Oil in the Air Intake Hose on the 3.6?

[montechie]

So I had my air filter box out this weekend and noticed there was a little bit of used looking oil (about 1 teaspoon worth) pooled up in the air intake hose about 3" up from the air box. This isn't normal, right?

This is on a 3 month old JTR with the 3.6 and a little over 3000 miles. Been running fine and no codes. Other than adding a snorkel, which is when I saw the oil, nothing's been done to the engine itself. I've never really looked inside my air intake hose on any of my newer vehicles, just my 4.0 on a Wrangler so don't want to freak out if this is a normal occurrence for newer systems.

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[OHJeeper]

Could it be "engine shine" from the dealer when they washed it when you took delivery? My wife had that on her Explorer all over the engine bay and a bunch pooled up in the strut bars. I freaked out, but the dealership told me what it was: someone went heavy with the shine. Felt a lot like oil, just a little heavier...

 

[montechie]

Could it be "engine shine" from the dealer when they washed it when you took delivery? My wife had that on her Explorer all over the engine bay and a bunch pooled up in the strut bars. I freaked out, but the dealership told me what it was: someone went heavy with the shine. Felt a lot like oil, just a little heavier...

I hope not, since it's inside the hose between the filter and engine. I'm wondering if it is part of the engine break-in process, valve seals getting conditioned/settled.

 

[sass JT]

Well if you look… and I’ve seen on many engines lately. The pcv valve goes directly into the air intake tract. So is it normal… unfortunately. I recently added Teraflex crankcase vent system… some guys have done oil catch cans.

 

[LiftedrubiconJT]

Mine has oil in it as well.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I hope not, since it's inside the hose between the filter and engine. I'm wondering if it is part of the engine break-in process, valve seals getting conditioned/settled.

The engine is technically broken in as far as that sort of thing. It will loosen up and some things will "wear to fit" but no, rings and valve seals are already working.

 

[montechie]

Well if you look… and I’ve seen on many engines lately. The pcv valve goes directly into the air intake tract. So is it normal… unfortunately. I recently added Teraflex crankcase vent system… some guys have done oil catch cans.

That Teraflex system is interesting, I assume the angles I drive aren't considered extreme, more mining/logging roads, less step up/downs and bumper digs. I was wondering if the oil came from the PCV valve since the oil is near where it attaches. I'm going to assume this is normal, but hop in the queue to get an answer from a local service tech.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[hjdca]

Don't worry. It is normal, and part of the pcv system.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Don't worry. It is normal, and part of the pcv system.

Wipe it out and move on? Yeah.

It's not like the old days where the PCV was vented directly into the intake manifold far far away from the air intake, or at the base of a carburetor where you'd never see it unless you pulled the carb off and looked down the intake.

If I found oil up in the air intake - air filter housing, etc. - of a vehicle in those days, I'd tell the customer that they may have a little problem (then I'd proceed to test the PCV valve, replace it if needed, run compression and leak down tests and go from there)

There's so little between PCV system and air intake on these. It's going to be seen more easily.

The 3.6 is not direct injected so doesn't have the issues a direct injected engine would have with that oil on the intake valves.

 

[montechie]

Wipe it out and move on? Yeah.

It's not like the old days where the PCV was vented directly into the intake manifold far far away from the air intake, or at the base of a carburetor where you'd never see it unless you pulled the carb off and looked down the intake.

If I found oil up in the air intake - air filter housing, etc. - of a vehicle in those days, I'd tell the customer that they may have a little problem (then I'd proceed to test the PCV valve, replace it if needed, run compression and leak down tests and go from there)

There's so little between PCV system and air intake on these. It's going to be seen more easily.

The 3.6 is not direct injected so doesn't have the issues a direct injected engine would have with that oil on the intake valves.

Sounds good, thanks again for the feedback from everyone. 90% of my engine work experience is on various years of the Jeep inline 4.0, so hoped at 3400 miles this is the norm for the 3.6. There's also a related thread on the JL forum which also basically came to the same conclusion, as well as you should double check your dealer over filling the oil.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

as well as you should double check your dealer over filling the oil.

That happened one time - the first time they worked on a Gladiator. Grand Cherokees, which is mostly what they sold, take 6. I guess - gee, this is a Jeep 3.6 so it takes 6 quarts.
I took it back a couple of days later (could have fixed it myself but thought they might take a return visit as a bigger sign)
They got it right in, did a full service on it again - filter and all.
No problem since that time.

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