I got a "service required" light on my 07 outlander. I took it to auto zone to get a read out, and it came out as "suspected MAF sensor" I have been reading that its relatively simple to clean this, and you should buy a cleaner specfically made for cleaning these. Does anyone know the location of these under the hood? I know enough to find my way around under the hood. Im not an expert by any means though. Thanks for the help

 

Service manual places it on top of the air cleaner box.
I can double check this on my 07 tomorrow morning and get back to ya.

A-07 on attached images.

 

 

Thank for the diagram Jayasc!

Another question: is cleaning it as simple as spraying the cleaner thoroughly onto the sensor, and letting it dry, then firing the engine to see if the light goes off?

 

Found a more accurate picture of the MAF sensor.
Yellow is the electrical line to the sensor, green is the actual sensor.

I have heard of cleaning MAF sensors in the exact manner you stated, but I've also heard the 2007 Outlander uses a Karmen Vortex 482 MAF sensor that is actually not cleanable.
If it was me, there's no harm in trying to clean it. If it works, you saved yourself money. If not, and you can without a doubt know it's the sensor, then replacing it would be the next step.

 

I didn't think anyone was using those Karman Vortex except the Germans? Mine is a simple wire sensor and every time I change the engine air filter I spray the wire with a couple shots of cleaner and let it sit open for a few minutes to dry. Only use the special cleaner that says Mass Airflow Sensor Clean since it supposedly will not leave a buildup like other generic cleaners. Never had a problem in 11 years doing this. It may take 10 driving cycles or more for a code to clear itself. Ask around to handy friends to see if they have an OBD tool to clear is manually. Also, when someone else hooks up the code reader, get the exact code number as Mitsubishi loves to use a lot of codes not in the "standard" reference guide.

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I bought some of the MAF sensor cleaner, which was only about 5$ so hopefully this works by just giving it a good cleaning.

Is the location of the MAF sensor underneath this tube? I circled it but im not positive.

 

 

Okay. I finally got some nice weather this weekend and the time, and i located the MAF sensor underneath the hood. Question: Do i have to remove it? Do I simply spray it? Is there a specific part (front of back) that I need to spray with the cleaner?

 

Yes, disconnect the harness and loosen the screws. It should just pull right up and out. If you're using a bottle of MAF sensor spray specifically, it should have directions on the label- but yeah, it's pretty much as easy as spray it clean, and maybe use a clean towel for any excess.