When diagnosing an engine vibration condition that occurs when the vehicle is stationary or accelerating from a stop on some 4.3L V6 (RPO LV1, LV3), 5.3L V8 (RPO L82, L83, L84) and 6.2L V8 (RPO L86, L87, LT1, LT4) engines, the CH-51450 PicoScope can be used to help determine the root cause. The affected engines can be found on 2014-2021 Silverado, Sierra; 2015-2021 Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Escalade; 2016-2019 CTS-V, Corvette; 2016-2021 Camaro; and 2018-2021 Express and Savana models.
In some cases, the vibration may be caused by the engine being overfilled with oil. Inspect the engine oil level and check to determine if the oil was recently changed. (Fig. 4)
Fig. 4
Using the PicoScope, a vibration caused by a crankcase overfilled with engine oil will typically display Engine 1 (E1) as the dominant vibration.
If the engine oil level is confirmed to be overfull, verify if the crankcase was overfilled with engine oil or if it is contaminated by an outside substance, such as fuel or coolant. If the oil level is overfull as a result of contamination, determine the source of the contamination and repair as needed.
If the engine was overfilled with only engine oil, adjust the oil level and re-evaluate the concern. The engine may have been overfilled during a recent oil change or other maintenance service.
– Thanks to Bryan Salisbury
