Hello everyone, i am new to the forums and i was hoping i could get some help w/ my Cavalier. I have a 2003 Cavalier w/ the ecotec 2.2 engine. It has 88,000 miles on it. I work maintenance so i start and stop a lot during the day, long idle periods, never get over 15-20 mph, just slow driving around an apartment complex all day. Ever since i bought the car (brand new in 03) i noticed sludge build up in the black plastic box going from the air intake to the motor. The dealer said it was normal, so i believed them. Well no issues since then until now, been a good, solid car. Fast forward to now. It is burning oil really bad, like a quart every couple weeks....no dripping, no real power loss. I have heard about a port in the head that could be clogged, but im not a car mechanic. I also noticed some sludge now on the oil cap and dip stick (light brown in color). Now when the car gets up to temp, it starts to idle erratic and the other day is died every time i stopped at a light, but fired right back up. What could be going on? i have good enough knowledge to do most of work myself, but i dont know where to start, any suggestions? Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!!
I'm not sure about the oil issue. But my 03 Eco would turn off and start right back up every time I came to a stop with the clutch in, I replaced the IAC and it hasn't happened since. It cost me a ridiculous 140 bucks though.
Well the dealer was halfway right. That plastic box you're talking about is what feeds the air box into your throttle body and manifold. It is normal to see some oil residue in that box, as well as the rubber line that runs from the top of the box into the front of the valve cover..that is part of your PCV (positive crank ventilation) system. Sludge in there is NOT normal, and could be indication of a clog...quite possibly the hole by the port you mentioned. That hole is also part of the PCV, it's case into the head between two intake ports...3 & 4 if I remember correctly. If that hole is blocked it can cause the PCV to back up, and as a result the built up pressure will make oil start pushing out that PCV hose from the valve cover into the air box.
Sludge on the oil cap is another indication of the same problem...the chamber below the oil cap is connected to the nipple for the air box/pcv line by a chamber, so if it is backing up you may see it on the cap as well.
I would pull off the intake manifold (just remove the upper air box (the plastic box on top the manifold) and unbolt the manifold. Once off you can inspect the PCV passage for any visible blockages. If it's ok, the rest of that system is internal. It could be the air/oil separator failing, or a clogged passage in the head.
thats some damn good information right there ^^^^
2003 Cavalier
Stock 2.2 Liter, 5 speed
" Leave the rice to Uncle Ben's and the wings to KFC..
Go clean or go home. "
Almost forgot, as for the eradic idle and stalling, that could be a symptom of a PCV blockage, or another issue. I haven't seen it personally, but id imagine a blocked PCV passage can lead to sputtering and stalling...if the PCV is blocked, the motor essentially starts to "choke" itself with the exhaust gases built up in that system that aren't being allowed to vent. So very possible.
Now, if you confirm that your PCV is clear and free flowing, and there is no issue with the air/oil separator, then I would start testing sensors, mainly the IAC and TPS (both located on the throttle body) or possibly even the MAP sensor (located on top the intake mani, though I doubt its the MAP). Occasionally the IAC sensor fails, but more times than not, the actual IAC valve/motor is what craps out. When that happens, the throttle body can't adjust properly due the IAC motor not moving and providing in accurate readings, in which case will lead to weird idle issues. When mine failed, my idle would occasionally jump up about 500rpm, but regularly would drop to about 400-500rpm and just barely not stall, or sometimes stalling. My problem started only showing signs once the motor was at temp, but as the motor completely failed I saw problems consistantly.
Hope that helps.
wow, thanks.....thats exactly the kind of info i needed. im glad there are people like you on this forum, very helpful! im gonna check that port first and see whats going on there, then i'll go on down the checklist. thanks again!
Hey guys, That info is awesome, just to further the question, I've had a similar problem, with the sludge and oil loss, however no idling issues, or stalling. The car is on synthetic, and losing this much oil is getting costly, I've started keeping a bottle of oil in the trunk in case. I'm assuming this could be a similar issue, however maybe not to the extent of the first post. Any other advice? Or issues that could be causing this. Like the first post no burning or dripping is happening, only a loss, which is very confusing.
Thanks for any advice at all, much appreciated.
This is great I have the same issue on my '03 Cav. Just bought it a few months ago. Hope this works for me too. This looks to be a standard problem on these cars. I don't think the kid that had my car before took very good care of it...
Very good info here. I also have noticed a lot of oil consumption in my car over the last 3-4 months (1-2 qts between oil changes). I am also dealing with a failing catalytic converter which I'm sure isn't helping the situation. I will try these steps above!
Dan Trump
2004 Cavalier LS Sport - Victory Red
There is also a tsb and a new updated intake manifold to fix this issue
