Ford Repair: 98 ranger, mass air flow sensor, mass air flow

Question
1998 ford ranger 2.5L 5 speed w/ac. engine will not idle. rpms rise and fall even when holding accelerator steady at idle speed. check engine light on. runs ok at highway speed, but will always cut off at red lights unless i keep it running by working accelerator. has been this way for a year. code reader indicated replace map or maf sensor a while back, plus another code the book did not cover. any advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you, Greg

Answer
Well, start by replacing the Mass air flow sensor as indicated. Initially it tried to warn you of it's impending failure, and did a good job at that. Replace the sensor, which will be located right after the air filter box. Retrieve the other code, before, or after, and I will decipher it for you. The MAF code may still be there for some time even after initial replacement. It takes a few "drive cycles" for the light to go off.