Well, a week after cleaning and degausing my MAF I'm pleased to report the results. Whilst it has not solved my car's dodgy idle or low MPG (even with granny like driving) it has made a difference to how the car drives.

Not sure if it is the cleaning or the gause removal that has done it but it it now a joy to drive at over 4k rpm. beofre it felt like it was running out of puff and the best thing to do was change gear, now on a brisk B road I'm above 4k nearly all of the time.

Its not a difference in power or torque but the car is a lot more driveable and sounds like it should at higher revs.

Be interesting to see whether fuel usage increases (even more than you mentioned recently) or decreases after doing both of those things.

I think it's been said that having a new MAF can improve mpg (I guess because a new/clean MAF means the ECU reads more airflow and knows it can reduce fuel amount in fuel:air ratio ?).

Well, with the exception of the days I drive at 4k rpm, the MPG is unchanged from the apauling figures it was at a couple of weeks ago.

I have a motorway run down the M40 this weekend which, will be a good comparison to what I kno wI got on the same run last year.

A faulty lambda probe can also lead to increased fuel consumption.

A faulty lambda probe can also lead to increased fuel consumption.

As can a faulty coolant temp sensor. And just about any sensor on the engine that has an input to fueling.

As can a faulty coolant temp sensor. And just about any sensor on the engine that has an input to fueling.

On the ball as always, Ross. I offered that comment about lambda probes as I couldn't recall Phil mentioning checking them in his search to sort out why his car's mpg worsened. But at least things are improving at long last.

Just been out having run some logs on VAG-COM. Only fault code was the 17705 I've had for years. Lambda and coolant temp sensors seem to be working fine, they're giving sensible figures while logging anyway (according the the lads of SCN)