Service Air Filter Message on EVIC

[2013megacab]

Can't see what I'm typing in the Title Block.

A month or so ago I took my 2013 in for service and asked them to check the air filter. They said it was fine. Today, maybe 2000 miles later, I get an MIL light and an EVIC message about every 2 or three minutes saying "Service Air Filter". I'm fine with getting one and installing it, but given that dealer said it was OK a few miles back, is this a sign of something more serious?

Thanks,

Al

 

[Bob4x4]

My first thought would be to look at it yourself.It is tough to condemn an expensive part sometimes.But you may have also picked up some debris that has created an issue.I would also make sure you have the latest software for your pcm and that you do not have any dtc's

 

[2013megacab]

My first thought would be to look at it yourself.It is tough to condemn an expensive part sometimes.But you may have also picked up some debris that has created an issue.I would also make sure you have the latest software for your pcm and that you do not have any dtc's

Good guess. I opened it up and there were several pieces of black plastic film in there. They were formed into a shape like the inside of corrugated cardboard, presumably from heat and suction against the bottom of the filter.

I need a new one for dirt and some oily residue but hopefully it is all OK. What was there was probably enough to obstruct about 25% of the filter area.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Al

 

[Jared Herzog]

If i remember correctly, and i may not, these trucks have a corrugated cardboard sort of pipe feeding air to the filter box from the fender. This pipe starts to degrade and collapse. This causes enough restriction to throw the code even with a new filter. Now, to be honest this issue may pertain to a different make which i owned in the past and not a Ram. I will check mine out tonight to see if in fact these trucks have the corrugated pipe. It is inside the wheel liner and can be removed and replaced.

 

[Bob4x4]

yes,we have a door in the air box that chooses where to pull the air in.In the first years of it's use it was indeed made out of a paper based material.When wet it could collapse under high suction.The current year uses a more robust material to prevent this from happening

 

[2013megacab]

Update - After cleaning out the plastic film pieces and clearing codes, we drove to friend's house about 1 hour roundtrip with no codes and thought the problem was fixed. Next day we headed out towing the trailer and after about twenty minutes it threw the codes again. I stopped and bought a new filter and cleared the codes again. We headed out and towed for an hour before the codes came back. When we arrived I opened up the filter housing and there were no more pieces of plastic film. I observed a mechanism that closed an air door at the front of the housing, maybe warm air from behind the radiator, and simultaneously opened a door to a tube going into the fender well (cold air intake?) The end of a grey foam strip was sticking out of the fender well door. Feeling aorund it seemed like it was supposed to be glued into a space between two small ridges inside the duct. I pressed it back into place, but if it came loose once, it will again and it may or may not have been jamming the door. I have an appointment Wednesday at a nearby dealership to get it looked at.

Al

 

[2013megacab]

If i remember correctly, and i may not, these trucks have a corrugated cardboard sort of pipe feeding air to the filter box from the fender. This pipe starts to degrade and collapse. This causes enough restriction to throw the code even with a new filter. Now, to be honest this issue may pertain to a different make which i owned in the past and not a Ram. I will check mine out tonight to see if in fact these trucks have the corrugated pipe. It is inside the wheel liner and can be removed and replaced.

Nailed It!!!!

Apparently not upgraded by 2013. Dealer tech just took the tube out. It goes down behind the wheel well liner to nowhere. Their standard process is to just take it out. I'll check with my dealer when I get home.

Al

 

[smittyd174]

Something else to check is the rubber tube that goes from the filter box to the turbo.The rubber is plyable and can collapse if you happened to lean on it while in that area.Also check motorcity mechanic.com he did a video on that subject

 

[smittyd174]

Something else to check is the rubber tube that goes from the filter box to the turbo.The rubber is plyable and can collapse if you happened to lean on it while in that area.Also check motorcity mechanic.com he did a video on that subject

 

[sag2]

There is a Star case or TSB for exactly what you describe. I just saw it a couple weeks ago.