Thank you for this awesome video! I have a 2016 Equinox LTZ 2WD with a 2.4L. I live in Florida never have to worry about frozen PVC valve condensation. I have no oil consumption issues and it has 155,000. In my research it seems to be the soot build up from the low octane ethanol fuel that is causing oil to become dirty and contaminated. The piston rings will prematurely fail from bad oil and the timing chain tensioner is hydraulic and requires good clean oil pressure to function properly. I am still researching but if you live where it gets below freezing you're going to have PVC valve issues which will prematurely dirty your oil and back pressure could blow a rear seal. The fix is run higher octane fuel less ethanol, change oil every 3,000-,5,000 miles and if you live in freezing weather consider performing this PVC orifice access mod. Real quick if your 2.4L ever starts and immediately stalls after 2-5 seconds with no check engine light or fault code then disconnect your MAF sensor forward of the throttle body and see if the car starts and runs then. This happened to my Equinox and kicked my ass because there was no codes. I replaced the fuel pump and both valve advance solenoids and it still stalled. Then I found the MAF sensor bad. Keep the commandments coming, that's how the community learns.
This is your GM engineers thinking. Instead of a serviceable PCV, total nightmare for the consumer. It's not about having a vehicle for 20 years now. They're not selling any vehicles if they last forever. Great quick fix.
Unfortunately, it's not just GM. Great brands are getting diluted very similar to our great appliance brands did over the last 15 years. My Dodge Ram was designed without a cabin air filter. 90k miles later, I have a clogged evaporator core from dusty and pollen filled roads that smells musty. That would have added maybe a $1 to the total cost of the truck. Instead, the entire dash would normally need to be removed, the system purged, and the core replaced. Cost cutting practices and heavy reliance on parts made overseas to the lowest bidder exasperate this. Steel quality in key parts like crankshafts, lifters, and bearings are causing early failures in otherwise good designs. Yet a 1/2 ton pickup is costing upwards of $70k with some fully optioned ones going for close to $100k. Thanks for watching and letting me vent 😀
@awayfromtherange so true. Most all our vehicles are recycled plastic from our trash we throw out. And they want to charge more for it, when they don't even have 1/4 of cost into making these vehicles anyway. On my terrain I was just hearing a banging song every time I hit a small Crack or bump. I found it. The rear axle front facing arm had went right through the k frame. Wth I barely got 100k on this thing. Talk about junk.
Yeah... its a bit of an issue. I have a 2011 Chevy Impala. I just recently did an intake (upper and lower) gasket replacement but wasnt aware that the rear valve cover has a built in PCV valve. After getting everything together and stopping the major oil leak issue i had, i realized that theres oil in my PCV breather tube. The only way to replace the valve cover that has the built in PCV requires removing a "coolant crossover" arm, which obviously has coolant running through it. They made the arm wrap around over the top of the valve cover. So you cant just "pop off the valve cover" its "unmount the power steering pump and alternator, remove the cross over (making sure to spill the coolant everywhere), remove the coil pack mounted on the valve cover THEN you can replace the cover. Im trying to think of a way to clean it out without doing all that and all i can think of is spraying Sea Foam in the PCV orifice and hope it cleans it enough to get it unstuck.
there is an internal bafling between the shells that are welded together. issue is vibration weld flash making port not strong enough. I worked as engineer for the oem of this manifold sp5370. some were made in China and imported. they did a design change later on around 2013 that fixed the issue.
@@jugni0019 yes but there were 3 tools that made it and each were updated at different times. it would be a crap shoot if you got the right one. if you look at newer gm I4 you'll notice they did away with shells lining up pvc channel and it has a cover welded over it instead.
I have a 2016 Equinox XLT 2WD with a 2.4L. I live in Florida never have to worry about frozen PVC valve condensation. I have no oil consumption issues and it has 78,000 miles on it. Today I followed your video instruction and the results were awesome. It took me a little while to get my wire to go in 1.75" in but when it did I pulled out and there was definitely some muck on it but it was broken up from the throttle body cleaner I sprayed in first. I put a screw in the hole as I live in Florida also. Whalaa.....no more blow by fumes. Thanks so much for such a precise video instruction. This makes me wonder about American engineering. Dealer could not give me a quote as to how much they charge to do this. Of course they would remove everything which would be a lot of labor charges. Anyway, thanks again! I will, at a later date put a flange nut and a set screw as you did.
2015 2.4L Terrain with 68K on it. You are the Man! Just bought this vehicle as a 2nd vehicle. One for NV and one for MN. Started seeing water inside the Oil Filler Cap. That's when I tripped on the PCV problem. Between your video and the one where he removed the intake and drilled it out it's perfect. I drilled dead center and the other guy's was slightly right. Slightly right is where it seemed to be. I could get a paperclip in there, but the Gumout straw was hard to get in there. Have a FC219 cap in there and it's not bouncing around at idle. Thanks so much.
We just purchased a 2013 from NV (rust free) and drove it back to MN! Got 30-35 MPG! Pulled well in the mountains! 170,000 miles. Little to no oil consumption. I have no problem pulling the head and oil pan to replace piston rings if and when that's needed. We're in SW MN. There is an antifreeze leak which may require a water pump replacement. I'm already aware of the tool required to keep the geer in place.
I noticed this happens to many vehicles nowadays, the issue is mineral oil and lack of oil changes. These engines run hotter higher performance. Rings are different lighter tension oil usage w lighter viscosity oils. I used transmission oil one cup. And watched the oil dirty up quickly, changed oil did it again until I noticed normal wear. Cleaned out lifters, oil pressure sensor ect… then used synthetic oil only, no blend. Done a few this way works like a champ! Loosens stuck rings.. ect..
What an excellent video! I really appreciate the clear and concise instructions with good camera work. Thank you so much for making this! I will be taking this project on in the spring. For now I am going to get the oil cap you mentioned to prevent the rear seal from blowing out and Ill just keep adding oil as needed.Again,thank you do much for this sir!
This is a creative and useful video. I live in FL have a 2017 I bought new but now has 100K plus. I noticed some oil consumption issues and this issue sparked my interest in maintaining the car myself because I need it to last. My intake was full of oil, plugs had oil on them etc. While I cleaned the intake, your video showed me that I need to take the time to “vac out” the bottom of the manifold and more importantly you came up with a plan to be able to prevent the problem repeating, which I am very appreciative of.
Great idea! Definitely gonna do this on my daughter's 2011 Equinox. There is a factory recall on the piston rings for oil consumption. Dealer replaced hers a few years ago. Also if you ever get the infamous exhaust manifold leak that's due to a crack between #2 and #3 exhaust pipes it's possible to raise the heat shield enough to fill the crack with J-B Weld Extreme Heat High Temperature Resistant Metallic Paste. I did this as a temporary fix until I had the time but that's been 50,000 miles ago and still holding up.
Automotive engineer hear and this is awesome root cause analysis and one time fix. My 2.4 thanks you for your risk taking. I have seen several, just a screw laying around and I like your solution better.
I just use an air nozzle on the end of the pcv hose and blow it clean. A lot easier than doing all of that. Spray in carb cleaner and then air pressure it clean, then you can change your oil and filter. Thats what I do every second oil change time. I have over 100k on mine and it still doesn't use anymore oil, like it did when I first bought it. But when I found out that it was using oil i did my diesel fuel 1 qt in the oil ran it for around 30 minutes to clean it all out, then I i cleaned out the pcv system and then I changed the oil. I change it every 5k. To this day it never used oil again. Plug i change all the other fluids every summer. I don't take no chances for stuff to wear out prematurely. They cost too much to repair by neglect.
Great video i followed exactly what you did have not drove the car yet just did it today really hope this fixed it been burning 1 quart a week 3-400 miles so frustrating thanks again for this
@@1nvisible1 definitely made it better but still burns oil but more like a quarter instead of a full quart . I have done the fix 2 times now i figure after 50-60k miles its not hard to do im no mechanic took me maybe 40 minutes taking my time triple checking myself now its a 10 min fix
I did this recently with just a sheet metal screw, but i do like the JB nut idea better. I see you commented on the dramatic decrease in oil consumption. I am doing mine in conjuction with BG EPR engine flush, that i have used before on this engine. That also seemed to free up the carbon buildup on the oil rings and reduce oil consumption. Hopefully between the two i can all but eliminate the infamous GM engineered problem. Thanks for this video!
Thanks for watching. I see DIY Dave is maybe doing a video on that BG EPR. I'm anxious to see it. My son's Equinox should be back here next week. I'll probably try more stuff on it for another video. Thanks for watching!
I used a sheet metal screw also , along with that I added a catch can, did my oil change , changed the spark plugs. But now I have a rough idle . I wonder if it's the hole I made to unclog it
The only thing I can suggest is that you install an oil catch can on the PCV system. My son and I installed one on our 2013 GMC Terrain, 2.4ltr two years ago, and no sludge is found now. The catch can runs from the PCV Pipe coming from the engine to the Catch Can and out from the catch can into the PCV port on the throttle body cover. All the water and sludge will build up in the catch can and then you drain the sludge from the catch can. Nothing gets into the throttle body port. But, I have to say your idea of drilling a hole into the intake manifold is genius!! I think we are going to try this on our 2.4.
@timmyturner999_ It took my Son and I about 30 minutes to install and install and connect the Catch Can from the engine to the Throttle Body Cover. The cost from Amazon was $33.00 for the Catch Can and another $8 for the upgraded PCV hose, so $41 total. This setup is totally worth the money and time. We haven't had a problem with vapors getting into the Throttle Body or any backup pressure since installing.
I did the catch can 2 years ago on my 2012 Terrain. It worked for a while but the rear main seal blow out again for the second time. Do the intake fix, it seems to be a better solution. I live in Canada.
@kwtrkr190 yep. I agree. I watched a few ideas on the hole to be drilled on the center of the intake to clear the small pcv hole. This I will do every oil change. A necessary evil to fix the problem GM did.
This happened to my wife's car the day before Christmas last year, in the middle of a blizzard. I had to replace the engine. The garage that installed the used replacement engine drilled a relief hole in the bottom of the air filter housing adjacent to where the pvc plug gets plugged into the housing. They have had to replace a lot of 2.4 L's. They have made that a standard procedure to let that condensate drain.
I have a 2010 Equinox. What I did was install a catch can. I drilled a hole on the oil filter cap and installed a PVC valve. I bought a "T" from Amazon. ½" in T with a ⅜" outlet I spliced the T to a ½" line coming out of the manifold . This line goes to the catch can. That took care of my car smoking. I also use a can of ENGINE RESTORE every oil change. My oil consumption went from a quart every 700 miles to about 1600 miles. I empty my catch can every couple of thousand miles. My car has about 2004,000 miles. It was reringed by GM at about 100,000 miles.
The catch can does nothing on an engine where the PVC system is working. Keeping that PCV orifice open is all that’s required to avoid all those other problems.
Spot on great idea! Very time consuming. I ran with the aluminum tape and so far so good. You will know when the tape falls off as you mentioned the lean condition will occur and you will need to replace the tape. other than that all good!
Of all the options, aluminum tape is probably the easiest with the least amount of risk and allows you other options down the road if you don't like it. It should hold up extremely well in the engine bay, especially that location being somewhat protected. Thanks for watching and the comment!
I debated the oil catch can heavily but, in the end, decided to check the oil level at each fillup. If a guy does only one thing, adding the breather cap and checking oil levels at each fillup will save you. Thanks for watching!
This method is definitely less risky than intake removal. How many miles when you did the timing chain? Was it timing chain kit including water pump/ balance shafts? Was it simply changed as maintenance because of mileage or it had a issue? Did you bore scope the intake valves for carbon buildup? Sorry for all the questions, just deciding what extent to go on my 2015 equinox it has 120,000km has the catch can and vented oil filler cap. But no orifice drilled yet 😂 definitely going to drill it! My 2.4 doesn't burn any oil, but I use mobile one synthetic oil with dextos and synthetic oil filter good quality oil filter!. Have cleaned the mass air sensor twice. The catch can collects next to nothing in the summer but the winter it is half full of water/ oil every 1000km .
@jimmykulik3438 The car had around 70k miles on it when the timing chain was done. It had failed due to low oil from the PCV oriface being blocked and draining 4 quarts in 1000 miles unoticed. The work was done at a shop at my son's college town so I'm not entirely sure what all was changed other than tensioner and belt. I did have to replace both VVT valves as the screens were clogged. Sounds like yours is just fine. I would check the oil often and consider this mod. Thanks for watching!
Just curious, because I’m fixing to do this process on my 2014 GMC Terrain. What will the performance breather oil cap do or how will it help with this issue? Appreciate your feedback.
@shernandez505 If you are referring to the oil cap I linked in the video, it is only a safety net and doesn't fix anything. In the event the PCV gets clogged, the crankcase pressure will build so high it can blow out the rear main seal. That cap is designed to relieve that pressure to the atmosphere, saving you a very costly repair requiring engine removal. Thanks for watching!
What about using a 1/16 or 1/8 nylon or brass pipe brush to clean out the hole instead of just poking around with a wire? Seems like if you ran the brush back and forth ud have better results ?
That was good idea. Nice work. I got a new engine on the recall but we're getting up to 35000. The new engine seems to dump a lot of spent fuel in the oil but not enough to fail oil test. Pushed the seal out on the first one. Thanks for the video...
We changed HPFP at about 35k miles. Now oil does not smell like fuel. Need to change HPFP pipe as well as that is one-time use. This is a common failure point but may not trigger a code. Obviously, your problem could be something else.
@@Mschasz3129 Some people recommend replacing the roller arm that powers the HPFP. We didn't think of that but did a careful inspection, cleaning, oiling of ours. I would change it as cheap insurance. When installing the HPFP, that roller arm needed to be positioned correctly by moving the crankshaft with a wrench. I can't remember if the arm needed to be fully retracted or not but the service manual or internet will tell you. Can't remember any other tricks but it was a straightforward job. I will say the fuel trims on our 2.4 LUK looked normal before and after. Our reader was not capable of fuel pressures (or fast enough for 02 sensor analysis). After changing the HPFP, the car idled a bit better, ran a bit quieter, and the oil did not smell like fuel. Change your oil and filter after changing the HPFP.
This is a fantastic preventative maintenance fix, it worked just as you said. I made a small cut in the protective heatshield cloth-like material to access the spot to drill, and cleaned it off thoroughly. I used a sharp screw just to make a tiny start point in the right location so the drill bit didn't walk. Instead of a drill, I used a battery powered screwdriver with a 1/8" bit for slow, controllable revolutions. I put some thick grease on the end of the 1/8" bit to collect the shavings (that worked perfectly, thank you for that tip). I went slowly, so when the bit broke through, I stopped. I used a fairly big paperclip, bent straight to reach through and clear out the PCV hole inside the intake. You will know you hit the hole if you can sink the straight paperclip in about 1.75". I also sprayed some throttle body cleaner down the hole. I decided not to use JB Weld to attach a nut, but I was tempted. While checking on the JB Weld option, I learned JB Weld makes a high temp resistant epoxy in a syringe you can order from Home Depot at the time of this comment post...its on their website, but not stocked in their stores. Instead of gluing in a nut, I just put in a small flanged screw that was the appropriate diameter to seal the hole. This saved hours of labor that could have the potential to damage some other expensive parts.
Under an hour...and just as I said, I was going very slowly, double checking everything. I also did not use the JBWeld trick...just an appropriate, hex head screw with a large flat head, no other sealants. This is not a port I'm thinking I will have to access frequently; my thought is around every 10000 to 30000 miles or so (the car went over 130000 miles with it never being touched, so I'm thinking a relatively infrequent squirt of carb cleaner will be ok). The large head, short coarse thread hex screw was a good fit, and Another great vid on this is on ua-cam.com/video/ZA6QEMst-1s/v-deo.html that was also helpful for positioning info, as was your very helpful vid. Sidenote, after about a month later, it seems oil consumption (common on the 2.4L ecotech) has dropped off as well.@@awayfromtherange ...another plus. Can't say it was because of this or not, but its nice to see, especially since the only other thing I've done is pour some chevron fuel injector cleaner into a full tank of gas.
If I was to do that I think I would try to find a rubber plug that could be pushed into a slightly larger hole(to make finding that orifice hole easier and not have to deal with the JB weld and waiting for it to dry. I think you might be right about the screw cracking the plastic after repeated hot/cold cycles. Thanks for posting.
There's a video where fellow had intake off and drill through the inside orifice to the outside. It then shows the outside location to drill if intake is still installed.
Great idea and I will consider it should i have to clean the PCV on my current 2.4L Equinox. You mention risk when cleaning the PCV by the book... one big thing they don't mention in the book is the Fuel Injector wiring harness and connecters are sandwiched just out of view between the upper mating surface of the intake manifold and engine block. I found it the hard and expensive way on a previous Equinox I owned. I broke the Injector clip an connector to the #3 cylinder working the manifold back into place. It took almost 2 days of head scratching to determine what happened. Had to replace the Injector and pigtail in a new connector.
chevy announced a bs quick substitute fix… they suggest you buy an oil cap with a pressure relief valve in it to save the rear seal from blowing out. I bought it.. but my oil always smells of heavy gas and its always black. gonna have to do this trick for longevity purposes. and my oil filter is always caved in on itself.
The whole car is a cheap design flaw. No low oil indicator, no PCV valve, timing chain issues, soft metal rings that wear out in 40K. 2011 equinox worst car I have ever owned.
Interested in hearing a follow up for this. A service manager at a Chevrolet dealer told me that the clogged PCV orifice issue could lead to moisture in the system freezing and blowing out the rear main seal and they see this every year when the weather starts to get cold and it has nothing to do with the oil consumption issue. The oil consumption issues has a "silent recall" which is actually a Special Coverage Adjustment for 2013 models only, and this was caused by bad piston rings.
Such a good idea for a solution that lets you clean it in the future too! I'm not sure if I'll go with this plan or take the manifold off to clean it, then install an oil catch can. 2 questions: How did you make sure that you hit the PCV orifice hole? You mentioned moving the nut up so you could fit the screw better in it, but I don't see how you can move the hole - would you just offset the nut?
My 2015 Equinox has had an OIL CATCH CAN installed but I drilled out the bottom and ran a hose to the ground (my bad). I also installed a vented oil cap. We are just over 100,000 miles and our Equinox isn't losing oil. We have an oil change coming up and I'm running SEAFOAM in the crankcase for a few 100 miles before that to penetrate the piston rings to clean them out a bit. We intend to run this car until it cannot run anymore. BTW - I removed the catch can bowl and you would not believe the absolute crap it is keeping out of the intake plenum. No wonder these PCV holes get plugged. One would almost wonder if this isn't a deliberate flaw engineered into these motors.
Question - my son's 2019 Vue has just a hose going into the side of the "top plastic" wonder if he is missing what you have on the Equinox ... knock on wood he has 120K and no issues yet (Lives in NYC) thank you
This is a bandaid fix. Not recommended. The manifold NEEDs to be removed to clean all passages correctly. This video shows drilling directly into pcv passage however, This pcv port splits off into tiny inlets into each intake runner which Clog with sludge & Carbon. Those ports also need cleaned. These manifolds can be had for around $100. Best to just replace them if the budget allows, bare minimum. Remove the intake & clean it properly. Also. The high pressure fuel pump does not need to be removed. You can remove the dipstick tube and it will allow for removal of the manifold with HPFP still installed.
You need a new front crank shaft seal. Get rid of that plastic top then screw the oil cap back on. Its not consuming oil. As the oil leaks out of the crank shaft it gets sprayed as you drive so it looks like no oil is leaking. Over time if it is not fixed the leak will become noticeable and the car will start to buck while driving because it doesn't have the proper oil pressure.
What you did is a good i deal, I am having that problem with losing oil. dont want to spend a lot of time taking stuff off and putting it back together again.
You suggested moving the flanged nut up a bit so the screw head doesn't interfere with other parts. Would it also work to drill the hole a little higher to avoid this problem or would you then miss the PCV orifice?
I clean mine at every oil change while the oil is draining. It's probably not necessary, but it only takes 5 minutes, so I just do it then. Thanks for watching!
In our 2003 Saturn with a 2.2 ecotec the intake area under the throtle body was coated with oil on all the walls, don't know about the bottom. Where did get the smoke machine and how expensive was it. My 2003 Suburban has a small evap leak and that would be handy to have.
Nice idea and execution. I have a 2011 with 227,000 miles on it. Recently I tried to unclog the PCV hole by unbolting the intake manifold and trying to get a choke cleaner straw down in between the manifold and the block. Didn't have much luck. I did manage to get a 90° pick in the manifold hole, but I don't think it truly unclogged it. My concern / question about your method is it appears that you are able to clean the hole in the block side, but what about the hole on the manifold side? Or maybe you were doing that and I'm missing something here. Thanks.
Great question. You are cleaning the hole from inside the manifold out to the head. When using the safety wire, it enters the head approximately one inch. Because it's still connected, you are cleaning the entire path this way.
Put a wire in the choke cleaner straw heat it up and bend it 90 degrees let set till it cools pull wire out. It will stay 90 degrees so you can spray at a angle.
Maybe try selling a much larger home so you can see what you're doing (maybe with a borescope). Like maybe 3/8 inch. Then buy a nylon plug to thread into it just a little ways.
Question? Why is the link you posted taking me to a stock GM filler cap? Is it different from the original cap or the same??? Why does it say original GM ? WHY couldnt they have put this on the car to BEGIN WITH! Damn!
An excellent video. One quick question. I am going to assume that the little orifice was not perfectly aligned with your first hole. Which direction was the orifice from your original hole. If we drill the hole higher are we still going to be able to find the orifice? I do have a lower pressure oil cap and an oil catch can in mine and bypass through it. I get about 8 oz of water every thousand miles in the winter here in Northern Illinois. thank you again
I thought I responded to this comment but can't tell if I did. You are correct. I have to give a slight upward angle. Moving the hole higher should correct it. Doesn't need to go up much as 1/8th should be more than enough. Thanks for watching!
Will this work on a 2014 Buick Verano? It has the 2.4 Ecotec Engine . The only difference is I think the pvc is in the valve cover. I purchased the verano 5 months ago and noticed the oil consumption.
Is it possible to use pointed screw and manual screw driver to bore through instead of a drill and bit? Then after the hole has been made, maybe a short screw anchor and a screw to plug the hole when not in use
I think you could. The only reason I chose this path was expansion and contraction of the dissimilar materials. I didn't know if a metal screw in the plastic would cause a crack over time. I live in an area where temps regularly fall to -20 in the winter, and after raising to operating temps, there could be more than a 200 degree swing. Cracking was my major concern as any leak in this spot will cause issues with the mixture. If a crack developed, the only solution would be to replace the intake or JB weld over the crack and hole. Thanks for watching!
Yes, no recurring issues currently. My son is home for the summer. He put about 3k miles on it after and it has consumed 1/4 quart. I can live with that. He is checking oil levels at every fuel up. I'll most likely do a follow-up at the end of the summer on this one. Thanks for watching!
Drilled mine out today. i might have drilled a little high cause I'm in the cavity, but can't find the PCV orifice with my wire. Any recommendations on how to proceed? how big can i drill this and be safe?
You can see if the orifice is working by putting a plastic bag over the clean air tube that goes into that intake box while running. If the orifice is drawing more than the blowby being produced you will suck a vacuum on that bag.
I just did this yesterday on my Buick Regal but I took the manifold out cleaned everything in and around, drilled a 3/8 hole placed a screw for easy future cleaning. My concern is you pushed the stuff that clogged the manifold hole back to the exist area of the engine that will just push it back to the hole..
I actually have this same concern. It's not happened yet, and I sprayed the hell out of it hoping to break that up. Time will tell. My son is checking oil with every fillup currently. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. Just wanted to clarify the oil cap mentioned in your link, it doesn't show as being compatible with the vehicle(s) 2.4L Equinox or Terrain 2011?
I had the same issue as did another in the comments. No issue, it fits and works just fine. I believe it says this as it's not the "official" replacement cap. Thanks for watching!
I'm going to try this, thanks! But Looking at the videos, would it be possible to drill further so that the tiny hole is wider or if you miss, there are 2 holes? It would still be inside the seal from the pictures of the back side of the manifold it seems.
I think I would be careful here on enlarging the hole. Any changes in vacuum past the mass airflow sensor and within the intake will likely disrupt the programming and can lead to trouble. My gut tells me the computer will think it is in a lean state and throw a check engine light if it gets more than 10% out of wack. You would be forced to replace the intake with a new one at that point. Thanks for watching and the great question!
I'm doing it at every oil change now. Takes about 5-10 minutes. I've moved my service interval to 3k miles to error on the safe side. Thanks for watching!
Thanks my my has this car 2012 equinox i put a new motor in becauce of the timming chain tenchiner arms fell apart ,timing chain skip and catastrophic failures
I debated the catch can. The issue with the catch can is you still have to check it to see if it's full. The very best thing you can do is check the oil at EVERY fillup. I know it's a pain but as quickly as it consumes oil when the issue happens it's your only safe bet. A simple oil level warning would have saved a ton of these cars. When the check engine light comes on its too late. Be sure they replace the intake and exhaust VVT valves. The screens will most likely be clogged due to metal debris if your timing chain was damaged.
I used the standard original JB Weld two part you mix. Red and black tube. Zero issues so far. I do a quick check at each oil change with the safety wire. It only takes a few minutes and put new gasket sealer on the threads. The oil consumption is reduced dramatically from 1 quart per tank of gas to 1 quart per 1200 miles. It's still high, but apparently, within specs. Thanks for watching!
I am still trying to understand how the clogged orifice causes certain issues when technically its plugged already with a screw? Seems contradicting to me. What goes in the orifice ?
The screw does not go all the way into the oriface that is clogged. The screw enters a cavity that is about 1/2" deep before you get to the oriface that needs cleared. This is why the safety wire goes so deep. Thanks for watching!
If I removed the intake to clean it, I would have added the catch can for sure. However, now it's like a 5-10 minute job to check and clean the oriface. I'm doing it at every oil change and moved the service interval up to 3k miles. Thanks for watching!
Same thing for me, but it worked just fine. They are all a standard size. Most likely, this is due to it being a pressure relief cap not technically designed for this engine. I can confirm that is the one I purchased.
How often do you expect to clean this hole? This orifice cleaning probably only needs to be done infrequently under most conditions, maybe just alternate oil changes, as long as it really gets done. I’d skip the JB weld. It’ll work ok on cleaned roughened surfaces, but is unnecessary here IMHO. Drill & self tap a tight #10 stainless screw right in there with locktite, and if it ever strips the plastic from R&R-ing, tap in the next size. OR if you eventually must re-tap too big, then result to JB weld as necessary. Just get really clean, roughened surfaces.
I do not believe you can. Behind the throttle body is like a wall. The air has to flow down to the base of the intake and back up to the individual intake ports. It's like air flowing down from one side of the letter "u" and up the other side. I believe that barrier is there to reduce turbulence and even out the air flow to all ports. The secondary issue is that small port is not open to the intake cavity. Instead, something similar to a very small fuel rail runs the length of the intake to balance those pressures. Thanks for watching!
What a huge piece of crap. My mother in laws is pissing oil out by the passenger side cams. Pulled the oil cap and pressure is flying out. Pulled the pcv hose from the intake and nothing was coming out. Shoved a zip tie in there and got it to flow a bit but I think the damage is done.
Thank you for this awesome video!
I have a 2016 Equinox LTZ 2WD with a 2.4L. I live in Florida never have to worry about frozen PVC valve condensation. I have no oil consumption issues and it has 155,000. In my research it seems to be the soot build up from the low octane ethanol fuel that is causing oil to become dirty and contaminated. The piston rings will prematurely fail from bad oil and the timing chain tensioner is hydraulic and requires good clean oil pressure to function properly. I am still researching but if you live where it gets below freezing you're going to have PVC valve issues which will prematurely dirty your oil and back pressure could blow a rear seal. The fix is run higher octane fuel less ethanol, change oil every 3,000-,5,000 miles and if you live in freezing weather consider performing this PVC orifice access mod.
Real quick if your 2.4L ever starts and immediately stalls after 2-5 seconds with no check engine light or fault code then disconnect your MAF sensor forward of the throttle body and see if the car starts and runs then. This happened to my Equinox and kicked my ass because there was no codes. I replaced the fuel pump and both valve advance solenoids and it still stalled. Then I found the MAF sensor bad. Keep the commandments coming, that's how the community learns.
2016 they fixed the oil problem with different piston rings
@@stevecobratei8538 thanks I didn't know that
@@stevecobratei8538 My rings were replaced at 60K now at 120K I go through a quart every 1k miles again.
This is your GM engineers thinking. Instead of a serviceable PCV, total nightmare for the consumer. It's not about having a vehicle for 20 years now. They're not selling any vehicles if they last forever. Great quick fix.
Unfortunately, it's not just GM. Great brands are getting diluted very similar to our great appliance brands did over the last 15 years. My Dodge Ram was designed without a cabin air filter. 90k miles later, I have a clogged evaporator core from dusty and pollen filled roads that smells musty. That would have added maybe a $1 to the total cost of the truck. Instead, the entire dash would normally need to be removed, the system purged, and the core replaced. Cost cutting practices and heavy reliance on parts made overseas to the lowest bidder exasperate this. Steel quality in key parts like crankshafts, lifters, and bearings are causing early failures in otherwise good designs. Yet a 1/2 ton pickup is costing upwards of $70k with some fully optioned ones going for close to $100k. Thanks for watching and letting me vent 😀
Thanks u did great 👍
@awayfromtherange so true. Most all our vehicles are recycled plastic from our trash we throw out. And they want to charge more for it, when they don't even have 1/4 of cost into making these vehicles anyway. On my terrain I was just hearing a banging song every time I hit a small Crack or bump. I found it. The rear axle front facing arm had went right through the k frame. Wth I barely got 100k on this thing. Talk about junk.
Is this the fix for the crazy vibration as the car starts to warm up
Yeah... its a bit of an issue. I have a 2011 Chevy Impala. I just recently did an intake (upper and lower) gasket replacement but wasnt aware that the rear valve cover has a built in PCV valve. After getting everything together and stopping the major oil leak issue i had, i realized that theres oil in my PCV breather tube. The only way to replace the valve cover that has the built in PCV requires removing a "coolant crossover" arm, which obviously has coolant running through it. They made the arm wrap around over the top of the valve cover. So you cant just "pop off the valve cover" its "unmount the power steering pump and alternator, remove the cross over (making sure to spill the coolant everywhere), remove the coil pack mounted on the valve cover THEN you can replace the cover.
Im trying to think of a way to clean it out without doing all that and all i can think of is spraying Sea Foam in the PCV orifice and hope it cleans it enough to get it unstuck.
This definitely simplifies the process. The engineers must have designed the pvc for maximum cost of repair.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent!
there is an internal bafling between the shells that are welded together. issue is vibration weld flash making port not strong enough. I worked as engineer for the oem of this manifold sp5370. some were made in China and imported. they did a design change later on around 2013 that fixed the issue.
@alanprather8399 the manifold from 2013 can go on 2012 equinox 2.4 ? I meant same fit?
@@jugni0019 yes but there were 3 tools that made it and each were updated at different times. it would be a crap shoot if you got the right one. if you look at newer gm I4 you'll notice they did away with shells lining up pvc channel and it has a cover welded over it instead.
I have a 2016 Equinox XLT 2WD with a 2.4L. I live in Florida never have to worry about frozen PVC valve condensation. I have no oil consumption issues and it has 78,000 miles on it.
Today I followed your video instruction and the results were awesome. It took me a little while to get my wire to go in 1.75" in but when it did I pulled out and there was definitely some muck on it but it was broken up from the throttle body cleaner I sprayed in first. I put a screw in the hole as I live in Florida also. Whalaa.....no more blow by fumes. Thanks so much for such a precise video instruction. This makes me wonder about American engineering. Dealer could not give me a quote as to how much they charge to do this. Of course they would remove everything which would be a lot of labor charges. Anyway, thanks again! I will, at a later date put a flange nut and a set screw as you did.
2015 2.4L Terrain with 68K on it. You are the Man! Just bought this vehicle as a 2nd vehicle. One for NV and one for MN. Started seeing water inside the Oil Filler Cap. That's when I tripped on the PCV problem. Between your video and the one where he removed the intake and drilled it out it's perfect. I drilled dead center and the other guy's was slightly right. Slightly right is where it seemed to be. I could get a paperclip in there, but the Gumout straw was hard to get in there. Have a FC219 cap in there and it's not bouncing around at idle. Thanks so much.
We just purchased a 2013 from NV (rust free) and drove it back to MN! Got 30-35 MPG! Pulled well in the mountains!
170,000 miles. Little to no oil consumption. I have no problem pulling the head and oil pan to replace piston rings if and when that's needed.
We're in SW MN.
There is an antifreeze leak which may require a water pump replacement. I'm already aware of the tool required to keep the geer in place.
I did exactly the same procedure few weeks ago. It's possible also to spray carbcleaner inside the hole for best results.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching!
becarefull of carbcleaner it attacks lots plastics ect. J S
@@awayfromtherange How about just spraying carb cleaner in the tube at the top? i just bought a 2015 and it's going through 1 qt in 500 miles.
I noticed this happens to many vehicles nowadays, the issue is mineral oil and lack of oil changes. These engines run hotter higher performance. Rings are different lighter tension oil usage w lighter viscosity oils. I used transmission oil one cup. And watched the oil dirty up quickly, changed oil did it again until I noticed normal wear. Cleaned out lifters, oil pressure sensor ect… then used synthetic oil only, no blend. Done a few this way works like a champ! Loosens stuck rings.. ect..
What an excellent video! I really appreciate the clear and concise instructions with good camera work. Thank you so much for making this! I will be taking this project on in the spring. For now I am going to get the oil cap you mentioned to prevent the rear seal from blowing out and Ill just keep adding oil as needed.Again,thank you do much for this sir!
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your project!
This is a creative and useful video. I live in FL have a 2017 I bought new but now has 100K plus. I noticed some oil consumption issues and this issue sparked my interest in maintaining the car myself because I need it to last. My intake was full of oil, plugs had oil on them etc. While I cleaned the intake, your video showed me that I need to take the time to “vac out” the bottom of the manifold and more importantly you came up with a plan to be able to prevent the problem repeating, which I am very appreciative of.
Thanks for video. Was hesitant, read all comments, your process worked! Saved a lot of time!
Glad it worked! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! Definitely gonna do this on my daughter's 2011 Equinox. There is a factory recall on the piston rings for oil consumption. Dealer replaced hers a few years ago. Also if you ever get the infamous exhaust manifold leak that's due to a crack between #2 and #3 exhaust pipes it's possible to raise the heat shield enough to fill the crack with J-B Weld Extreme Heat High Temperature Resistant Metallic Paste. I did this as a temporary fix until I had the time but that's been 50,000 miles ago and still holding up.
Thanks so much for the great information. Thanks for watching!
Automotive engineer hear and this is awesome root cause analysis and one time fix. My 2.4 thanks you for your risk taking. I have seen several, just a screw laying around and I like your solution better.
I just use an air nozzle on the end of the pcv hose and blow it clean. A lot easier than doing all of that. Spray in carb cleaner and then air pressure it clean, then you can change your oil and filter. Thats what I do every second oil change time. I have over 100k on mine and it still doesn't use anymore oil, like it did when I first bought it. But when I found out that it was using oil i did my diesel fuel 1 qt in the oil ran it for around 30 minutes to clean it all out, then I i cleaned out the pcv system and then I changed the oil. I change it every 5k. To this day it never used oil again. Plug i change all the other fluids every summer. I don't take no chances for stuff to wear out prematurely. They cost too much to repair by neglect.
Great video i followed exactly what you did have not drove the car yet just did it today really hope this fixed it been burning 1 quart a week 3-400 miles so frustrating thanks again for this
Hope this helped. This was exactly the consumption I had. Thanks for watching!
*Did it fix the problem?*
@@1nvisible1 definitely made it better but still burns oil but more like a quarter instead of a full quart . I have done the fix 2 times now i figure after 50-60k miles its not hard to do im no mechanic took me maybe 40 minutes taking my time triple checking myself now its a 10 min fix
I did this recently with just a sheet metal screw, but i do like the JB nut idea better. I see you commented on the dramatic decrease in oil consumption. I am doing mine in conjuction with BG EPR engine flush, that i have used before on this engine. That also seemed to free up the carbon buildup on the oil rings and reduce oil consumption. Hopefully between the two i can all but eliminate the infamous GM engineered problem.
Thanks for this video!
Thanks for watching. I see DIY Dave is maybe doing a video on that BG EPR. I'm anxious to see it. My son's Equinox should be back here next week. I'll probably try more stuff on it for another video. Thanks for watching!
I used a sheet metal screw also , along with that I added a catch can, did my oil change , changed the spark plugs. But now I have a rough idle . I wonder if it's the hole I made to unclog it
Thank you very much ! I have a 2014 and it was plugged. I followed your advice and it worked beautifully! I highly recommend what he did 😊
The only thing I can suggest is that you install an oil catch can on the PCV system. My son and I installed one on our 2013 GMC Terrain, 2.4ltr two years ago, and no sludge is found now. The catch can runs from the PCV Pipe coming from the engine to the Catch Can and out from the catch can into the PCV port on the throttle body cover. All the water and sludge will build up in the catch can and then you drain the sludge from the catch can. Nothing gets into the throttle body port. But, I have to say your idea of drilling a hole into the intake manifold is genius!! I think we are going to try this on our 2.4.
@timmyturner999_ It took my Son and I about 30 minutes to install and install and connect the Catch Can from the engine to the Throttle Body Cover. The cost from Amazon was $33.00 for the Catch Can and another $8 for the upgraded PCV hose, so $41 total. This setup is totally worth the money and time. We haven't had a problem with vapors getting into the Throttle Body or any backup pressure since installing.
Have a question about the catch can. If you live in a cold climate during winter, like Michigan, won't the catch can freeze and burst?
I did the catch can 2 years ago on my 2012 Terrain. It worked for a while but the rear main seal blow out again for the second time. Do the intake fix, it seems to be a better solution. I live in Canada.
@kwtrkr190 yep. I agree. I watched a few ideas on the hole to be drilled on the center of the intake to clear the small pcv hole. This I will do every oil change. A necessary evil to fix the problem GM did.
This happened to my wife's car the day before Christmas last year, in the middle of a blizzard. I had to replace the engine. The garage that installed the used replacement engine drilled a relief hole in the bottom of the air filter housing adjacent to where the pvc plug gets plugged into the housing. They have had to replace a lot of 2.4 L's. They have made that a standard procedure to let that condensate drain.
Great idea! Thanks for watching
Thanks! I did get the same oil cap as you did. I am going to drill mine out this week sometime.
I have a 2010 Equinox. What I did was install a catch can. I drilled a hole on the oil filter cap and installed a PVC valve. I bought a "T" from Amazon. ½" in T with a ⅜" outlet I spliced the T to a ½" line coming out of the manifold . This line goes to the catch can. That took care of my car smoking. I also use a can of ENGINE RESTORE every oil change. My oil consumption went from a quart every 700 miles to about 1600 miles. I empty my catch can every couple of thousand miles. My car has about 2004,000 miles. It was reringed by GM at about 100,000 miles.
2 million miles??? 😊
The catch can does nothing on an engine where the PVC system is working. Keeping that PCV orifice open is all that’s required to avoid all those other problems.
@@terrywaters6186It prevents the working PCV valve from getting Caked up with oil again.
@@danr9584 No it doesn’t
Great engine hack to clean the PCV. Will have to add that to mine. Thanks for the video!!
Spot on great idea! Very time consuming. I ran with the aluminum tape and so far so good. You will know when the tape falls off as you mentioned the lean condition will occur and you will need to replace the tape. other than that all good!
Of all the options, aluminum tape is probably the easiest with the least amount of risk and allows you other options down the road if you don't like it. It should hold up extremely well in the engine bay, especially that location being somewhat protected. Thanks for watching and the comment!
I installed an oil catch can and a cfm performance breather oil cap. Helped a lot.
I debated the oil catch can heavily but, in the end, decided to check the oil level at each fillup. If a guy does only one thing, adding the breather cap and checking oil levels at each fillup will save you. Thanks for watching!
This method is definitely less risky than intake removal. How many miles when you did the timing chain? Was it timing chain kit including water pump/ balance shafts? Was it simply changed as maintenance because of mileage or it had a issue? Did you bore scope the intake valves for carbon buildup? Sorry for all the questions, just deciding what extent to go on my 2015 equinox it has 120,000km has the catch can and vented oil filler cap. But no orifice drilled yet 😂 definitely going to drill it! My 2.4 doesn't burn any oil, but I use mobile one synthetic oil with dextos and synthetic oil filter good quality oil filter!. Have cleaned the mass air sensor twice. The catch can collects next to nothing in the summer but the winter it is half full of water/ oil every 1000km .
@jimmykulik3438 The car had around 70k miles on it when the timing chain was done. It had failed due to low oil from the PCV oriface being blocked and draining 4 quarts in 1000 miles unoticed. The work was done at a shop at my son's college town so I'm not entirely sure what all was changed other than tensioner and belt. I did have to replace both VVT valves as the screens were clogged. Sounds like yours is just fine. I would check the oil often and consider this mod. Thanks for watching!
Just curious, because I’m fixing to do this process on my 2014 GMC Terrain. What will the performance breather oil cap do or how will it help with this issue? Appreciate your feedback.
@shernandez505 If you are referring to the oil cap I linked in the video, it is only a safety net and doesn't fix anything. In the event the PCV gets clogged, the crankcase pressure will build so high it can blow out the rear main seal. That cap is designed to relieve that pressure to the atmosphere, saving you a very costly repair requiring engine removal. Thanks for watching!
What about using a 1/16 or 1/8 nylon or brass pipe brush to clean out the hole instead of just poking around with a wire? Seems like if you ran the brush back and forth ud have better results ?
I like this. I’m going to do this when summer comes back around. I’m also going to do an oil catch can. 👍👍.
I just did it and it worked
That was good idea. Nice work. I got a new engine on the recall but we're getting up to 35000. The new engine seems to dump a lot of spent fuel in the oil but not enough to fail oil test. Pushed the seal out on the first one. Thanks for the video...
We changed HPFP at about 35k miles. Now oil does not smell like fuel. Need to change HPFP pipe as well as that is one-time use. This is a common failure point but may not trigger a code. Obviously, your problem could be something else.
@@dosgos I'll put the computer on an take a look trim an pressure this weekend. Thanks again...
@@Mschasz3129 Some people recommend replacing the roller arm that powers the HPFP. We didn't think of that but did a careful inspection, cleaning, oiling of ours. I would change it as cheap insurance.
When installing the HPFP, that roller arm needed to be positioned correctly by moving the crankshaft with a wrench. I can't remember if the arm needed to be fully retracted or not but the service manual or internet will tell you. Can't remember any other tricks but it was a straightforward job.
I will say the fuel trims on our 2.4 LUK looked normal before and after. Our reader was not capable of fuel pressures (or fast enough for 02 sensor analysis).
After changing the HPFP, the car idled a bit better, ran a bit quieter, and the oil did not smell like fuel.
Change your oil and filter after changing the HPFP.
This is a fantastic preventative maintenance fix, it worked just as you said. I made a small cut in the protective heatshield cloth-like material to access the spot to drill, and cleaned it off thoroughly. I used a sharp screw just to make a tiny start point in the right location so the drill bit didn't walk. Instead of a drill, I used a battery powered screwdriver with a 1/8" bit for slow, controllable revolutions. I put some thick grease on the end of the 1/8" bit to collect the shavings (that worked perfectly, thank you for that tip). I went slowly, so when the bit broke through, I stopped. I used a fairly big paperclip, bent straight to reach through and clear out the PCV hole inside the intake. You will know you hit the hole if you can sink the straight paperclip in about 1.75". I also sprayed some throttle body cleaner down the hole. I decided not to use JB Weld to attach a nut, but I was tempted. While checking on the JB Weld option, I learned JB Weld makes a high temp resistant epoxy in a syringe you can order from Home Depot at the time of this comment post...its on their website, but not stocked in their stores. Instead of gluing in a nut, I just put in a small flanged screw that was the appropriate diameter to seal the hole. This saved hours of labor that could have the potential to damage some other expensive parts.
Glad it worked! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. How long did it take you start to finish?
Under an hour...and just as I said, I was going very slowly, double checking everything. I also did not use the JBWeld trick...just an appropriate, hex head screw with a large flat head, no other sealants. This is not a port I'm thinking I will have to access frequently; my thought is around every 10000 to 30000 miles or so (the car went over 130000 miles with it never being touched, so I'm thinking a relatively infrequent squirt of carb cleaner will be ok). The large head, short coarse thread hex screw was a good fit, and Another great vid on this is on ua-cam.com/video/ZA6QEMst-1s/v-deo.html that was also helpful for positioning info, as was your very helpful vid. Sidenote, after about a month later, it seems oil consumption (common on the 2.4L ecotech) has dropped off as well.@@awayfromtherange ...another plus. Can't say it was because of this or not, but its nice to see, especially since the only other thing I've done is pour some chevron fuel injector cleaner into a full tank of gas.
If I was to do that I think I would try to find a rubber plug that could be pushed into a slightly larger hole(to make finding that orifice hole easier and not have to deal with the JB weld and waiting for it to dry. I think you might be right about the screw cracking the plastic after repeated hot/cold cycles. Thanks for posting.
I like your method I will be using it on a 2017 Equinox Thank You 👍
There's a video where fellow had intake off and drill through the inside orifice to the outside. It then shows the outside location to drill if intake is still installed.
Great job and i would add a catch can. Out of the box thinking for sure.Well done!
Thanks for watching! I might try that.
Great idea and I will consider it should i have to clean the PCV on my current 2.4L Equinox. You mention risk when cleaning the PCV by the book... one big thing they don't mention in the book is the Fuel Injector wiring harness and connecters are sandwiched just out of view between the upper mating surface of the intake manifold and engine block. I found it the hard and expensive way on a previous Equinox I owned. I broke the Injector clip an connector to the #3 cylinder working the manifold back into place. It took almost 2 days of head scratching to determine what happened. Had to replace the Injector and pigtail in a new connector.
Great feedback. I hate clips on connectors and always seem to break them. The older the car, the more brittle they become. Thanks for watching!
chevy announced a bs quick substitute fix… they suggest you buy an oil cap with a pressure relief valve in it to save the rear seal from blowing out. I bought it.. but my oil always smells of heavy gas and its always black. gonna have to do this trick for longevity purposes. and my oil filter is always caved in on itself.
Was the gas from a failed hpfp?
Great, innovative fix for a design flaw. Good work. thanks for sharing.
The whole car is a cheap design flaw. No low oil indicator, no PCV valve, timing chain issues, soft metal rings that wear out in 40K. 2011 equinox worst car I have ever owned.
My friend thats for this video youve saved us alot of money in the long run
Love this video. Well documented(voice and video). Thank u!!
Interested in hearing a follow up for this. A service manager at a Chevrolet dealer told me that the clogged PCV orifice issue could lead to moisture in the system freezing and blowing out the rear main seal and they see this every year when the weather starts to get cold and it has nothing to do with the oil consumption issue. The oil consumption issues has a "silent recall" which is actually a Special Coverage Adjustment for 2013 models only, and this was caused by bad piston rings.
Thanks for watching and the great info!
Thank you for the video) Please tell me, the case will not be damaged over time
i also added fc 219 oil fill cap hope it helps
Such a good idea for a solution that lets you clean it in the future too! I'm not sure if I'll go with this plan or take the manifold off to clean it, then install an oil catch can. 2 questions:
How did you make sure that you hit the PCV orifice hole? You mentioned moving the nut up so you could fit the screw better in it, but I don't see how you can move the hole - would you just offset the nut?
My 2015 Equinox has had an OIL CATCH CAN installed but I drilled out the bottom and ran a hose to the ground (my bad). I also installed a vented oil cap. We are just over 100,000 miles and our Equinox isn't losing oil. We have an oil change coming up and I'm running SEAFOAM in the crankcase for a few 100 miles before that to penetrate the piston rings to clean them out a bit. We intend to run this car until it cannot run anymore. BTW - I removed the catch can bowl and you would not believe the absolute crap it is keeping out of the intake plenum. No wonder these PCV holes get plugged. One would almost wonder if this isn't a deliberate flaw engineered into these motors.
can we get a up date how is this fix working now thank you for your time
My son will be home from college the week of Thanksgiving. I've had several requests for an update. I'll do a video then. Thanks so much for watching!
Do you have the part number for the replacement oil cap and not OEM one but the pressure leaving one I couldn’t find it on Amazon
Question - my son's 2019 Vue has just a hose going into the side of the "top plastic" wonder if he is missing what you have on the Equinox ... knock on wood he has 120K and no issues yet (Lives in NYC) thank you
Did ours yesterday drill 1/8 hole clean it put short sheet metal screw in hole. And only snug it a little.
Should the cleaning process always be done or when there are problems in the car?
This is a bandaid fix. Not recommended. The manifold NEEDs to be removed to clean all passages correctly. This video shows drilling directly into pcv passage however, This pcv port splits off into tiny inlets into each intake runner which Clog with sludge & Carbon. Those ports also need cleaned. These manifolds can be had for around $100. Best to just replace them if the budget allows, bare minimum. Remove the intake & clean it properly.
Also. The high pressure fuel pump does not need to be removed. You can remove the dipstick tube and it will allow for removal of the manifold with HPFP still installed.
I like that you're an outside of the box thinker. This should work IMO. Can you put up the link for the oil cap?
Thanks for the reminder on that oil cap link. I've added it to the description. Thanks for watching!
You need a new front crank shaft seal.
Get rid of that plastic top then screw the oil cap back on. Its not consuming oil. As the oil leaks out of the crank shaft it gets sprayed as you drive so it looks like no oil is leaking. Over time if it is not fixed the leak will become noticeable and the car will start to buck while driving because it doesn't have the proper oil pressure.
Could you have used a silicone plug instead of the JB nut/setscrew?
What you did is a good i deal, I am having that problem with losing oil. dont want to spend a lot of time taking stuff off and putting it back together again.
Good luck and thanks for watching!
What type of JB Weld did you use?
You suggested moving the flanged nut up a bit so the screw head doesn't interfere with other parts. Would it also work to drill the hole a little higher to avoid this problem or would you then miss the PCV orifice?
Great video and great job. How often should we clean the PVC ? How is the oil consumption now?
I clean mine at every oil change while the oil is draining. It's probably not necessary, but it only takes 5 minutes, so I just do it then. Thanks for watching!
In our 2003 Saturn with a 2.2 ecotec the intake area under the throtle body was coated with oil on all the walls, don't know about the bottom. Where did get the smoke machine and how expensive was it. My 2003 Suburban has a small evap leak and that would be handy to have.
Nice idea and execution. I have a 2011 with 227,000 miles on it. Recently I tried to unclog the PCV hole by unbolting the intake manifold and trying to get a choke cleaner straw down in between the manifold and the block. Didn't have much luck. I did manage to get a 90° pick in the manifold hole, but I don't think it truly unclogged it.
My concern / question about your method is it appears that you are able to clean the hole in the block side, but what about the hole on the manifold side? Or maybe you were doing that and I'm missing something here. Thanks.
Great question. You are cleaning the hole from inside the manifold out to the head. When using the safety wire, it enters the head approximately one inch. Because it's still connected, you are cleaning the entire path this way.
Perfect. Thanks for the reply and video help! Adding this to my weekend project list (which means I'll get to it in a month!).
Put a wire in the choke cleaner straw heat it up and bend it 90 degrees let set till it cools pull wire out. It will stay 90 degrees so you can spray at a angle.
😂Haaa he said, screw system and then he said orifice hole 😂
Maybe try selling a much larger home so you can see what you're doing (maybe with a borescope). Like maybe 3/8 inch. Then buy a nylon plug to thread into it just a little ways.
Spell check a Mtfr 😅
You did great GM should have pot the clean out hole in
I agree. Thanks for watching!
Question? Why is the link you posted taking me to a stock GM filler cap? Is it different from the original cap or the same??? Why does it say original GM ? WHY couldnt they have put this on the car to BEGIN WITH! Damn!
I am not finding the Amazon link to the vented oil cap. Can someone please provide that link?
please tell me. the same engine, increased gasoline consumption in the city. what could be the reason?
An excellent video. One quick question. I am going to assume that the little orifice was not perfectly aligned with your first hole. Which direction was the orifice from your original hole. If we drill the hole higher are we still going to be able to find the orifice? I do have a lower pressure oil cap and an oil catch can in mine and bypass through it. I get about 8 oz of water every thousand miles in the winter here in Northern Illinois. thank you again
I thought I responded to this comment but can't tell if I did. You are correct. I have to give a slight upward angle. Moving the hole higher should correct it. Doesn't need to go up much as 1/8th should be more than enough. Thanks for watching!
Will this work on a 2014 Buick Verano? It has the 2.4 Ecotec Engine . The only difference is I think the pvc is in the valve cover. I purchased the verano 5 months ago and noticed the oil consumption.
Is it possible to use pointed screw and manual screw driver to bore through instead of a drill and bit? Then after the hole has been made, maybe a short screw anchor and a screw to plug the hole when not in use
I think you could. The only reason I chose this path was expansion and contraction of the dissimilar materials. I didn't know if a metal screw in the plastic would cause a crack over time. I live in an area where temps regularly fall to -20 in the winter, and after raising to operating temps, there could be more than a 200 degree swing. Cracking was my major concern as any leak in this spot will cause issues with the mixture. If a crack developed, the only solution would be to replace the intake or JB weld over the crack and hole. Thanks for watching!
I use a 3/16 air gun tip to verify the port is open.With the oil cap off air should be blowing out the fill hole.
How did this workout?
May have been mentioned but a sheet metal screw works for filling that hole.
There are other channels between the cylinders. Plus ...after the test did it work ?
Yes, no recurring issues currently. My son is home for the summer. He put about 3k miles on it after and it has consumed 1/4 quart. I can live with that. He is checking oil levels at every fuel up. I'll most likely do a follow-up at the end of the summer on this one. Thanks for watching!
Drilled mine out today. i might have drilled a little high cause I'm in the cavity, but can't find the PCV orifice with my wire. Any recommendations on how to proceed? how big can i drill this and be safe?
You can see if the orifice is working by putting a plastic bag over the clean air tube that goes into that intake box while running. If the orifice is drawing more than the blowby being produced you will suck a vacuum on that bag.
This is correct! Thanks for watching!
Do you think a Oil Fill Cap With PCV Vent would resolve this issue?
I just did this yesterday on my Buick Regal but I took the manifold out cleaned everything in and around, drilled a 3/8 hole placed a screw for easy future cleaning. My concern is you pushed the stuff that clogged the manifold hole back to the exist area of the engine that will just push it back to the hole..
I actually have this same concern. It's not happened yet, and I sprayed the hell out of it hoping to break that up. Time will tell. My son is checking oil with every fillup currently. Thanks for watching!
Boy como adivinaste que estába el hoyo de pcv ahí exacto?
Thanks for the video. Just wanted to clarify the oil cap mentioned in your link, it doesn't show as being compatible with the vehicle(s) 2.4L Equinox or Terrain 2011?
I had the same issue as did another in the comments. No issue, it fits and works just fine. I believe it says this as it's not the "official" replacement cap. Thanks for watching!
It just says that because it is not the standard cap that goes on. It does fit. I got it.
Yes. I had the same issue but it fit perfectly.
What type of JB Weld is the best for this? Fantastic Video.
You can use the normal or fast setting. Both are chemical resistant. The fast cure will allow you to get it done the same day! Hope this helps!
I used high heat
I thought that the oil control rings were stuck and letting oil go past into combustion chamber on the Verano, equinox and terrain 2012-2017 ?
Would this need to be done a 2.2l ecotec?
Soldering iron & brass nut set. 😂 Welds it instantly in place with heat & permanently fixed. Just white thread paste a machine screw with a hex head.
You should send this video to GM. Maybe they could issue a recall, and use your method.
I'm going to try this, thanks! But Looking at the videos, would it be possible to drill further so that the tiny hole is wider or if you miss, there are 2 holes? It would still be inside the seal from the pictures of the back side of the manifold it seems.
I think I would be careful here on enlarging the hole. Any changes in vacuum past the mass airflow sensor and within the intake will likely disrupt the programming and can lead to trouble. My gut tells me the computer will think it is in a lean state and throw a check engine light if it gets more than 10% out of wack. You would be forced to replace the intake with a new one at that point. Thanks for watching and the great question!
@@awayfromtherange I appreciate your response. Thanks! I'll stick to your method then.
I cleared my clog and did my timing chain back in March and its clogged again already. How often do you usually clean it out?
I'm doing it at every oil change now. Takes about 5-10 minutes. I've moved my service interval to 3k miles to error on the safe side. Thanks for watching!
I’m seeing videos about oil catch cans…. Would that work too??
I read it does not. Use the vented oil cap instead. he put the link up under the video description.
Thanks my my has this car 2012 equinox i put a new motor in becauce of the timming chain tenchiner arms fell apart ,timing chain skip and catastrophic failures
Dope video! Thank you.
Anyone have the amazon link for the oil fill cap with pressure release?
What size screw did you use to cover the hole up?
A catch can install is what must be done asap. ..as I'm doing this as soon as shops done fixing issues. Or they will damage engine .
I debated the catch can. The issue with the catch can is you still have to check it to see if it's full. The very best thing you can do is check the oil at EVERY fillup. I know it's a pain but as quickly as it consumes oil when the issue happens it's your only safe bet. A simple oil level warning would have saved a ton of these cars. When the check engine light comes on its too late. Be sure they replace the intake and exhaust VVT valves. The screens will most likely be clogged due to metal debris if your timing chain was damaged.
Catch can is a band aid for excess blow-by. If you have that after cleaning the pvc system then you have a piston ring problem.
Great Rigg job I'm going to do the same as you did thank you🛠
Thanks for watching!
How's the car working I'm about to do this to my Equinox tomorrow?
What JB welding did you use
I used the standard original JB Weld two part you mix. Red and black tube. Zero issues so far. I do a quick check at each oil change with the safety wire. It only takes a few minutes and put new gasket sealer on the threads. The oil consumption is reduced dramatically from 1 quart per tank of gas to 1 quart per 1200 miles. It's still high, but apparently, within specs. Thanks for watching!
@@awayfromtherange thank you 🙇
I am still trying to understand how the clogged orifice causes certain issues when technically its plugged already with a screw? Seems contradicting to me. What goes in the orifice ?
The screw does not go all the way into the oriface that is clogged. The screw enters a cavity that is about 1/2" deep before you get to the oriface that needs cleared. This is why the safety wire goes so deep. Thanks for watching!
Will this work on a 2015 equinox?
Have you thought about adding a catch can?.It will keep the orifise cleaner longer.
If I removed the intake to clean it, I would have added the catch can for sure. However, now it's like a 5-10 minute job to check and clean the oriface. I'm doing it at every oil change and moved the service interval up to 3k miles. Thanks for watching!
@@awayfromtherange So you may not need a catch can then.
Question. I clicked on the oil cap link for amazon and it said that this does not fit my 2012 equinox.
Same thing for me, but it worked just fine. They are all a standard size. Most likely, this is due to it being a pressure relief cap not technically designed for this engine. I can confirm that is the one I purchased.
It does, indeed, fit. Just put one on mine.
Awesome job, thanks for sharing this video
Did this fix work?
I need that oil cap from Amazon, what’s it called or do you have a link?
The link is in the video description. Thanks for watching!
How often do you expect to clean this hole?
This orifice cleaning probably only needs to be done infrequently under most conditions, maybe just alternate oil changes, as long as it really gets done.
I’d skip the JB weld. It’ll work ok on cleaned roughened surfaces, but is unnecessary here IMHO.
Drill & self tap a tight #10 stainless screw right in there with locktite, and if it ever strips the plastic from R&R-ing, tap in the next size. OR if you eventually must re-tap too big, then result to JB weld as necessary. Just get really clean, roughened surfaces.
Wondering if you could clear office through throttlebody hole?
I do not believe you can. Behind the throttle body is like a wall. The air has to flow down to the base of the intake and back up to the individual intake ports. It's like air flowing down from one side of the letter "u" and up the other side. I believe that barrier is there to reduce turbulence and even out the air flow to all ports. The secondary issue is that small port is not open to the intake cavity. Instead, something similar to a very small fuel rail runs the length of the intake to balance those pressures. Thanks for watching!
What a huge piece of crap. My mother in laws is pissing oil out by the passenger side cams. Pulled the oil cap and pressure is flying out. Pulled the pcv hose from the intake and nothing was coming out. Shoved a zip tie in there and got it to flow a bit but I think the damage is done.