Niall

My Octy had it's 150k service yesterday at the local independent garage. Just filters and oil, nothing special.

Thought performance was a bit "flat" on the short journey home but wasn't sure whether it wasn't just cold. Driving to head office today and there's a definate lack of performance, no guts for uphill or overtaking. Back to the garage and they've diagnosed a buggered MAF sensor which can go, "just like that, especially given the mileage".

Thing is, there was nothing wrong with the performance prior to the car being serviced. Is it just coincidence or could it be a ham fisted mechanic making a meal of changing the air filter? (Which I understand sits next to the sensor)

Please put my mind at rest before forking out!
(Or give me ammo to kick up a fuss!!)

Cheers,

Niall

cheezemonkhai

Shouldn't be able to damage it easily as the wire is behind a mesh.

I'd try disconnecting and then reconnecting the connector see if that helps as it may be lose.

If you have done 150k on the original you are IMHO doing very well.

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gathy

Bit of a con=incidence they could have damaged it, might have even swapped it


id try cleaning it first before spending you hard earned

either way youd find it hard to prove they've caused it

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Niall

Damaged, maybe - swapped it, no way. I've been taking my car there for quite a while and they're a decent outfit, definately not into that kind of shenanigans.

Looks like I'll just have to stump up the readies and be glad that I got this far with it.

Niall

cheezemonkhai

It's about £65 exchange for a genuine unit from a dealer.

Doddle to chance if you have a screwdriver and a set of mole grips.

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paulhenderson

I changed mine for £42.50 and that was a Pierburg MAF from ebay. You dont need to the pliers, you just need to buy the special torx bit from Maplins for 2 or 3 quid and bobs your uncle. I refitted mine in the car park outside matalan in about 3 minutes, undo the 2 screws and replace. Hope that helps. PS the Performance with the Pierburg was fine, done a few standing stats, 0-60's and mpg and all seem normal. mine is a 2001 1.9tdi 110bhp elegance Octy Mk 1

fatty5000

As a side note, you may find its held in with 5 point torx bits which aren't as readily availible as the other types. At lest this was the case when I whipped mine out (maf that is). I bought a 5 pointed torx set for mine for £15 and lost one screw when I got to the dealers to replace that screw they gave me normal philips screws back, rendering the £15 purchase virtually useless

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cheezemonkhai

The new cars use Bosch not Pierburg items.

I would change the whole thing as that way you have a warranty on it and don't run the risk of damaging it while putting it in and sealing it.

I have a full set of security torx bits and the bosch ones use somethign different as they didn't fit.

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fatty5000

These are the swine's I was on about, 5 point torx bits

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paulhenderson

To be fair that car has 150k on it and it probably is out of warranty! I have found the Bosch MAF's to be less reliable than Pierburg but thats only in my experience.

cheezemonkhai

Regardless the voltage range on the Bosch and Pierburg are apparently different so it might give odd behaviour.

Each to their own on that front, but I'd rather be 100% I was fitting the right part as the ECU will have been configured to expect the values and range given by a certain type of MAF.

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paulhenderson

Good point!!

Niall

Now I'm miffed!!

The sensor finally arrived with the Garage today (Saturday) despite the thing being ordered at the start of the week.

After fitting the replacement MAF it made chuff all difference! The cars performance is still flat.

The garage are at a loss as to the problem (they basically don't have the diagnostic equipment) and need to get their diesel engine "man" (probably someone with a laptop) to come round and see it.

The thing that's nagging me most though is that the car performed perfectly before the service so for my money they must have done something. On the plus side (?) if I turn the radio off and drop the window I can still hear the Turbo "wooshing" away like it always has, so hopefully it's not that.

Infuriating in the extreme

Niall

fordfan

I think that there is a vacuum/air pipe on the lower part of the air box, is it attached?

cheezemonkhai

Was just thinking exactly the same.

Check the small pipe (less than 1cm dia) that attaches below the MAF to the air box. If this is off or damaged then you will have very poor performance.

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Niall

Just thought I'd update this before I forget (car is being traded in later this week!) but the problem was solved by the "Diesel Man".

There was a break in one of the wires supplying the MAF, hence why neither the new or old MAFs would work - they weren't receiving power!

All hunky dory again.

Hopefully this will help someone in the future rather than the usual "oooh, this is good, this what my car is doing" when you first read a thread after a search, followed by a "yes they're the same symptoms, but how did you fix it!?!?!?!" when the thread tails off without a solution being posted.

Niall