Oil filter below oil sending unit on 2012 5.3 chevy
Asked by Poole1022 Oct 06, 2017 at 07:31 PM about the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Crew Cab 4WD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I was trying to replace the filter under the sending
unit. It got pushed all the way down to where now I
can't even feel it. Is this going to hurt the engine
and will it cause the computer to throw the same
codes as before?
6 Answers
No clue on what you are trying to say. Do you have a problem with the oil filter or the sending unit? What is it that you do not feel?
I was replacing the sending unit. While I had it out to replace it I was going to go ahead and replace the filter that sitz below the sending unit. As I tried to fish the filter out it was pushed down until I could no longer even feel it. I believe it was pushed down and out of the hole. Will this cause worse problems or cause the computer to continue to show a faulty sensor? I can I just erase the code and go on about my business?
Ok, so you are referring to the screen under the oil pressure sending unit that is there when you pull the sending unit out? If you think it fell out of the hole there will not be a problem. If it is pushed back into the hole it sits in, yes it would still cause a problem because they do get gummed up and restrict the oil flow to the oil pressure sending unit. It needs to come out. Find a dental tool to fish it out it this is the case.
See, what would happen is when the screen gets plugged and restricts the oil flow to the oil sensor, the computer would think there is no oil pressure and shut the engine down eventually. A fail safe to protect the engine. It is inherent that the screen dose eventually get plugged up. It has to come out and replaced.
The method to use when removing the screen is to use a 1/4" bolt about 2.5 to 3" long and thread it into the screen, then pull it straight up to pull it out. I don't know how you could have forced it down too far without collapsing it, in which case the only way to get it will probably be to use a o-ring pick-hook to hook it and pull it out. Without the screen, the oil still enters the sensor so the engine should not be able to detect that the filter is there or not. The need for the filter is suspect, IMHO, the oil does not flow through the area - it just goes into the area to the sensor. If the screen or junk prevents the oil from reaching the sensor, the sensor will not show the proper values and the computer might decide that the engine is about to suffer damage and will shut it down. But that will only occur if the pressure is less than 1.5 psi.
