How often do you clean your MAP sensor?

ShinerBock wrote:
I used to clean mine every oil change at 15k, but now I do it every other oil change since the EGR is not spewing soot all over it. I have seen a dirty MAP sensor have a significant impact on performance and fuel economy in some of our company vehicles so we have made it a regular maintenance item.

Just wondering how often others with diesels clean theirs.

Unless it throws a code; never. If it throws a code it's outside of it's parameters and I will take a look at it then.

Many of our company trucks never threw codes when the sensor was clogged, but definitely showed signs of reduce power and increased fuel consumption.

From what I was told, a clogged map sensor is slow to respond to pressure changes or gives a false pressure reading than actual therefore telling the engine to give the wrong amount of fuel. It can do this for a long time before actually throwing a code since it is still telling the engine a pressure that is within its parameters, just the wrong pressure.

Once in 20 years, but really because I just felt like it. All my experience with MAF sensors is they lie just downstream of the air box and before the throttle body. So the only real reason they can get dirty is with an extremely dirty air filter or oiled gauze (K&N type) air filter. Other than those reasons they should never get dirty or need cleaning.

On edit, I see you asked about a MAP sensor not a MAF sensor. How co you clean a MAP sensor? Isn't it just a vacuum hose to a sealed chamber? Or do you clean out the port in the manifold that the hose is connected to?

opnspaces wrote:
Once in 20 years, but really because I just felt like it. All my experience with MAF sensors is they lie just downstream of the air box and before the throttle body. So the only real reason they can get dirty is with an extremely dirty air filter or oiled gauze (K&N type) air filter. Other than those reasons they should never get dirty or need cleaning.

MAF sensor is not the same as a MAP sensor. Both are generally found on turbocharged vehicles and only one(usually a MAF) is found on N/A vehicles.

The MAP sensor on a diesel is usually right around where the EGR valve injects exhaust gas back into the intake so they tend to get clogged a lot more on a diesel.

Yeah I just caught that too and edited my post above.

I've never cleaned mine. Power on the truck hasn't seemed to change, but the MPG seems lower. I searched youtube, but haven't found a definitive how-to. Is there one you can recommend?

opnspaces wrote:

On edit, I see you asked about a MAP sensor not a MAF sensor. How co you clean a MAP sensor? Isn't it just a vacuum hose to a sealed chamber? Or do you clean out the port in the manifold that the hose is connected to?

This article will explain it a little more.

The Evil Of EGR On Diesel Engines

Bionic Man wrote:
I've never cleaned mine. Power on the truck hasn't seemed to change, but the MPG seems lower. I searched youtube, but haven't found a definitive how-to. Is there one you can recommend?

Here. Although I would recommed using MAP/MAF sensor cleaner rather than brake clean. It cost about the same at most auto stores.

Cleaning the MAP sensor w/Pics

ShinerBock wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
I've never cleaned mine. Power on the truck hasn't seemed to change, but the MPG seems lower. I searched youtube, but haven't found a definitive how-to. Is there one you can recommend?

Here. Although I would recommed using MAP/MAF sensor cleaner rather than brake clean. It cost about the same at most auto stores.

Cleaning the MAP sensor w/Pics

Thanks. Do you have a better description of where the sensor is located? That first photo isn't very helpful.

Bionic Man wrote:

Thanks. Do you have a better description of where the sensor is located? That first photo isn't very helpful.

Does this help? It is right below the EGR valve on the intake horn.





Images pulled from Google and edited with snipping tool.