Lots of oil in airbox

14TopazZ71 · January 18, 2020

Anyone else see this on their truck? 2014, 5.3, 26k miles. Decided to check the air filter and found it oil soaked and the airbox has a lot of oil in it.

Something I should take in or clean it and leave it? Don't want to pay their $99 fee to be told it's normal, but I do have a Chevrolet extended warranty.

Also, I will not be adding a catch can, so we don't need to go down that road.

14TopazZ71 · January 18, 2020

Lsgun1 · January 18, 2020

Is your pcv valve working?

Mike GMC · January 18, 2020

It's not normal for there to be oil in the air box. Take it in. You either have a pcv problem or excessive ring blow by or possibly other intake issues. It's possible a catch can would help you situation, but it will cure the cause.

davester · January 19, 2020

3 hours ago, Mike GMC said:

It's not normal for there to be oil in the air box. Take it in. You either have a pcv problem or excessive ring blow by or possibly other intake issues. It's possible a catch can would help you situation, but it will cure the cause.

I think you meant "....but it won't cure the cause".

Ag76 · January 19, 2020

I've got a 2015 Sierra 5.3, and a 2016 Tahoe 5.3, and I saw the same thing on both when I replaced the air filters. If you find out what's causing it, please let me know.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Ag76

Mike GMC · January 19, 2020

5 hours ago, davester said:

I think you meant "....but it won't cure the cause".

Correct. Thanks for catching that.

Colossus · January 19, 2020

Definitely not normal.

14TopazZ71 · January 19, 2020

5 hours ago, Ag76 said:

I've got a 2015 Sierra 5.3, and a 2016 Tahoe 5.3, and I saw the same thing on both when I replaced the air filters. If you find out what's causing it, please let me know.

I've got to take this in for the latest brake recall and possibly a radiator leak, so I will definitely report back once I do. Been waiting to go until I confirm the radiator leak.

14TopazZ71 · February 19, 2020

Dealer said PCV valve and replaced. Also did the radiator.

xSHIFTxNASTYx · February 19, 2020

11 hours ago, 14TopazZ71 said:

Dealer said PCV valve and replaced. Also did the radiator.

Can't beat that, easy fix AND potentially prevented a future issue that wasn't known at the time - the radiator (unless you were having problems with it).

Glad you got it taken care of.

14TopazZ71 · May 4, 2020

That was short lived. New filter is coated and air box/duct is full of oil (only been about 800 miles since new PCV and cleaning the oil out). Will have to make another trip in

Edited May 4, 2020 by 14TopazZ71

Josh Moreno · June 2, 2020

Did the dealer fix your issue?

truckguy82 · June 2, 2020

Wow surprised oil makes it down that path with so much airflow going the opposite way.

it’s like turning a vacuum cleaner on and liquid traveling down the pipe.

Are you extremely light footed on the throttle without ever going WOT?

if I don’t go WOT for awhile I see a lot smoke out of my tailpipe for a couple seconds

14TopazZ71 · June 3, 2020

Yea, it's pretty wild. I have not been back to the dealer yet, trying to do a little more diagnosis on my end. The oil is very clean so I'm curious if it's being pushed up there during an oil change or if it's from driving. Need to get a few more miles on before I decide.

I'm not doing anything crazy during an oil change though, just pouring a 5qt jug into a funnel with a .5-.75 inch opening at the end.

Most daily driving is relatively light foot, it spends lots of time in V4. But then I also tow 5-8klb trailers a fair amount, so it gets worked.