5.3 CPAS?

[Instrumental]

Simple question: Does the 5.3 have a CPAS?

Longer story: I've got oil consumption issues, and a buddy who's very mechanical (worked for GM forever) suggested using the Engine Restore after i found myself down a few quarts. I've been reading about the issues with the 4.2 and Engine Restore, but I'm not clear on whether there is the same risk with the 5.3.

I have to say, this oil consumption thing is ridiculous. I'm at less then 3,000 miles since my last oil change and I've added 2 quarts.

 

[tblazerdude]

I would add sea foam to the engine oil for 300-500 miles before I were to jump to engine restore. Add 3/4 can of sea foam, drive for awhile, change the oil and see if that helps your oil consumption problem. Sea foam also has not messed up my CPAS (160k, orig unit). It has also helped my oil consumption problem.

 

[BRomanJr]

Simple question: Does the 5.3 have a CPAS?

Longer story: I've got oil consumption issues, and a buddy who's very mechanical (worked for GM forever) suggested using the Engine Restore after i found myself down a few quarts. I've been reading about the issues with the 4.2 and Engine Restore, but I'm not clear on whether there is the same risk with the 5.3.

I have to say, this oil consumption thing is ridiculous. I'm at less then 3,000 miles since my last oil change and I've added 2 quarts.

You don't have a CPAS, but you do have AFM (formerly called DOD) this system has sensitivity to dirt and could be affected by using a flush and sending larger particles through the oiling system.
If your problem is aggravated by highway driving, start with replacing the cover, this is where the PCV baffle is needed the most. Defective Driver side Valve covers have improper sealing between baffle and cover, this allows oil into PCV system and then it is ingested and burned. The cover defect is not visible and there is no fix, just replace.

I had this issue on my non AFM 5.3 and a new GM cover fixed it.
There is a TSB about oil usage on the AFM engines. I think the valve cover replacement is on the list of fixes in the TSB.
I also found that "spirited" driving keeps the rings cleaner which helps even more. A good Top End Cleaner will help this condition.

 

[saabotage]

Wondering if you have had any luck with your oil consumption issues. I am a service advisor/assistant service manager at Shaheen Chevrolet in Lansing MI, I have been working with my techs to correct this issue on my 9-7x. First I had them change the valve cover for the pcv issue. It has helped but I am still burning oil at 83k on the truck now. Almost every one of my engine specialist agree on disabling the dod system with a tune, and eventually completely removing the afm setup. The fix for mine will include disabling the dod through a pcm of nc tune. at this time we are going to remove all of the spark plugs, use a gm top of the engine cleaner letting each cylinder soak with cleaner for a few hours. We will then perform a fuel injector service cleaning the injectors, intake and throttle body, making sure to get the engine pretty hot to rid the engine of as much carbon as possible. When this is done the truck will get new spark plugs. I have put pistons and rings in countless 5.3s under the powertrain warranty, but this is a temporary fix.

 

[northcreek]

Wondering if you have had any luck with your oil consumption issues. I am a service advisor/assistant service manager at Shaheen Chevrolet in Lansing MI, I have been working with my techs to correct this issue on my 9-7x. First I had them change the valve cover for the pcv issue. It has helped but I am still burning oil at 83k on the truck now. Almost every one of my engine specialist agree on disabling the dod system with a tune, and eventually completely removing the afm setup. The fix for mine will include disabling the dod through a pcm of nc tune. at this time we are going to remove all of the spark plugs, use a gm top of the engine cleaner letting each cylinder soak with cleaner for a few hours. We will then perform a fuel injector service cleaning the injectors, intake and throttle body, making sure to get the engine pretty hot to rid the engine of as much carbon as possible. When this is done the truck will get new spark plugs. I have put pistons and rings in countless 5.3s under the powertrain warranty, but this is a temporary fix.

Been reading a lot about this subject lately and everyone seems to have their own theory about the (5.3)oil consumption cause/fix. One suspected cause is DOD(AFM) but nobody has explained how the DOD(AFM) causes oil consumption. I know that the valve cover replacement and top engine clean cured my son's Silverado(5.3) but, he doesn't have AFM.

 

[07Denali]

I've noticed a oil loss after many highway trips too. my 2007 envoy denali only has 110,000km so last oil change I ran seafoam through the oil for a day and changed it. I run quaker state 5w-30 full synthetic and have noticed a big improvement over before the seafoam. I still check it every 2 weeks but now its maybe half a quart over the oil change life.

 

[saabotage]

There are a lot of theories about the oil consumption issues. I have been fortunate enough to see inside when they take them apart to witness the carbon build up that keeps the rings from sealing properly to the piston wall on the afm cylinders. We have rebuilt many 5.3's per gm's oil consumption tests. most of them wont start showing the oil consumption issues on the rebuilt engines until they put on enough mileage to start having the carbon build up again. This is why us advisors and the techs here believe rebuild is a temporary fix. unfortunately for the consumer they will most likely be out of powertrain warranty by the time this begins to happen again. An engine guy will push for the rebuild for the labor time. Most service advisors will also push for the rebuild if there is a history of oil consumption, but i believe this is because of a lack of knowledge and the fact that they make a living on both warranty and customer pay repairs.

For you guys that are out of powertrain warranty, ask your local chevy dealer for a quote on performing the bulletin PIP5030 for the gm top of the engine cleaner to free the rings. If your service advisor does not seem knowledgable about the issue, you may want to ask to speak to one of the Heavy engine techs, although they hate talking to customers, thats most likely why they turn a wrench.

If you do this and disable the dod with a tune, you just may begin to love your v8 again.

 

[C-ya]

saabotage, thanks for the insight from the other side of the counter. I knew not all the service writers could be as bad as we make them out to be at times.

If I'm ever in the area, I'll swing by and say "Hey."

 

[saabotage]

saabotage, thanks for the insight from the other side of the counter. I knew not all the service writers could be as bad as we make them out to be at times.

If I'm ever in the area, I'll swing by and say "Hey."

Haha nobody likes to have to see their service advisor! Somebody has to do the job though. I enjoy working for Shaheen because of the people that work here. We have several writers that have a client base who trust them to be their "car guy" . This is how it should be in my opinion. I like to inform people of the issues with their car, not push repairs and flushes on every car i write up. Shaheen actually recieved Dealer of the year from Chevrolet so we are pretty proud over here. That being said, I get crap all the time for my Saabs, they still say GM under the hood!

 

[northcreek]

There are a lot of theories about the oil consumption issues. I have been fortunate enough to see inside when they take them apart to witness the carbon build up that keeps the rings from sealing properly to the piston wall on the afm cylinders. We have rebuilt many 5.3's per gm's oil consumption tests. most of them wont start showing the oil consumption issues on the rebuilt engines until they put on enough mileage to start having the carbon build up again. This is why us advisors and the techs here believe rebuild is a temporary fix. unfortunately for the consumer they will most likely be out of powertrain warranty by the time this begins to happen again. An engine guy will push for the rebuild for the labor time. Most service advisors will also push for the rebuild if there is a history of oil consumption, but i believe this is because of a lack of knowledge and the fact that they make a living on both warranty and customer pay repairs.

For you guys that are out of powertrain warranty, ask your local chevy dealer for a quote on performing the bulletin PIP5030 for the gm top of the engine cleaner to free the rings. If your service advisor does not seem knowledgable about the issue, you may want to ask to speak to one of the Heavy engine techs, although they hate talking to customers, thats most likely why they turn a wrench.

If you do this and disable the dod with a tune, you just may begin to love your v8 again.

Have you seen the problem on vehicles that use full synthetic oil? Seems that conventional motor oils would be more likely to carbon up the rings....Mike

 

[linneje]

Have you seen the problem on vehicles that use full synthetic oil? Seems that conventional motor oils would be more likely to carbon up the rings....Mike

When I first got my Envoy a number of years ago, I switched over to synthetic. I didn't have these oil consumption issues. But last year I started to notice a start of this - over a litre in between changes.

Since the problem surfaced, I went to Quaker State Defy, which is a high mileage oil. It has gotten better. So I don't think the synthetic avoids the problem.

 

[oh05ext]

every morning our truck spits out blue smoke and burns about 4 qts of oil between changes.i need to do a thorough seafoam job and try to track the usage better. its irritating but i love the truck so much

 

[northcreek]

ANYONE HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE ?
v8 – Range Technology | AFM Solutions for GM Cars, Trucks & SUVs

 

[chicagotransam]

ANYONE HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE ?
v8 – Range Technology | AFM Solutions for GM Cars, Trucks & SUVs

For that price, you can have DOD tuned out

 

[C-ya]

For that price, you can have DOD tuned out

If a tune is what you want. I think I'm going to pick one of these up. Reviews are saying it does what it says. They also have a 90 day money back guarantee. Most of us here don't have to worry about voiding our warranty, but this seems to be just the ticket for those with newer AFM motors in other GM platforms.

 

[CaptainXL]

Been reading a lot about this subject lately and everyone seems to have their own theory about the (5.3)oil consumption cause/fix. One suspected cause is DOD(AFM) but nobody has explained how the DOD(AFM) causes oil consumption. I know that the valve cover replacement and top engine clean cured my son's Silverado(5.3) but, he doesn't have AFM.

Probably just a coincidence not directly related to the AFM. I have seen notes from others where GM stated AFM is not the problem. More likely the problem is the ingestion of crank case vapors/oil and gumming up the rings in the non-firing cylinders. Once the PCV system is repaired then the engine will more than likely need multiple flushes and some top engine cleaner.

 

[northcreek]

Probably just a coincidence not directly related to the AFM. I have seen notes from others where GM stated AFM is not the problem. More likely the problem is the ingestion of crank case vapors/oil and gumming up the rings in the non-firing cylinders. Once the PCV system is repaired then the engine will more than likely need multiple flushes and some top engine cleaner.

In snooping around I found that in 2010 GM was saying this:

" If the engine HAS NOT been ingesting oil through the PCV system and there are no obvious valve seal concerns, this is most likely the result of the AFM pressure relief valve in the oil pan spraying oil on the bottom of the cylinders when active fuel management is on. This may eventually cause the oil control rings to stick and increase the rate of oil consumption. As outlined in the July 2010 GM STC Service Know-How Emerging Issues Seminar (10210.07D), a related bulletin is going to be released to repair this by cleaning the oil control rings and installing a shield over the AFM pressure relief valve."

 

[CaptainXL]

Nice find. Would you site references for this and the fix TSB? Could really use the info for when I get a 5.3 v8.

 

[northcreek]

Nice find. Would you site references for this and the fix TSB? Could really use the info for when I get a 5.3 v8.

#PIP4574M: Excessive Oil Consumption And/Or Blue Exhaust Smoke - Investigation Update

Subject: Excessive Oil Consumption And/Or Blue Exhaust Smoke - Investigation Update

Models: 2007 Buick Rainier

2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Trail Blazer
2007-2008 GMC Envoy, Sierra, Yukon
2008 Pontiac G8
2007-2008 Saab 97x
with a 5.3L or 6.0L Aluminum Block V8 Engine
and AFM (Active Fuel Management)
RPOs LC9, LH6, L76, or LFA


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This PI was superseded to include revise the affected RPO codes, specify that this is for Aluminum Block Engines only, update models and provide a general update on the status of this investigation in step 5. Please discard PIP4574M.

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The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Condition/Concern:
Some customers may complain that their vehicle has been using approximately 1 quart of oil every 500-1,000 miles. In most cases, the customer will advise that this did not start until the engine accumulated approximately 30,000 miles or more. In some cases, the customer may note that this is more apparent when driving at highway speed. In rare instances, a SES light and engine misfire may be encountered with a P0300 DTC.

Upon inspection, an oil fouled spark plug(s) may be noted. In most cases, static compression and cylinder leakage testing will appear normal. Excessive oil may or may not be found in the intake manifold.

In most cases, this is the result of stuck oil control rings. Generally, the stuck oil control rings are the result of excessive oil on the cylinder walls. The excessive oil can come from the PCV system and/or the AFM pressure relief valve in the oil pan.

Recommendation/Instructions:
If this concern is encountered, follow the steps below:

Visually inspect the entire engine and the underside of the vehicle for any evidence of oil leaks and repair them as necessary.
Inspect the fresh air hose/pipe that is attached to the RF (passenger side) valve cover and all related connections for restrictions, such as plastic casting flash or a pinched hose, and repair as necessary. A restriction in this area may cause excessive crankcase vacuum and oil consumption through the PCV vacuum tube.
If the truck has an engine misfire and a spark plug that is obviously oil fouled, skip to step 4 since this proves that it has an obvious oil consumption concern. If not, perform an oil consumption test as outlined in the latest version of oil consumption of 01-06-01-011 to verify the concern before proceeding to step 4. Allow the vehicle to sit on a level surface with the engine off for at least 10 minutes to allow the entire engine to drain back to the oil pan before checking the engine oil level and adding oil. Compare the oil consumption test results to one of the scenarios below to determine further direction:
• If oil consumption is Less than 1 quart of oil every 2,000 miles and no low oil light has been experienced, no repairs should be performed as this should be considered acceptable oil consumption as outlined in the latest version of 01-06-01-011.

• If oil consumption is Less than 1 quart of oil every 2,000 miles but the customer has experienced a low oil light, refer to the latest version of PIP3959 for a potential low oil light sensor concern.

• If the dealership verifies that oil consumption is More than 1 quart every 2,000 miles, perform the steps below as necessary:

Determine if the engine has been ingesting oil through the PCV system by removing the intake manifold and measuring how much oil can be poured out of the throttle body opening with the throttle body removed. It is normal to get a couple of teaspoons of oil out of the intake. If the engine has been ingesting oil through the PCV system, several ounces of oil will be measured, many times as much as a 1/4-1/2 quart.
• If the engine HAS NOT been ingesting oil through the PCV system, go to step 5.

• If the engine HAS been ingesting oil through the PCV system, inspect the PCV baffle as outlined in the rest of Step 4 below:

4a. Remove the LH (driver's side) valve cover and inspect the PCV baffle drain holes shown below to see if they are plugged with hardened oil deposits. If they are plugged, replace the valve cover, ensure that the customer is changing their oil according to the maintenance schedule in their owner's manual, and re-evaluate the concern. Generally, this would not be a concern until several thousand miles have accumulated.

4b. With the LH (driver's side) valve cover removed, inspect the PCV baffle to ensure that it is properly sealed to the valve cover by flipping it over and adding a little oil to the corner of the valve cover as shown below. The oil should stay in place as shown on the 2 outer valve covers below. If the oil drains into the PCV baffle as pointed out on the middle valve cover below, replace the valve cover. Generally, if this is the cause of the concern, it would have been present early in the life of the vehicle or shortly after valve cover replacement.


Important: If Step 4a or 4b led to valve cover replacement, perform Step 4b again on the replacement valve cover before installing it.


• 4c. If the engine HAS been ingesting oil through the PCV system but the valve cover passed the tests outlined above, the engine may have an over-aggressive lifter that is causing the oil ingestion through the PCV system. Sometimes the lifter may be doing this intermittently so it is not always possible to isolate one by inspecting the lifter flow with the driver's valve cover removed. As a result, it is suggested to replace all 8 of the left/driver bank lifters due to the oil in the intake and re-evaluate the oil consumption concern. The right/passenger side lifters should not cause oil in the intake so there is no need to replace them. If the vehicle returns with excessive oil consumption but is no longer ingesting oil through the PCV system, it most likely has stuck oil control rings as outlined in Step 5.

If the engine HAS NOT been ingesting oil through the PCV system and there are no obvious valve seal concerns, this is most likely the result of the AFM pressure relief valve in the oil pan spraying oil on the bottom of the cylinders when active fuel management is on. This may eventually cause the oil control rings to stick and increase the rate of oil consumption. As outlined in the July 2010 GM STC Service Know-How Emerging Issues Seminar (10210.07D), a related bulletin is going to be released to repair this by cleaning the oil control rings and installing a shield over the AFM pressure relief valve. This bulletin was scheduled for a July 2010 release but the bulletin is still going through the final stages of the release process. At this time, it is on track for a mid-August release date. Once released, you will be able to find the new bulletin in the New Bulletins Section of Service Information and this PI will be updated to include the bulletin number as well.
If you would like to view the July 2010 GM STC Service Know-How Emerging Issues Seminar (10210.07D) mentioned above, you can find it by following this path:

• Go to the GM Training Website. (If necessary, there is a link to this website at GM Global Connect "Dealerworld")

• Enter your Training Person ID and Password.

• Click the "Service Know-How/TECHAssist" Link

• Click the "Emerging Issues" Link

• Click the "Searchable Streaming Video" Link

• Click the "10210.07D - July 2010 Emerging Issues" Link

• Click the 9th Link down for High Oil Consumption

Notice: Piston and Ring sets should no longer be replaced for this concern unless it is absolutely necessary. If stuck oil control rings are found and you decide to replace all 8 pistons and all 8 piston ring sets, we DO NOT recommend honing or deglazing the cylinder walls due to the great variation between equipment, machine shops, and technicians performing these repairs. This is because it is generally unnecessary and can induce unnecessary cylinder wall and/or piston ring damage if it is done incorrectly or not cleaned thoroughly. The cylinder walls just need to be cleaned thoroughly with brake cleaner before the new piston and ring sets are installed. At this time, you may also experience a back order situation if you order new pistons and rings.