Has any one messed with the 380 MAF sensor? That plastic screen looks pretty restrictive and I've heard of other engines getting good results from removing the screen or screens as the case may be.

its desighned to direct the flow of air over the sensor. if removed it could possibly get incorrect readings.

its desighned to direct the flow of air over the sensor. if removed it could possibly get incorrect readings.

Yeah, I've read that,someth'n about laminar flow. Which way those readings head in our case is what would be interesting!And could the guys with piggybacks etc correct them?

Has any one messed with the 380 MAF sensor? That plastic screen looks pretty restrictive and I've heard of other engines getting good results from removing the screen or screens as the case may be.

I've tried to run my CAI without the airflow directors & the car runs like a hairy goat at idle, surges, throws a CEL & then eventually stalls. The screen is designed to direct the airflow onto the sensor so must be used on the 380. The US Galants run a different sensor & they have success running unrestricted CAI systems. I doubt the US MAF sensor will work on the 380 as the factory ecu is tuned for this sensor & can't be flashed.

Gday Foozr,does your piggyback intercept Maf signal ?

Gday Foozr,does your piggyback intercept Maf signal ?

Yep intercepts CAS & MAF signal with MAP & TPS for boost enrichment.

Yep intercepts CAS & MAF signal with MAP & TPS for boost enrichment.

So could you correct a modified MAF's signals?

So could you correct a modified MAF's signals?

I think the stock 380 MAF has to have the airflow guides however a US Galant type MAF might be able to be tuned if the output wasn't too far from the stock 380 output. You are only dealing with 0-5 volt output & bending the signal. If the calibration was not close to the stock 380 a ecu flash would be required which unfortunately can't be done for the 380's ..... yet.

Yeah could be a waste of time, but if you could get a decent hp increase (5-10?maybe)just from cutting that screen off,as some claim to have done,then what the hell! I should have a data logging cable and software by the weekend ,hoping to use this to help tune my Exede,so might mess around with a modified Maf.Got noth'n to loose except learn!

Yeah could be a waste of time, but if you could get a decent hp increase (5-10?maybe)just from cutting that screen off,as some claim to have done,then what the hell! I should have a data logging cable and software by the weekend ,hoping to use this to help tune my Exede,so might mess around with a modified Maf.Got noth'n to loose except learn!

Good luck to you. One thing I did notice without the flow guides was it had good throttle response & was stable once the revs were up, just wouldn't idle properly. I didn't try to drive it as I thought it was pointless if it wouldn't idle. It's probably coz without the flow guides at idle the airspeed past the sensor was too slow & the output voltage to the ecu was erratic.

When you say flow guides you mean the plastic grill on the front of the MAF body? How did you remove and reinstall it,kinda looks like its one piece?

When you say flow guides you mean the plastic grill on the front of the MAF body? How did you remove and reinstall it,kinda looks like its one piece?

Yep the plastic grill is the flow guide.

I bought a CAI system from the US made for the Eclipse & it has a mount to bolt on the MAF sensor. It was just a straight tube with no restrictions (flow guides) & I had to modify it to get our MAF to bolt onto it. In the end I only used the bottom section of piping going down to the pod & put a flange adaptor & silicon tube onto the original MAF assembly.

Have a look at my members ride section for pics if you haven't already seen it. Click on link below.

Ah.I see.Thanks for that!

Bugga! my data logging cable didn't turn up for the weekend which sucks as I wanted to compare the stock one with the modified one.Have the main screen already chopped out but I think the center tube screen is possibly the biggest flow blockage!When you look at it from straight on you cannot see down the tube at all,the front grill is angled downwards dramatically and at high RPM I don't know how much air could pass through?There's probably a reason for this and I guess we'll find out! Oh by the way.MAF units for 380's are possibly the cheapest on the planet.Complete new OEM unit about $160. Got mine S/H for $85

Bugga! my data logging cable didn't turn up for the weekend which sucks as I wanted to compare the stock one with the modified one.Have the main screen already chopped out but I think the center tube screen is possibly the biggest flow blockage!When you look at it from straight on you cannot see down the tube at all,the front grill is angled downwards dramatically and at high RPM I don't know how much air could pass through?There's probably a reason for this and I guess we'll find out! Oh by the way.MAF units for 380's are possibly the cheapest on the planet.Complete new OEM unit about $160. Got mine S/H for $85

So you chopped the guts out of yours? Could be $160 down the drain unless you have some means of correcting the airflow output numbers to the ecu.

Nah,got a S/H unit for $85.Its all good!,abit of experimenting and all. Have actually had a go with the MAF with the chopped out main screen. Car started then ran rough with a CEL which went out and the car started to idle nice again.Went for a drive and all good,parked it and let her idle but the revs would build to about 1500+ then dive back to idle,no CEL though.Not sure why it idles fine on start up but not after a drive? So I went for another drive and still seemed fine until I started booting it then got a CEL.Reset the CEL and drove normally and it doesn't come back but still hunts at idle.Anyway, gonna chop out the rest of it as the center screen looks to be the most restrictive and see what happens.Was hoping to have my data cable for the weekend to log the differences between the two but guess I'll just have to wait till next week.As for Airflow numbers,your piggy back intercepts MAF,could they not be corrected then if the variation its not too dramatic?

Nah,got a S/H unit for $85.Its all good!,abit of experimenting and all. Have actually had a go with the MAF with the chopped out main screen. Car started then ran rough with a CEL which went out and the car started to idle nice again.Went for a drive and all good,parked it and let her idle but the revs would build to about 1500+ then dive back to idle,no CEL though.Not sure why it idles fine on start up but not after a drive? So I went for another drive and still seemed fine until I started booting it then got a CEL.Reset the CEL and drove normally and it doesn't come back but still hunts at idle.Anyway, gonna chop out the rest of it as the center screen looks to be the most restrictive and see what happens.Was hoping to have my data cable for the weekend to log the differences between the two but guess I'll just have to wait till next week.As for Airflow numbers,your piggy back intercepts MAF,could they not be corrected then if the variation its not too dramatic?

As I said earlier, if there isn't too much difference the piggyback could probably correct it. I think you will find though it is very different otherwise the car wouldn't run like a hairy dog at idle. Once you cut the rest out of your MAF it will only get worse from my experience.

Mine would idle extremely rough then rev up by itself to 2000rpm then drop back, idle smooth then go rough then eventually stall. Very similar to what you have found but worse.

Any theory on why the car idles fine on start up but not when I've been for a drive?

Any theory on why the car idles fine on start up but not when I've been for a drive?

Must be a function of the cold start tune, maybe it ignores MAF readings at idle & richens the mixture for the cold start (choke sort of thing)?

Must be a function of the cold start tune, maybe it ignores MAF readings at idle & richens the mixture for the cold start (choke sort of thing)?

Sounds possible for sure,Thanks.My data cable turned up today so will start messing around with the MAF etc this week.Should be interesting.

today i spoke to our bosch go to guy at work.

the 380 maf sensors are very sensitive and very accurate.these sensors even measure back pulses (when a valve closes the air pulses back in the chamber). these sensors are used on porsche race cars and other high performance race cars.

the flow guides are to stop swirl effects.

the factory ecu has a cardigan that bosch programmed into it. this can not be bypassed.

theres only two ways to reduce the restriction.

1) find a larger sized body with the exact same flow guides and retro fit the sensor. (he said that this may not work, just a suggestion)

2) get a full after market ecu that supports can bus thus no maf

-Cardigans and Mitsubishi? who would have thought! Thats some interesting info there.Thanks for that!

-Cardigans and Mitsubishi? who would have thought! Thats some interesting info there.Thanks for that!

no probs.

The Mitsi-Bits Car20, 3.8 Magna race car uses an after market ECU set up and NO maf.

The Mitsi-Bits Car20, 3.8 Magna race car uses an after market ECU set up and NO maf.

Much gained in no MAF, hp etc

I think its currently 220 kw@ t w,has pulled 240+....the other cars running 3.5 ecu's and mafs are about 220 aswell now....so up to this point it might not make much difference.....see what happens as they develop a little more.

Interesting.Thanks for that!