I have a 2005 model whether it makes a difference or not and my car has 50k on it.
There is a right way of doing something and there's always a shortcut. This the shortcut and if done correctly you shouldn't have any problem.
If you develop some erratic idle especially feeling it when you turn on your air conditioning or if your car has a hesitation or stumbles on acceleration this cheap bit of maintenance just may cure it.
MAF sensor cleaning
So we start with the maf sensor which give your p71's computer air intake readings and adjusts for it in certain conditions. If the maf sensors filaments are dirty then your cars computer is getting a faulty reading and will not run 100%.
You will need a spray can of maf sensor cleaner, a very fine paintbrush and a torx fitting to remove the sensor. I used CRC brand cleaner and the brush was one from an unused kids paints set.
Locate your maf sensor which should be connected to your intake inlet tube directly after the filter airbox.
Remove the 2 screws that hold in the maf sensor with the proper torx fitting.
Slide the locking clip to remove electrical connector from the sensor housing, be careful not to damage the connector and work it off gently.
Once you have it disconnected, look inside the sensor and locate the filaments that you are going to be cleaning.
They are fragile so don't spray the cleaner to close to them, you need to keep the spray away at least 6 0r 8 inches. After saturating them in maf cleaner, take the brush and gently get all sides accessible around the filament. Spray again and repeat. I did this about 4 or 5 times and the 5th time I saturated the sensor and let air dry. I didnt reinstall the sensor yet because I am going to clean the throttle body next and will need to move the intake tubing around a bit.
Throttle Body Cleaning
Next I am going to clean my throttle body. There are alot of different ways to clean it and by rights it should be removed from the vehicle so nothing can be dropped down the intake by accident, but if you're careful it can be done without removing it. Do not touch the electrical connections to the throttle body, there is no need to unhook these connections.
We start off with a can of throttle body cleaner, I used CRC throttle body cleaner for this and is specifically designed to not harm the special coating that some manufacturers use to protect the throttle body.
You will also need a a clean lint free cloth and a screwdriver or ratchet that will fit the clamps that hold the intake tubing on.
Loosen the clamp that attaches the intake tube to the airbox but do not remove the tube at this end. Also loosen the clamp that attaches the tube to throttle body.
There was a connector with a green tab that connected the pcv valve to the intake tube. Press back on the protruding green locking clip and remove the pcv tube connector.
Now you can detach the intake tubing from the throttle body end and rotate it out of the way so you have clear access to the inside of the throttlebody. This is why I said to not reinstall the maf sensor just yet so you can easily rotate the intake tube without damaging any wires..
Now looking at the front of the throttle body it doesn't really look that dirty, but we'll see what carbon and varnish come off this thing by the time we're done.
Spray the cleaner all around the butterfly and soak a portion of the clean lint free cloth. Wrap the cloth around your finger and reach in and start cleaning around the outside, then spray again and then open the butterfly so you can get your finger that is wrapped with the soaked cloth inside and behind the butterfly and the linkage it is attached to. Repeat spraying with the butterfly closed and then using your finger with another clean part of the cleaner soaked cloth to get as far inside with your finger and behind the butterfly. Keep repeating this procedure until the cloth winds up clean and you've removed as much carbon and varnish deposits that you could.
This is after 50,000 miles....
Reattached the tube, the pcv connector, the maf sensor, tighten the 2 intake tube clamps and start her up.
I was experiencing a slight hesitation and now it's cleared up. So good luck with your cleaning.
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