[/QUOTE] I accessed my sensor to clean the electrical connector by using a topside creeper. I was able to see it reasonably well, and reach straight down to unclip the connector. It's a standard electrical connector with a side locking tab. You just have to pull outward a little on the tab (not too much so you don't snap it off!), then pull connector/jack straight up.
The oil sensor in the 458 is located just behind the oil reservoir on the top of the engine. No need to remove the intake. The replacement part is not expensive and I’d just let the service center do the work. I had this sensor in my car go bad a year ago and just told my service center to order the part and replace it for me.
My car doesn't need a new sensor (my slightly erratic gauge fixed by cleaning the electrical connector). However, I asked because I like to work on my own cars, and was curious why the shop manual says to remove the intake, since the sensor seems very accessible to me.
When my sensor started to malfunction, I tried cleaning it as well. But that didn’t solve my problem so I had it replaced. Perhaps the shop manual, suggests removing the intake, so as to allow more room to work and to prevent damage to it from the mechanic resting on top of ?
Possibly, the topside creeper I used makes it easier to access without any damage to the car. Plus it's much more comfortable to lie on top of the engine (without touching) and reaching straight down.