2025 Chevy Tahoe 6.2L - metal in factory oil filter

[Delta]

Had a couple vehicles from new with cartridge filters so I could see what the filter caught on the factory fill

2017 GTI - Metal
2021 Tacoma - Metal
2022 Tacoma - Metal

Oil changes after that, no metal.

 

[walterjay]

Always checked my factory filter after first oc.

07 SantaFE no metal
15 Sorrento no metal
16 Tucson turbo no metal
23 Tucson no metal

 

[MalibuRam65]

Trade it in for a 2026 model hopefully you’ll get better results

 

[rstcso]

Hopefully this is an anomaly and future filter media are clean of debris like shown in this one.

I lost faith in my Audi after the second engine-related recall while still under warranty. That's why we bought the Pilot. I feel your frustration.

 

[wwillson]

Hopefully this is an anomaly and future filter media are clean of debris like shown in this one.

That's the hope. We will see.

 

[KrisZ]

The subsequent changes will tell you if there is an issue or not, so I would continue inspecting the oil filters for the next several OCIs.

 

[loneryder]

Didn't you trade in for a new one when you heard about the recall??

 

[wwillson]

Didn't you trade in for a new one when you heard about the recall??

Thread '2024 Tahoe LM2 Duramax 27.3k mi; HPL Dexos D 5w-30 12.2k mi; excessive Cu and Tn'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...-d-5w-30-12-2k-mi-excessive-cu-and-tn.396703/

 

[JTK]

Were you able to see any of that by just prying the pleats open?

Reason I ask, I don't generally cut/stretch out the media unless I see something first. I could have missed some over the years. You never know.

 

[oil pan 4]

I wouldn't be happy with that.
I never owned a vehicle that did that...

Looks like break in oil from a harbor freight predator engine.

 

[oil pan 4]

I've never examined a filter to the extent you have so I don't have a feel for what would be normal for a new engine.

I did this on a new Cummins 6.7L that ran nearly 800hrs on its first oil change. I couldn't find a single mental flake on the part of the filter that I cut out.
I'd have to say that's far from normal.

 

[eljefino]

What gets me is how that looks like "chips" and not "dust." They look sharp, chromed, and hard. None of this is good news.

 

[wwillson]

Were you able to see any of that by just prying the pleats open?

Not nearly as well. Cutting the media out of the filter and stretching it out exposes everything.

 

[Zee09]

Looks like break in oil from a harbor freight predator engine.

Or the Exmark 708 engine....

 

[OVERKILL]

This would bother me, I don't recall seeing anything like this in the OE filters on either of our HEMI's.

 

[Pablo]

Well that's not good. I've broken in 4 cars since I got my filter cutter. Never actually seen any metal.

 

[loneryder]

This 2025 Chevy Tahoe was built in April of 2025, well past the June 1, 2024 date that GM says they fixed the manufacturing problems with the 6.2L gas motor. I changed the factory oil and filter a while ago, cut the filter and let it drain. The factory oil and filter had 2,000 miles when changed. Always cut the element out of your filters, as you get a lot of insights to what might be going on in your engine.

The below pictures of the factory AC-Delco filter element cut out of the filter and stretched out to get good pictures. I will keep this element as long as I have this vehicle, just in case. To me the amount of metal in the filter is disappointing and hopefully it isn't a sign of trouble. Time will tell.

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What oil weight are you running now. x-40?

 

[wwillson]

What oil weight are you running now. x-40?

HPL PCMO Premium Plus 5w-30

 

[meep]

On a first OC I would not panic. Doing some reading from the tundra saga, apparently there are challenges in removing 100% of metal debris during manufacturing. The filter catches it, though the oil pump could suffer. Hopefully the O-pump is hardened to “win” most of the battles there.

My F-150 started making more and more general startup noise around 70k miles. Idk when it truly started because it was very slow over time. The filters looked normal until flattening the pleats under bright light … and then it was like looking at the starry night sky - filled with hundreds of glitters. The engine consumed very little oil (never needed top-ups) and ran smoothly. My assumption was timing chain shenanigans. I guess the point to this was, it was far more metal than in the original pic here, but all of it was needle-end tiny.

 

[dbias]

To me it’s not the amount of metal it’s the fact that it’s chunks and slivers not the dust like material I’m used to seeing in a factory fill oil change filter.
5w-30 is a good move but I would have used mobil1 esp for a couple two thousand oci and started the HPL at 5k.