mswanson65

Ya, so I was changing my air filter yesterday, after putting the new filter on I was trying to push the air intake/maf pipe back into the mouth of the filter housing and I stupidly was pulling on the MAF electrical connector and cracked the connector. So I call the dealer and they said I need connector part# 4F0-973-705 even though my old connector is part#3AA-973-705. It look slike only 3 wires of the 5 pin connector are used. On mine it is Pin #1 - green wire, Pin #2 - Brown, Pin #3 - purple. They don't sell this connector as a pig tail. You have to buy a repair wire that has connectors/seals at both ends and is meant to be cut in half to repair to pins. The connector wasd only $8 something but the wires are $40!!! So long story short be careful pulling on this pipe when changing air filter. Any other ideas would be welcome. they have some on Ebay but I want to get my car out going asap. Thanks!

MP4.2+6.0

So, basically do NOT do it this way. I have replaced several MAF connectors over the years, various O2 connectors, coil pack connectors, sensors, etc. The better way to do it, keep parts to a minimum and retain full factory wiring harness look and integrity is to remove just the old connector housing. If it is heat soaked and older, I can usually just shatter it by squeezing in a few places with big channel lock or similar pliers. If newer, plastic may still be flexible and resist shattering. In that case I start to hack away at it with a knife or other tools, which is slower going. The key is not to damage the individual wires or their terminals.

You can buy an extractor tool that supposedly allows these terminals to be removed, but from dozens of attempts there I have had very little success. Maybe guys who do it all the time are more skilled. Before any disassembly, write down carefully and take phone camera pics of which color wire is where. There are numbers on the connector if you look carefully too. Be sure to remove the terminal related lock pieces--from both old and new connectors. They come out fairly easily once you understand the particular design of a given connector. They usually slide to one side. Smaller ones don't have them, but by MAF size they typically do. Even with the terminal connector lock removed, the old wires typically don't come out of the connector. They have tiny little tangs/hooks on them that keep them engaged and what the extractor tools supposedly deal with. By shattering or cutting off the old one instead, I can typically avoid any or at least most damage to those little terminals. Then I just click them into new connector, reinsert the side plastic locking piece if applicable and then good to go.

I have used the jumper wires too BTW. BUT, I use them only for damaged terminals or continuity issues in the wire itself near the connector, or for a rare mod where I am retrofitting some new Audi or VW OE device. I have had the true replacement use like the dealer mentioned come up with one sensor very close to exhaust where insulation got fried, and on a couple of O2 connectors where the wires are super small, are prone to internal discontinuity/damage, and they have to be physically moved during tune ups. Yours sounds much more plain vanilla--simple broken connector or the plastic tang that locks it into the sensor or other component.

MurrayA4

When I was in the Biz I had a kit made by Wurth that had everything to service Bosch "style" connectors including removing terminals.Didn't cost an arm and a leg so might be worth seeking out.