Chevy Gurus

[John M]

2013 Silverado 5.3, not quite 75000 miles. OP Switch replaced last August. Showing exact same symptoms now, CEL, OP
guage going nuts. Oil level was just below the has marks, barely. Oil was changed at 70000, and is almost due, so
topped off with less than a quart to get to back up to full level. Cleared code, and within 4 miles CEL back on,
enigne oil level is full. Take truck back to dealer who replaced op sender since it would still be under warranty.
Tehc agreed sender may have faled again. Just got a call and said its using oil so fast it keeps setting off CEL. I
call BS, but am going by today. In your opinion(s), would an engine so starved for oil within 4 miles, (give or
take) make it 4 miles back home, and then another 10 miles without oil? BTW, there are ZERO signs of any leaking,
and it diesnt smoke one bit. I think my dealer is letting me down now, and its sad. Ive always trusted these people.

 

[RESLLS]

If it was burning enough oil to set off the cel in 4 miles, there would be a cloud behind you. In side of tail pipe would be oily and your cat would probably be plugged. 1/2 quart in 5000 miles isn't excessive. More than some, less than a lot. My 1995 f250 5.8 doesn't use or leak any. My 2020 Dodge uses about 6 oz between changes.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 17:20:30 07/19/22) 2013 Silverado 5.3, not quite 75000 miles. OP Switch replaced last August. Showing exact same symptoms now, CEL, OP
guage going nuts. Oil level was just below the has marks, barely. Oil was changed at 70000, and is almost due, so
topped off with less than a quart to get to back up to full level. Cleared code, and within 4 miles CEL back on,
enigne oil level is full. Take truck back to dealer who replaced op sender since it would still be under warranty.
Tehc agreed sender may have faled again. Just got a call and said its using oil so fast it keeps setting off CEL. I
call BS, but am going by today. In your opinion(s), would an engine so starved for oil within 4 miles, (give or
take) make it 4 miles back home, and then another 10 miles without oil? BTW, there are ZERO signs of any leaking,
and it diesnt smoke one bit. I think my dealer is letting me down now, and its sad. Ive always trusted these people.

rust your gut and find a better mechanic.

 

[guido]

John M,

NOT likely! I don't know what they are trying to cover? If there are NO leaks, you would be doing a good job on mosquito's control. Setting o2 codes to name one too! The catalytic converted would be clogged in short order as well

Guido.

 

[HFP]

Many times when that OP sensor shows bad, it is just the screen underneath it plugged up. However, with it just being changed a year ago it is unlikely it would be plugged up again already assuming they replaced/cleaned it when they did the sensor. They are a pain to get out of the hole. Chevy LS motors with AFM are notorious for lifter issues and burning oil. When they pull codes does it show a miss fire (on one cylinder or intermittent)? Pull the spark plug in the #1 cylinder and check for any signs of oil fouling if you or the dealer thinks its burning oil.

 

[Steve Metcalfe]

What is the code they are getting?

 

[John M]

Only code it has shown is P0521, same code it threw last time. Its the only times the CEL has ever came on, except at start up.

 

[DoubleO7]

So it went a little less than 5000 miles and then needed a quart to get it to full?
Code cleared and you drove it until the cel came on again after four miles.
And now the dealer says your trip to them and their testing the engine is burning oil so fast the cel keeps coming on?
Why?
Low oil level code?
Oil pressure gauge going nuts again for them but not you?

What is oil pressure doing with a real gauge hooked up?
Maybe something going on with oil pump or pressure regulation, bypass valve faliure?

If gauge is dipping into the too low-zero oil pressure, it is what is turning the cel on.
But there should be a code associated i would think.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 07/19/2022 at 12:37 pm.

 

[DoubleO7]

(quoted from post at 16:34:26 07/19/22) Only code it has shown is P0521, same code it threw last time. Its the only times the CEL has ever came on, except at start up.

You might want to search up this service bulletin. And the 10-06-01-008M mentioned.

 

[John M]

(quoted from post at 12:35:47 07/19/22) So it went a little less than 5000 miles and then needed a quart to get it to full?
Code cleared and you drove it until the cel came on again after four miles.
And now the dealer says your trip to them and their testing the engine is burning oil so fast the cel keeps coming on?
Why?
Low oil level code?
Oil pressure gauge going nuts again for them but not you?

What is oil pressure doing with a real gauge hooked up?
Maybe something going on with oil pump or pressure regulation, bypass valve faliure?

If gauge is dipping into the too low-zero oil pressure, it is what is turning the cel on.
But there should be a code associated i would think.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 07/19/2022 at 12:37 pm.

Right about 74300 the CEL came on, and the guage was going whacko. Exact same thing it did last year. For safetys sake, I checked the oil, which was like between 1/8 to 1/4 below the hash marks on the dipstick. Only took 1/2 quart to put it back right in between the marks. Its right at 4 miles from my house to the hwy, so a total of those 4 miles and like a minute of waiting to see if the gauge was fine or the light came back on, the light finally came back on, so the 4 miles there, 4 back and 10 to te dealer, 18 miles total, the engine surley wouldnt have survived with it loosing oil that fast. I am on my way now for the full story, but I suspect that sine the dealer recently sold out, they are trying to get one over on me.

 

[John M]

Thanks, but that bulletin is not my issue. The bulletin refers to a different situation with the gauge.

 

[Steve Metcalfe]

With that code I'm thinking the oil pressure sensor you had replaced has went bad.

 

[Dave BN]

Is the oil fill cap on tight? If not that can do weird things. Maybe you need a new oil fill cap, that would be a fairly cheep thing to try.
Dave

 

[Steven Allen]

My older 5.3 has a similar issue. I am told it is one of two things: the sending unit gone bad or the o-ring on the oil pickup wearing out and allowing the pump to suck air temporarily. The one is a trivial fix; the other, of course, requires pulling the pan. It only happens when cold, so I suspect the o-ring.

I do not insist that this is your problem, but I offer the possibility for your info.

 

[John M]

Man, I really hate these new people! Tech was able to manipulate the OP sending unit, or so he says. Says at the time its working fine. He said he told the service writer to find out how much oil I added, and some how it went from 1/2 uart to 2 quarts to 4 quarts in the matter of a couple of days. So this leads to I need either rings, or cam bearings, and its cheaper/easier to just install another engine. BS!!!! For the first time since 1993 I will be using someone else, and it really pains me to do it. If my body could take it, Id change that sensor myself and be done with it, but I can no longer do those type of things.

 

[Sprint 6]

Oil filter causes this. No ryhme or reason. In my experience, Wix is least likely to cause low oil pressure.

 

[sms]

One thing to consider is a bad ground or connection in the harness. My 2013 was throwing some codes and that is what they checked before buying a bunch of parts. Found a bad ground. The owner of the shop had a similar problem with his wife's car so knew what to look for.

 

[Liquid_wrench]

I wonder if the oil gauge going nuts is a stepper motor. I replaced all of mine (2005 silverado) because oil pressure gauge went crazy on me, back then they were known to be a problem. Changed mine when truck was 9 years old.....what a pain that was....lol, if I had to do it again I would send it off to be fixed.

 

[M w J]

My 2013 sierra 5.3 did the same thing replaced sender and still had low oil pressure. GM recommended changing the AC 48 oil filter to an AC UPF48R . the UPF filter raises the Oil P 15 to 20 lbs they use this filter on sports cars doing quick starts and stops . it works on mine.

 

[John M]

Thats what is on it now, but this is not a filter problem. The filter doesnt cause erratic movements of the gauge up and down. It did fine on the way home, but Ive already got an appointment with someone else to look at it.

 

[John M]

From what Ive read, the stepper wont set off the CEL.

 

[John M]

Well see what the next guy says, could be

 

[John M]

As I mentioned, the filter situation isnt what my gauge is doing.

 

[CaseChev]

I have NO idea what to say about the oil volume fluctuating ?? I own a 2013 Silverado with a 5.3 engine. I started experiencing lower oil pressure readings and erratic oil pressure. The problem is very common on these engines. These engines pull oil pressure readings from a valve train passage in the upper engine. The passage has a very small screen in it. The screen becomes plugged. Lots of GM technicians know exactly what to look for. The smart guys have devised a tool to pull the very small screen out of the passage at the back of the intake manifold , clean out the passages and put in a new screen. If this dealer is not aware of this very common problem.......run like hell to somebody who does know about it.