Db is correct, there is no serviceable fuel filter on this car.
Your most probably cause of lean operation is an upstream oxygen sensor that’s seen better days. This’ll send a false signal to the ECU and cause fuel metering errors. Other possibilities are dirty injectors, low fuel pressure, and perhaps a dirty mass airflow sensor, although that’ll generally cause other operating problems.
You need a good shop to do a proper diagnosis.
Re: Breaking fittings when replacing auto fuel filters.
Somebody here – I think it was db4690 – mentioned it is important to use a special type of wrench, the type designed specifically for flare fittings. Since I have been following that recommendation, I haven’t had any problems with disconnecting and reconnecting these type of fittings. I acquired two types of these tools, one is the normal wrench version, another, which comes in very handy at times, is a crow’s-foot version.
MAF cleaner is alcohol, pure alcohol. A spray can of MAF cleaner is pretty cheap, all things considered. Throttle body cleaner or carburetor cleaner will damage the MAF.
A common name for those wrenches is “line wrench”
From CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner MSDS:
Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated light: 80 - 90%
Carbon dioxide: 5 - 10%
2,2,4-Trimethylpentane: 3 - 5%
n-Hexane: 3 - 5%
Methanol: < 1%
Am I missing something here? The OP is asking strangers on this forum what the mechanic did instead of the mechanic that did something .
Why not just go back to the mechanic and say that his fix worked for awhile, but it’s back and maybe he could use more fairy dust this time.
Yosemite
I don’t feel much like driving across the country to see a mechanic
The only thing I can think of that he could have done quickly and which would have an effect on your car in regards to those problems would be cleaning the battery cable terminals.
I suspect the transmission shifting hiccup could be coincidental unless there was voltage fluctuations caused by a poor battery connection which could possibly have affected the ECM to some degree.
Maybe it would be a good idea to go over those battery connections again, check the battery condition out, and the alternator output at the same time.