exchanging a MAF sensor between years

[limacina]

My buddy drives a 98 passat 4 cyl turbo, stick shift that runs fine. My wife drives a 2001.5 passat 4 cyl turbo, automatic that has a check engine light that after trouble shooting and questions here, I've gotten down to the MAF sensor. It's $325 for a new one and I was thinking of borrowing my buddies air filter box for a couple days to see if we can transfer the problem to his car, hence proove it's that sensor.
Any issues with the different years and transmissions?

[veedubmechanic]

should be the same

[utipassat02]

dose it run a map of a maf sensor. i think its a map sensor on the B5.5