# About sensor cleaning **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** hyundai, elantra\ **Created:** [May 1, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934 "2022-05-01T21:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Psyfurius](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/psyfurius/32/29069_2.png) [@Psyfurius](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Psyfurius)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/1 "2022-05-01T21:21:58Z")
Hi guys. I would like to know which of all the existing sensors can be cleaned in order to prolong their useful life; Either with some solvent or ultrasonic bath. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/2 "2022-05-01T21:37:50Z")
Just replace it (or them). They are not expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/3 "2022-05-01T21:41:52Z")
The MAF is about all that can be effectively cleaned. ---
**Author:** ![Psyfurius](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/psyfurius/32/29069_2.png) [@Psyfurius](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Psyfurius)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/4 "2022-05-01T23:03:40Z")
Yeah, I’ll buy it if it’s damaged, but if there’s a chance to prolong its life, then I can save some money. My neighbors car was having problems with its O2 sensor. I cleaned in the ultra sonic machine and lasted 2 more years. Plenty of time to save the $250 for the new one. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/5 "2022-05-01T23:12:28Z")
I dunno, my time is too valuable for that stuff. I’d put the $250 on a credit card and pay for it later. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/6 "2022-05-02T02:06:31Z")
You can clean MAF sensors . . . but that’s usually only done as part of the diagnosis, to confirm you need to replace it Cleaning oxygen sensors . . . not something I would spend my time doing There might very well be a reason why they’re contaminated, and I’d be looking into the root cause But cleaning sensors to prolong their useful life . . . that’s not a recommended practice ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/7 "2022-05-02T03:32:14Z")
Cleaning a bad O2 sensor will have little effect and cleaning a good one will have no effect at all. ---
**Author:** ![jimkoe329\_179295](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@jimkoe329\_179295](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimkoe329_179295)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/8 "2022-05-02T22:51:30Z")
I’ve seen videos of crankshaft sensors coated with metal debris ( they are magnetic) and cleaning supposedly helped. ………but I guess if you have metal shavings on the crankshaft sensor you have bigger problems than a weak sensor. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/9 "2022-05-02T23:20:30Z")
About the only car part that I recall I’ve had any luck cleaning to get working – in a fashion – was a pcv valve. ---
**Author:** ![Psyfurius](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/psyfurius/32/29069_2.png) [@Psyfurius](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Psyfurius)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2022, 10:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/10 "2022-05-03T10:27:30Z")
Decided to clean my crankshaft and camshaft sensor after your comment and I can say that Idle and acceleration as improved. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/b/8/b82b2668f05063eaabbbaf02489bff7ebba099aa.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2022, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/11 "2022-05-03T13:44:25Z")
> [@Psyfurius](#): > > I can say that Idle and acceleration as improved I’d say that is a placebo effect but if it makes you happy, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![fleetmanager](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fleetmanager/32/24111_2.png) [@fleetmanager](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fleetmanager)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2022, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/12 "2022-05-03T14:26:44Z")
On some vehicles, sometimes, cleaning an ABS wheel speed sensor can cure a problem. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2022, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/about-sensor-cleaning/183934/13 "2022-05-04T00:26:58Z")
I suppose cleaning a crankshaft sensor could have some effect. Conductive particles, esp if ferromagnetic, on the sensor surface could effect the E/M field impinged on the sensor from the spinning part, and modify the crank signal as observed by the computer. Years ago my roof mounted tv antenna got coated with chimney soot, resulting in a degraded tv signal at my set. Besides diminishing the signal strength, the soot also caused more e/m interference in the picture when the neighbor was operating his CB set. Not suggesting to rush out and clean the crank sensor; clean the CV boots if you want to clean something. I enjoy reading about this poster’s theories though 😉 That’s the scientific method at work.