I've been driving for the last fifty thousand miles or so with the Lambda light on most of the time. Various sensors and electricals have been replaced over the years and the codes re-set but after a time, sometimes only a few miles, the light comes back on. Now I have the bodywork in a decent state I think it's time to get to the bottom of the running problems. The odd thing is though that most of the time it runs reasonably well, and emissions have been exceedingly low at each MoT.
Another odd thing is that after the engine bay was pressure washed the car ran much better for about a week, clutch judder disappeared, and idling was smoother. It occurred to me that something had been disturbed in some way by the water jet, and maybe an electrical contact improved in some way, it's a real mystery.
As to the MAF, the garage suggested checking the convoluted air inlet pipe for leaks, before investing in expensive replacements, so that will probably be the next step.
The engine certainly runs noticeably more smoothly on V-Power or equivalent, but it shouldn't really need it as far as I know. An expert on lubrications and pollutants did say it's probably quite a good idea to have a tankful of high octane fuel once in a while though, as the fuel contains additives which can give the engine a bit of a 'spring clean'.
I read somewhere on this forum that earth connections can cause many problems, it could be worth searching for that thread.
Your car looks to be a real bargain and definitely worth spending a bit on it to make it run well.
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