Nope the MAF is right behind the filter box on the pipe leading back into the turbo from the rear of the intake box. You can't miss it.

 

"McAutoparts" (AutoZone) is a nice place to go to pick up things like car polish and look at the young counter girls, but they often give you the wrong part.

You need to go to a real auto parts supplier where the ugly guy behind the counter knows exactly what you need.

I have been down this road many times and now learned avoid AutoZone for parts, but go there only for care care products (the stuff that real auto parts suppliers don't carry anyway).

 

Would spraying the parts cleaner through the intake work just as good? Something tells me, i take the MAF off, spray it and it's going to get messed up again because the filter is still on.

Can you de-oil the filters at all?

 

Electronic contact cleaner is the only thing I would use. Dedicated MAF cleaner is nothing but contact cleaner with the price doubled.

Parts cleaner is usually perchlorethelene (non flammable) or petroleum based (flammable). Neither one is suitable for cleaning MAF or electronic stuff. They either leave too much chalky residue, or are too aggressive and damage certain plastic parts.