[desmotesta]

I had planned to clean my MAFs tonight. Had to stop at Lowes home improvement for an unrelated item and checked if they had any Torx security bits. To my surprise they did. In my naive mind a Torx bit is a Torx bit. No big complication expected. I pick up a 6 piece set for $7 and walked out of the place with a grin on my face thinking I had saved myself a hf hour trip on the other side of town to Sears.
Got home took care of business, fed the kids and had dinner with wifey.

Went to the garage and took my sweet time setting up the work lights. Pop the hood, praised the beast under the hood, sat down at the driver side just amazed at the fact that I have a beast of my own.
Finally shock my head and told myself to pay attention to job at hand. Got the DSLR ready. NoW came the time to open the MAF housing. Reached for the newly aquired Torx bit set and with thoughts of car pulling better than the previously run 128 on the MAF teat I snapped the bit in place ONLY to find out that the cheap Chinese piece of crap bit set does not fit the Torx screw under the hood

So much build up for such a simple job which was really an excuse to spend time with a car stuck in the garage due to the recent snow storm.
What a waste of time.

Will be stopping by at Sears on lunch break and picking up a decent pair of bit set.
Save yourselves some time and agony and never buy tools or tool accessories at Lowes or advance auto etc

Rant over!!

 

[Feld1128]

I dont think they are regular torx heads holding on the MAF they have a little pin inside therefor you need the right bit.

 

[Bimmerbear]

Most MAFS are held on by the five star security torx screws. I didn't have the bit either, so I just slotted them with a Dremel, took them out with a flat head screwdriver, and replaced them with some phillips head screws. If I ever have to replace the MAFS again I won't have to go through that headache.

 

[Terabass]

I just took a metal saw and slotted mine so I can fit a flat screw driver in. Easy, but be neat so cut is good and sharp.

 

[russap5]

Luckily my MAFs from bimmerzone came with the correct security torx bit. Made life much easier! Good luck with the screws.

 

[Stack]

You probably need something like this, Amazon.com: 7 Pc. Torx Driver Security Bit Set T-10 to T-40: Home Improvement

 

[jt2ma71]

I dont see how this "cheap chinese made tools" are the issue. Really its clearly a user error. Simply put, if you had of popped your hood and looked at the mafs and noticed that they are security torx not the regular torx.

Not trying to be a dink, but i fail to see how its the tools fault, or where it came from.

Anyways, if its not a regular torx, you will need a T-25 security. I bought mine from the Mac truck, its a regular screw driver style, cost me 14$ and i keep it in the car. No point anymore i guess.

ALSO. Count it, mine was a 5 star security T-25, but an 03 I worked on was a 6 start T25 security.

 

[dantedorazio]

Just did mine last week. They needed a T20 5-point security torx. Very hard to find, got it from amazon. Amazon.com: Silverhill 5 Point Star Tamper Proof Bit Set, 10 Piece: Home Improvement

 

[zero596]

I have a nice set of torx sockets if you would rather borrow them. Let me know i'm in Apex.

 

[jgfabs]

I had planned to clean my MAFs tonight. Had to stop at Lowes home improvement for an unrelated item and checked if they had any Torx security bits. To my surprise they did. In my naive mind a Torx bit is a Torx bit. No big complication expected. I pick up a 6 piece set for $7 and walked out of the place with a grin on my face thinking I had saved myself a hf hour trip on the other side of town to Sears.
Got home took care of business, fed the kids and had dinner with wifey.

Went to the garage and took my sweet time setting up the work lights. Pop the hood, praised the beast under the hood, sat down at the driver side just amazed at the fact that I have a beast of my own.
Finally shock my head and told myself to pay attention to job at hand. Got the DSLR ready. NoW came the time to open the MAF housing. Reached for the newly aquired Torx bit set and with thoughts of car pulling better than the previously run 128 on the MAF teat I snapped the bit in place ONLY to find out that the cheap Chinese piece of crap bit set does not fit the Torx screw under the hood

So much build up for such a simple job which was really an excuse to spend time with a car stuck in the garage due to the recent snow storm.
What a waste of time.

Will be stopping by at Sears on lunch break and picking up a decent pair of bit set.
Save yourselves some time and agony and never buy tools or tool accessories at Lowes or advance auto etc

Rant over!!

Annoying.....yes!!! Tools fault......no!!!

 

[Clemster]

With a good set of pliers, you can grip the screw heads and carefully back them out. I once did it with a leatherman tool in a shopping center parking lot.

 

[desmotesta]

I dont see how this "cheap chinese made tools" are the issue. Really its clearly a user error. Simply put, if you had of popped your hood and looked at the mafs and noticed that they are security torx not the regular torx.

Not trying to be a dink, but i fail to see how its the tools fault, or where it came from.

Anyways, if its not a regular torx, you will need a T-25 security. I bought mine from the Mac truck, its a regular screw driver style, cost me 14$ and i keep it in the car. No point anymore i guess.

ALSO. Count it, mine was a 5 star security T-25, but an 03 I worked on was a 6 start T25 security.

User Error on my part for not going to a proper auto tool store

 

[desmotesta]

Annoying.....yes!!! Tools fault......no!!!

I will re-check if the car has 5-6 star Torx

 

[mattmartindrift]

car has a 5-star, and you won't find it at any auto-parts store i've been to.


use a pair of channel locks, like Clemster mentioned, and grip the outside of the bolts, comes right out.


don't blame tool quality on user error.

 

[Beemer Guy]

User Error on my part for not going to a proper auto tool store

Ha! You post a rant about cheap tools only to be taken out behind the woodshed for being a big dummy! Where's the love?

This town sucks for places to buy decent tools. Sears has really gone downhill (not that they were all that far uphill) and my last experience with them was when my 1/2" ratchet literally fell apart in my hands. I brought it in for my free replacement, and they gave me a refurb'd one. No more new tools. So now I've got the old(er) beat-up looking ratchet, but hey, at least it works. And special tools I've needed recently, like a torx socket set (not torx bits - they're not hard to find) I had to mail order as well.

It seems like if you want a high quality made-in-America tool, you have to go with Snap-On or the like, and they are ridiculously expensive. I know there are some excellent European tools, but you just can't find them here without paying a huge, HUGE, premium.

Michael

 

[gherardini]

Vice grips did their magic in seconds the first time I pulled my MAFs. Since then I've replaced the screws [540iT] and purchased a set of Craftsman security torx drivers [///M5].

Changing the MAFs now is like a 3 minute job, pull sensor cable off, unscrew the sensor from the housing, remove housing, replace housing [checking for proper air flow direction insertion], rescrew the sensors to the housing, reattach the sensor cable. Finished!

 

[CMBeamerM5]

Had the same problem locating the correct torx bit, so I used the vice grip technique and it worked just fine.



.

 

[desmotesta]

This might be what I am looking for.

Called all stores locally including SEARS and no one carriers a 5 point "Star" Security bit which is what they have used for MAF housing and NOT the Torx (Hex)

Amazon.com: Silverhill 5 Point Star Tamper Proof Bit Set, 10 Piece: Home Improvement

According to Bimmerzone " (please note that some later model BMWs uses a 5 star security torx key, if you do need the 5 star security torx, please order it with your MAF) "

 

[VacMan]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9550/5.0.0.320 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Set of small vice grips will have them out in seconds. Otherwise you can buy "security bit sets" at Harbor freight that have all kinds of crazy stuff in them. They even have 3 point bits I used to repair our Wii. Be warned though...they're undoubtedly Chinese made.

 

[mattmartindrift]

use a pair of channel locks, like Clemster mentioned, and grip the outside of the bolts, comes right out.

are you not reading.? you don't need to waste your money. they're in there loose enough where pliers won't mangle it.