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Just got back from dealership...again!

Surfer_Nick

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Surfer_Nick Enthusiast

Surfer_Nick

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Ok, so less than 10 thousand miles ago, I brought my 08 Silverado in due to it leaking oil. She has the 5.3 Flex Fuel iron block and I noticed the leak was resulting in oil being splattered all over the cross member, the oil filter itself, and near the bell housing. I was told it was the block off plate to the oil cooler lines. Needless to say, repair made under warranty. Well, the stupid leak is back, so I made an appointment. I brought the truck in today and the tech diagnoses the issue as a leaky oil pan gasket. Repairs made. Hopefully this has finally cured my issue.

 

So now I have a quick question. I have run exculsively synthetic oil since around 12K miles or so. After I picked up the truck this afternoon, I noticed they did an oil change and put a new filter on. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure tech did not put in synthetic. Should I drain the new conventional oil and refill with a synthetic, or should I just use this oil until the next change is due? I hate to waste all that fresh oil, but would running the conventional oil be bad, since the truck has seen synthetic for most of its life? Opinions?

 

Thanks for your input.

adamjeeps Enthusiast

adamjeeps

Posted
Posted

Should be compatible. How much longer left on your warranty? And do you have 2wd, hence the iron block?

ChevyTech77 Senior Enthusiast

ChevyTech77

Posted
Posted

Sounds like your tech mis-diagnosed your leak. How does an oil cooler line connection scatter oil in the manner you described? I don't believe it but it's probably the first bulletin he saw and he most likely isn't confident enough to correct the real issue which is most likely the rear main seal adapter plate leaking.

 

As previously stated, you don't have an iron block 5.3l if you have a 4WD truck. If it is an iron block it's a 4.8l or somebody has already swapped out the engine for an iron block engine.

Surfer_Nick Enthusiast

Surfer_Nick

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It's an 08 EC z71 4x4 w/ the 5.3 flex fuel AFM engine. I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that this engine was available in both iron and aluminum blocks. Maybe I'm wrong in saying I have the iron block, and I do, in fact, have the aluminum?

 

Anyway, moving on...Initially, the original tech diagnosed the issue back in December of 2010. The leak came back shortly after, but I didn't get around to fixing it until now, as I've not been able to. The oil gets splattered/moved around as a result of air moving underneath the vehicle. Gravity pulls down the oil, which then gets dragged in all sorts of directions from the turbulence. At rest, the oil just drips down and follows the path of least resistence.

 

Needless to say, I brought truck in today. Shortly after they put it on the lift, the tech brought me out into the bay and showed me what he "diagnosed" as the issue. He said the oil pan gasket was leaking. He stated that the rear main seal was fine, and he pointed to it, but I couldn't get a really good look because the lighting wasn't too good.

 

Hopefully this issue is resolved. And to answer the question about my warranty...the truck has 43K on her now. She had 34 on her when she went in the first time...so it was less than 10K miles ago.

SouthCo Senior Enthusiast

SouthCo

Posted
Posted

Wont hurt anything to run the conventional oil. If it bothers you, drain the oil and refill with synthetic. The filter is still new so I wouldnt touch that if you decide to drain and refill.

ChevyTech77 Senior Enthusiast

ChevyTech77

Posted
Posted

You can't see a rear main seal with the transmission and flexplate installed. I understand the theory of how the oil can get moved around but your original description of the leak sounded to me like a rear main seal adaptor leak, not the rear main seal itself, that's all.

 

If the filter has been used, replace it. You're not going to get all of the oil out of it and it will just contaminate the new oil.

dewfpo Senior Enthusiast

dewfpo

Posted
Posted

Run the oil that's in there for the standard oil change interval then change it. No worries at all about synthetic-dino-synthetic. I wouldn't waster good oil and a new filter either.

 

DEWFPO

Surfer_Nick Enthusiast

Surfer_Nick

Posted
  • Author
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You can't see a rear main seal with the transmission and flexplate installed. I understand the theory of how the oil can get moved around but your original description of the leak sounded to me like a rear main seal adaptor leak, not the rear main seal itself, that's all.

 

If the filter has been used, replace it. You're not going to get all of the oil out of it and it will just contaminate the new oil.

 

 

Well, I wish I had guys like you working at a dealership near me! I come on here, do research, post a topic of necessary, and then try and "figure out" what the heck might be going wrong...then take that newly acquired info to the dealership and try to explain it to them the best I can. Unfortunately, I have no real technical skills when it comes to these types of issues, as I'm not a mechanic. I just hope they get it right...Granted it's only it's 2nd time back for, what appeared to be the same type of issue, but I would think they might have gotten it right the first time. It's frustrating having to take time out of work and have a lost day due to the truck going in for diagnosis/service. Luckily the vehicle is still under the powertrain warranty, so it didn't hurt my wallet any, but a vehicle with only 43K on the odometer shouldn't be leaking oil, especially after the issue was already addressed less than 10K miles ago. That's just my honest opinion though.

BlackZ71Silverado Senior Enthusiast

BlackZ71Silverado

Posted
Posted

Check ALL of your oil pan bolts. If one of the bolts is a little loose, you will have an oil leak once the pressure gets up. I just fixed a friends Tahoe wit ha similar issue. There was oil splatter all over the under side of the oil pan and cross member. He had it at the dealet several times with no fix. For the hell of it, I crawled under to have a look and found one bolt not even finger tight causing the leak. Removed the bolt, cleaned it all up, reinstalled it and no more leak....Could be something simple like that they are overlooking.

Surfer_Nick Enthusiast

Surfer_Nick

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Blackz71Silverado...Thanks for the advice. If this "repair" doesn't fix the issue, I will certainly be crawling under the truck and throwing a socket wrench up there on those bolts to check they are tightened. I'm really hoping I don't have to do that though!

 

On another note, after getting the feedback regarding the oil, I'm just going to let that new oil run its course and then drain it after 3K miles or so. No sense in wasting perfectly good, unused motor oil for the sake of putting in synthetic if no harm will be done. The winter is over, so cold starts won't be an issue. Plus, I'm not hauling the snowmobiles anymore, so the engine won't be put under heavy load much. Not a bad deal getting a "free" oil change out of the deal!

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