Updated 5/26: MAF covered in oil?
 

Update:

So two days after the dealer visit and the first time this year I turned on the A/C I get a terrible misfire at a stoplight. The service stabilitrack message comes up and the traction control light, stabilitrack light all start flashing. I limped home (only about a mile thankfully). Turns out the original misfires and this latest issue all stemmed from a bad MAF. I ordered a new Bosch MAF from the local O'reilly's. 10 days later after the part comes in, a 10 minute install and its running like new. Still not sure about the how dirty the intake is. If you are having misfire issues: codes p0300 through p0306 or codes p0101 or p0113, try the new MAF route. I spent $83 for the part and $9 for shipping. Maybe mention it to your dealer if you are in on a warranty repair effort. This could save everyone multiple trips to the dealer and some unneeded expense.

Original post:

A couple weeks ago while driving down a highway on ramp my car started misfiring. The engine sputtered and the SES light flashed on and off and then stayed on. I slowed down and after a couple minutes the car settled down and ran fine. The SES light went out. The same thing happened about ten days ago. This time the SES light stayed on. The codes read P0300 and P0302. Cylinder misfires. Research said it could be a spark plug, MAF sensor and some other things. The same day I curbed a wheel pretty bad so I made an appointment for a wheel alignment.

I took my Vararam apart last Saturday to clean the filter and housing. I try to clean the engine bay about every 4 or 5 months. I think it makes the car look better when you keep it clean under the hood. Well anyway, I pulled the air filter out and there was a small amount of oil in the bottom of the Vararam housing. The MAF sensor had oil all over it. I didn't know what to use on the MAF so I just dabbed the oil with a paper towel. The throttle body blade was filthy with oil residue and the throttle body was dirty too. I cleaned all that up and even squirted some Seafoam cleaner up into the intake. I washed out the air filter and reinstalled everything. Today I picked up some MAF cleaner and I only removed the MAF unit to clean it and it was covered in oil. This can't be good. I'm running a catch can and I just emptied it a month ago at the oil change interval (5000 miles).
I had the car in to the dealer for a front end alignment on Tuesday. I gave the dealer a note that I found on here about a reflash covering engine misfire. I received a call from my service adviser (great guy by the way) and aside from the alignment which I knew was necessary he said that I needed the reflash that I noted and I also needed a carbon cleaning for the valves. I was about 7 weeks over my 3 year warranty but I only have 35,000 on the odometer. My service adviser said that neither the reflash or the valve cleaning is covered under the 5yr-100k warranty and since I'm out of bumper to bumper time I'd need to pay around $250 to make repairs. We talked and he stated that the valve cleaning wasn't covered because that is considered maintenance. I assumed maintenance was keeping fluids properly filled and changed, electricals and tires, etc. But how am I supposed to clean valves- an internal part of the engine? Aren't internal engine parts covered under the 5 yr warranty? I declined the cleaning service for now and told him I would contact customer service to present my case. I asked him to flash the ECM with that repair. I was quoted $89.99 for that. I can't do that on my own so I had to go with it. In fairness to my dealer when picked the car up they only charged me $45 for the flash. I know it takes a technician time to do it and its only fair to pay for the labor. But I still think both items should be covered under the 5 year warranty because of the design flaw of the LLT. I really want to pull the manifold to see how much oil and carbon is in there but right now I have Chevy customer service working on my claim. I have been pleasant when dealing with the dealer and customer service. Everyone is just trying to do there job here. Most of us are aware of the oil vapors in the manifold. This engine had performed extremely well since I have bought the car new. Well, right up until the warranty expired at least. I guess I'll get it all worked out and assess my options. Maybe an LS3 is in my future. It doesn't look like the long term options with this current car are real good. Less than two years left on a powertrain warranty with a lot of holes in it. Timing chains are lurking in the distance!

I did test drive a new Mustang 5.0 today but I'm not really liking that so maybe it will be a '14 1SS. My service adviser has a '13 1LE for sale. Beautiful car but its a 2SS and I really don't like leather one bit. Its a good deal on a real clean car but who knows?

Thanks for reading this ramble. Go ahead and hate on me for the Mustang test drive. I was just checking out the competition. The salesman actually had the nerve to tell me that he never liked the new Camaro design. What a meathead! Nice way to start a conversation. No sale there!

MAF cleaner would clean oil off the sensor very well. Also the oil maybe from the VR filter that is oil based. Maybe but very rare you could of got some water on the filter some how and it sprayed your MAF with that oil. Also in my opinion I wouldn't pay a dealer $100+ for a carbon cleaning (aka seafoaming). It's easy to do and I have a write up here in this section.

An oil filter with to much oil on it will cause this, but what catchcan system are you running to prevent oil ingestion into the intake air charge?

After I cleaned the Vararam I let it dry and didn't even re oil it. I have the RX can. I have read your write up on the Seafoam and I actually did that treatment on my LT1 in the Trans Am last summer based on the write up at LS1tech.com. I whould be hearing from Customer service and their decision based on talks with the dealer service manager. I'm hoping they pick up the cost of the cleaning but we will see. My service adviser told me they use some sort of a spinning wand they shove up into the intake and pull out slowly as it sprays cleaner.

With the VRam you should not get any oil on the maf unless it was from before you cleaned the Vam filter.....hmm.

Very strange, but appreciate the write up. I have had a couple of misfire-like events, but spread out over a 2 - 3 month period so not very consistent. (Keep in mind, my car isn't driven very much either...hardly at all in the winter months) When it happened I was cruising down the highway at normal rpms at about 70mph. Seemed like the engine was choking. It was either a misfire, or my transmission converter was acting up, as I have read this can act the same way. I really don't yet know what caused it. There were no codes to be found in the car's memory.

Unless I'm just dreaming, it seems like my car does not have the "oomph" behind it that it had in the past. Yesterday I pulled the battery for an hour. Haven't driven it yet though.

I want to take a look at the plugs...but haven't done that yet either.

I am also running a VR intake and catch can. I may pull the MAF and have a look.

OK, so I just took a look at my Vararam and the MAF sensor (I love Monday's off work!)

Surprisingly, I also found oil residue in my vararam, and the MAF sensor, while I wouldn't say caked with residue, was far from being clean. See the picture below.

Off I go to my local parts place for some Cnc MAF cleaner. Hit the MAF with the cleaner back and forth 15 - 20 times. Cleaned out the vararam as well. Let dry and re-install. Haven't driven the car yet to see if this makes any difference for me, but now I know to check the MAF more often.

What's strange, is that I have never re-oiled the vararam filter, as I only have maybe 5,000 - 7,000 miles on it, and the car only goes out on nice dry days. I can't say for sure, but the oil doesn't seem to have seeped back in from the intake b/c the TB is clean. So I'm going to say this residue is either from the oil the VR filter comes with stock, or some of the residue could have been from the AirRaid I had been running for a short while a few years ago.

Either way guys....check out your MAF sensor!

Weird, but the only place that oil could come from has to be the filter.....puzzeled on this one.

LOL- you know what you need! And it rhymes with Hooperbarger! :biggrin:

Seriously, someone on the site recommended awhile back to do a MAF sensor cleaning every other oil change just as part of your routine maintenance. Just to keep it fresh.

Obviously, follow the directions closely as these are very sensitive sensors and could be damaged if mishandled (those spray cleaners have a strong blast!). :thumb:

lol...I'd love a hooperbarger!!! :lol:

Took the car for a drive tonight...ran smooth and sounded good, but didn't really feel any different. My plans as of now are to check plugs just for shits n giggles, go back to stock tune just for the hell of it to see if I notice a difference from Trifecta, and hopefully give the IPF tune a go in the next month or two.

this may ultimately make my decision, depending on your thoughts/results. :popcorn:

Haven't had the any of the issues posted - I use CRC Mass Air Flow cleaner spray twice a year - http://www.amazon.com/CRC-05110-Mass...sensor+cleaner - seems to work A-OK. If you use it be careful with spraying to avoid ruining the sensor.

Think next year with my tax return I'll switch to the IPF tune but we will see.

update to original post.