97 SE Which MAF Sensor is best?

[phils97bonn]

Vehicle: 97 Bonneville, SE (norm asp.), K eng, 120K miles.
Symptoms: Slight roughness after cold startup, runs perfect after warmed up.
Already done: Front O2 sensor (no help), MAF cleaned.

I've decided to replace the MAF sensor on this car.

I went to "Rock" and they have several MAFs that they list for this vehicle.
Below are 2 I'm considering:

Delphi # AF10125 ($98 with no core req'd)

AC Delco #2133423 (Reman, $80 + 63 core, $143 total) This one actually lists the GM part #19112538 and others.

My question is: Is the Delphi just as good for this engine as the AC Delco, or
should I pay the extra (and core hassle) for the AC Delco?

Any advice (or a link on this subject) is appreciated.

[Jfridge92]

A lot of the reman mafs can be hit or miss. I've heard of people getting the reman ones and other off brand MAFs and them go bad in a few months, others have had no problems at all. I would say go with delco, as that's what mine was replaced with and I haven't had any issues, but others may recommend going to a junkyard and getting a used Delco maf out of a 3800 SII car as it may be better. I can't say for certain what the better maf is between delco and delphi, but I've been using a delco reman for a few months and I haven't had any problems so far.

[phils97bonn]

Fridgeman,

Thanks for the info!

[00Beast]

Get the Delphi, or a junkyard OEM part. Either will be fine...

[phils97bonn]

Thanks Beast,

I'm gonna try a couple other Idle checks before I make the big investment (lol) in the MAF sensor.

I'll probably go with the Delphi then.

Muchas Gracias!

[00Beast]

When it's idling poorly, disconnect the MAF. If the issue goes away, then the MAF is bad.

[phils97bonn]

I'll try disconnecting the MAF in the morning and see what she does.

thanks for the tip

P.S. I started her up in the a.m. and when I disconnected the MAF, it ran worse. Hmm, so it is working at least
(I found open circuit spark plug wires which is the real problem I'm sure).

confession: Once upon a time ( 2 yrs ago ) I cleaned this thing with Carb cleaner. I later found out that is a bad idea.
How much damage did i do to it? I have no idea, but it ran well afterwards so I didn't bother to change it at that time. I understand that some solvents/cleaners can actually change the chemical properties of the metal so they don't put out the proper signal any more. Are they really that sensitive? Anyway, I went ahead and ordered a new one just to be sure.

So for you people like me, get some Mass Airflow Cleaner and save yourself this hassle.

good luck

[phils97bonn]

A lot of the reman mafs can be hit or miss. I've heard of people getting the reman ones and other off brand MAFs and them go bad in a few months, others have had no problems at all. I would say go with delco, as that's what mine was replaced with and I haven't had any issues, but others may recommend going to a junkyard and getting a used Delco maf out of a 3800 SII car as it may be better. I can't say for certain what the better maf is between delco and delphi, but I've been using a delco reman for a few months and I haven't had any problems so far.

You were so right Jfridge! The Delphi #AF10125 is NOT COMPATIBLE with my '97 SE (vin K) engine. It caused my engine to cut-out around 4900 RPM and would not accelerate above that and would not shift into the next higher gear (unless I backed off the throttle slightly).

I just found this out today: After 6 mos. of running the Delphi MAF I decided to stick the old one (#AFH50M-04 written on the part) back in. And ALAS, it runs perfectly! I had ignition problems before so that's why I didn't figure this out sooner (and the bottom plastic cap broke off the end of my old MAF, so I decided to just buy a new one). Today I super-glued the end back on and give it a try - it worked great. Engine runs perfectly now from idle to WOT.

To Rock Auto's credit, I called them to see if they would take it back. The guy said he would issue me an in-store credit. Hey, can't beat that.

[Jfridge92]

Glad to hear that it's fixed and running well! Rock Auto always has fantastic customer service when I've dealt with them, if only they could get their shipping prices down they would get more business from me haha. Your best bet in the future if you need a replacement MAF again is to get a used one from a junkyard, or order one from Andrew (harofreak00)