I though it would be best to start a new thread.
2013 Equinox 2.4 DI 4 cyl. Piston, rings, and timing chain(s) replaced at 42774 miles due to high oil consumption by the dealer in March 2016.
I changed the oil and filter at 45868 miles. Attached is a picture of the oil filter. The debris appears to be silicon RTV, probably from the engine reassembly. I wasn’t too concerned at first since the engine is running fine and oil consumption is minimal (~1/2 qt/4000 miles). I am now worried about the long term effects of this debris in the engine. A couple of car guys suggested I need to document this at the dealer and district levels in case the engine doesn’t last. I kept the filter and will take more pictures. Note, the Equinox has a 5y/100k powertrain warranty until Nov. 2017.
Any thoughts,
Ed B.
Reply
Debris will drain down to the oil pan with no consequence as long as it’s not big enough to clog drain holes.
They’d have to be really sloppy for that to happen.
The oil pickup screen will catch big stuff that might hurt the oil pump or block any passages leading up to the oil filter.
The filter did its job catching the smaller stuff.
RTV is squishy; won’t hurt the metal oil pump parts.
The environment and techniques of rebuilding an engine in a repair shop are not as pristine as in a factory shop.
My concern would be plugging the oil pickup screen. A first check would be for them to put on an oil pressure gauge to make sure it’s in spec.
When I first saw this post there was no photo.
Those bigger chunks must have been in the passage after the pickup screen.
I would pull the oil pan and valve cover and check for more trash.
The dime sized white flake didn’t come from the oil pan. Nothing that size would have passed through the pickup screen. And anything small enough to pass through the screen would be thoroughly shredded by the oil pump. But the debris does warrant some concern.
The filter did its job. If this were mine, I’d probably bring the oil filter to a lab and have the debris analyzed. It may be harmless, but it isn’t normal.
Post the results. We do care.