solder joints/tails come loose on the board itself causing opens to occur, or the hot film becomes contaminated severly which prevents heating and cooling of the foil grid. There may be other cases for failure but most of them, I try to fix, have the problems stated above. Wish GM would have used the BOSCH hot wire MAF on GN's which removes any contaminates, you may have on the platnium wire, when the car shuts off.

 

[ijames]

The translator makes an LS1 or LT1 maf look like a GN maf to the GN ECM, but it won't do the reverse so you can't do the test you propose.

 

[Berman]

Originally posted by ijames
The translator makes an LS1 or LT1 maf look like a GN maf to the GN ECM, but it won't do the reverse so you can't do the test you propose.

Oh. I thought it was the same Maf Translator that people use for LS1's to adjust air/fuel ratio and such, I have that on my LS1. Oh well.

 

[TurboJim]

The BEST way to check a MAF is a scope. Period. You can have a bad MAF that passes the TAP *and* scan tool test. Those two are only quick go-no go type tests. The most accurate way is to observe the square wave output at different airflows.

 

[FJM568]

Isn't the GN MAF an analog signal and the LS1/LT1 digital??? Then the MAF Translator converts digital signal to analog so that the GN ecm can read it???

At least that's what I thought I heard or read somewhere??? Is this correct???

 

[TurboTR]

No. The GN MAF is a frequency output, and the LS1 MAF is a higher frequency output

TurboTR

 

[1badTTA]

Here is an interesting one, A friend of mine at work had his 97 Explorer fail emissions for a bad MAF (they just check the codes on OBD2 cars in AZ) and he simply unplugged the battery and cleaned the MAF with carb cleaner and was able to pas with no problems. I am not saying that carb cleaner will cure all problems on our cars, but was curious if anyone had tried it with a known bad MAF. I also dont know if the MAF on an Explorer is anything like that of a TR. I was dumbfounded when he told me this, and also that he had noticed it wasnt running all that great and afterwords it ran like when he first bought it. Seems to me like something to check into considering the status of replacement MAF sensors for us.

 

[FlyinGN]

good idea.. I guess it can't hurt messing with a known bad maf anyway..
It may safe a few of us the agony of finding a maf replacement..

Originally posted by 1badTTA
Here is an interesting one, A friend of mine at work had his 97 Explorer fail emissions for a bad MAF (they just check the codes on OBD2 cars in AZ) and he simply unplugged the battery and cleaned the MAF with carb cleaner and was able to pas with no problems. I am not saying that carb cleaner will cure all problems on our cars, but was curious if anyone had tried it with a known bad MAF. I also dont know if the MAF on an Explorer is anything like that of a TR. I was dumbfounded when he told me this, and also that he had noticed it wasnt running all that great and afterwords it ran like when he first bought it. Seems to me like something to check into considering the status of replacement MAF sensors for us.

 

[NC87GN]

Only company I found to have good OEM typeMAF's for our cars is an outfit out of CANADA. It has a connector that plugs in from the side instead of the bottom. As far as the signal output, the frequencies are right on the money. Not sure of the company name because I bought them through the GSCA club (members only deal). Companies like Wells, Micro-tek are hit and miss when they come to MAF's.