Or perhaps buy the brand new original Bosch MAF from ******** for $177?

If it doesn't solve the problem, sell the MAF on eBay for $200.

PS. When you fit a new MAF, disconnect the battery for about 30 minutes to reset the engine computer settings to factory default.

Then, fit the new MAF and run the car for about 10 minutes at idle until it is running smoothly. Take the car for a run increasing RPM until maximum is achieved. This will allow the engine computer adapt the settings to the new MAF.

Removed and Cleaned the MAF today, car runs properly so far, but since the issue was intermittent to begin with, I'll have to give it a couple of days to be sure.

In the Process of trying to find the MAF, I made a few observations which could explain the issue.

1. There is a lot of oil in the air intake system, in virtually every hose, in the airbox, all over the MAF. The source of this oil seems to be the small hose leading to the airbox, which later connects to the top of the dip stick tube.

2. The oil has destroyed one corner of the airfilter and a small amount of unflitered air has probably been getting in.

3. The engine oil is way overfilled, by what looks like a Hyundai dealer based on the sticker.

Oil should be checked at operating temp, within a few minutes after shutting down. If you are checking it stone cold it is probably NOT overfilled.

You may need to clean the oil from the air box and runner leading to the MAF too.

Oil must NOT be overfilled. Otherwise the crankshaft will beat the oil into a froth. The oil pump CANNOT pump froth or aerated oil. That means an oil overfilled engine will suffer from the LACK of lubrication.

You must immediately drain some oil from your engine to protect the engine and stop your new MAF from being destroyed. Buy a simple oil drain suction pump from your local autobits store (drains via the dipstick tube).

What the #$%@???

If the oil is not overfilled, then I am suspecting you might have an issue in the crankcase ventilation system (that tube is part of the system). Check the valves, tubes, oil separator (I think this thread is about a c230k that has one of these), etc. When these are not working right, you can get the oil in the air filter, on the MAF, etc.

The oil is DEFINATELY WAY overfilled (Of course I checked it hot).

Oil is being changed on monday, in the meantime, I am driving the Volvo.

I just wonder if this could actually be the source of the oil in the system?

Diagnosing the Crankcase ventilation system seems beyond my abilities, so I will clean all the hoses after the oil change, observe, and hope for the best.

Just a quick update. Its been 3 weeks now since I cleaned the MAF with CRC Sensor Cleaner, and I have had no problems whatsoever. I have driven about 3 -4k km since that time, so I feel pretty confident in saying that the issue is resolved.

Still getting oil in the system, but thats a separate issue.

Glad to hear the CRC worked for you. It didn't work for me, but then I wasn't exactly experiencing massive oil contamination like you were. Perhaps my MAF was indeed defective and on its way out...