No, you don't need to cut a hole in the hood.....unless for some reason that clearance was an issue and the air cleaner hit the bottom of the hood.
Clean the throttle position sensor and throttle plate, then use electrical contact cleaner to clean the air flow sensor at the air filter.
if it is between the air cleaner & the throttle plate it is the mass air flow sensor.
You need to check the EGR valve, It may be opening to soon. Have you check the timing???
Try using full fuel system cleaner. Check the air filter, replace if you need to. Use throttle body cleaner to clean intake system.
It should be in the tubing in the air filter running into the throttle body. They are usually after the air cleaner.
Between the Engine Air Cleaner/Filter Housing and the Air Inlet Tube of the throttle Body.....
You may have a throttle position sensor going out or possibly the fuel pump. Get some throttle body cleaner and clean the throttle body inside to make sure the throttle blade inside the body is not hanging up and then get a fuel pressure gauge and connect it to the fuel raila nd see what kind of pressure you get when you rev the engine..and see if there is a drop when you open the throttle.
As long as it is between the air filter and the throttle plate/throttle body.
clean maf/throttle body with approved cleaner check engine codes fuel filter
Get a can of throttle body cleaner.....spray throttle body cleaner into the throttle body.....open the blade and shoot some into the throttle body. Then try to start the car...if it starts, then you have a fuel delivery problem. Hook a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and just turn the key on and see what pressure you get. If no pressure then it is either your fuel pump OR a clogged fuel filter. You can then put a new fuel filter on, test the pressure again and if still no pressure, you are pretty much looking at the fuel pump. If you get fuel pressure at the fuel rail and it still won't start then you probably have an injector problem.
In the throttle body, no but each fuel injector (there is two of them) has a filter.
The MAF (Mass Air Flow) Sensor is between the Air Intake Duct (of the Throttle Body) and the Engine Air Cleaner/Filter Housing.