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[HELP] Oil in K&N CAI & Coating MAF

2K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Del 
#1 · (Edited)
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Recently replaced the MAF because I thought that was the issue throwing the check engine light for my MAF sensor, but turns out theres oil making it's was into the intake and wreaking havoc on the sensor. Any suggestions or ideas I can try to DIY before I head to my mechanic?
 
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#4 ·
Is your K&N filter a pre-oiled one? You could try a dry filter replacement if it is?
The catch can is an option. Many of our owners have it installed.
How much oil is the question, a little or a lot? Keep plenty of cleaner spray on
hand until you solve this leakage. Has the oil leaked past the MAF towards the
TB? Is your car a turbo model RL? Are there any other signs of oil leaks anywhere
in the engine bay?

Keep us up to date- with your efforts.

LAC
 
#11 ·
Is your K&N filter a pre-oiled one? You could try a dry filter replacement if it is?
The catch can is an option. Many of our owners have it installed.
How much oil is the question, a little or a lot? Keep plenty of cleaner spray on
hand until you solve this leakage. Has the oil leaked past the MAF towards the
TB? Is your car a turbo model RL? Are there any other signs of oil leaks anywhere
in the engine bay?

Keep us up to date- with your efforts.

LAC
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This was BEFORE I installed the CAI and took a picture of the oil that accumulated on the inside of the turbo inlet and there was also oil that accumulated in the stock intake as well, so this isn't a pre-oiled filter issue. This is a 2.0 RL and there are no other signs of oil leaks coming from the turbo.
 
#5 · (Edited)
That certainly looks like engine oil vs K&N filter oil. I used to run K&Ns on a few other vehicles and bikes so I'm familiar with K&N filter oil and it's basically a mineral oil that's dyed red. I'm thinking you have some engine oil blow back. An oil catch can is probably your best and easiest fix to get that remedied. That seems like quite a bit of oil making it's way down to the MAF.
 
#12 ·
Yeah, this is definitely engine oil, but I'm not sure how so much of it is making it's way back into the intake and coating everything. I'm definitely open to taking a catch can, but I'm afraid it's putting a bandaid on a bullet hole, so to speak. There has to be a larger issue at hand here.
 
#6 ·
I VERY much doubt that an oil catch can would help at all for oil on the MAF. First, it wouldn't be installed in any of the paths to the MAF, and second, if you really are getting that much oil blown UPSTREAM from the turbo, you have way more problems than just a dirty MAF.

Given that you state you have an oiled K&N filter, I would almost guarantee that is the culprit here.
 
#7 ·
Has anyone had experience with catch cans actually catching fluids?

All I’ve ever read about was how they’re installed... but no one has been able to retrieve unwanted fluids.

I’m used to oil separators from my pre-ecotec days and it’s my understanding that since our PCV‘s are locked inside the intake manifold, that there will always be oil seepage.

Anyone have more (and/or positive) experience with this?
 
#8 ·
Has anyone had experience with catch cans actually catching fluids?

All I’ve ever read about was how they’re installed... but no one has been able to retrieve unwanted fluids.

I’m used to oil separators from my pre-ecotec days and it’s my understanding that since our PCV‘s are locked inside the intake manifold, that there will always be oil seepage.

Anyone have more (and/or positive) experience with this?
I do not have a catch can. I have seen a small number of posts that showed small amounts of oil caught. Most reports have indicated that nothing was collected.

The only posts I have seen that discussed oil contamination of the MAF have been related to oiled air filters, and installations of catch cans have been attempts to reduce or eliminate intake valve coking.
 
#16 ·
I have CCan on my Trans Am and yes it certainly does trap oil. I don't have one on Sky V8 (yet) but will very soon. There are a lot of models out there. Some are better than others, and any decent one is better than none (but make sure it has some kind of filtering element).
I also have run a K&N filter on my TA since nearly the day I bought it and never ever had I seen oil from the filter on my MAF (over 50k miles). If you do, you put way too much oil on the filter to start.
 
#24 ·
UPDATE: My turbo definitely just blew before I could even do much more. Welp, I guess the oil leaked from the turbo, or there was too much oil feeding into the turbo all this time that it didn't like. Either way, things just got a lot more expensive, so I either upgrade my turbo at this point or find an OEM replacement. Lol, thoughts?
 
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