Loose air intake bolt, uh oh!

[LeakySeals]

Just finished a TB/MAF cleaning on my 02 Camry. While taking the factory air the intake off, I noticed one of the 2 bolts that sandwich the air intake, the air filter and the base was not tight. Looks like the threads corroded and it somehow popped loose! What was troubling was a small amount of dust on the clean air side of the air intake near where the bolt was loose. Enough dust to stick to the air intake. Not a lot, but seeing any freaked me out! I have not opened the air intake in a long time. Since the new air filter last fall. So between then and now the bolt became loose.

Has anyone else seen dust on the clean side of the air intake after the filter? Car runs as good as ever, oil change next week. Anything I can do or be worried about?

 

[Drew99GT]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if your location doesn't have a lot of dust in the air.; when I was younger and my father took his 98 Blazer in for oil changes etc., I routinely found the air filter housing not even installed correctly and with it sucking lots of air past the filter. This truck was operated on dirt roads a lot and we recently sold it with 230,000 miles and it was still running just fine.

Check out this article from Click and Clack.

Subaru with no air filter

 

[mechtech2]

Tighten and seal what you can, and clean the MAF with spray MAF cleaner.
It is rare to see appreciable amounts of dust upstream in an intake tube.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If the loose bolt is on the front of air box facing front bumper, a lot more dirt got in the air intake than if the loose bolt is on the back of the air box.

You should check the tightness of that bolt every month for several months to be sure it will not get loose again.

 

[abycat]

I would definately fix it but not worry about it. My truck came with a k&n and when i inspected the intake ducting it was all coated with a pretty thick layer of dust. It runs like a top and has had no wear from anything let alone dust so id say loose no sleep.

 

[TallPaul]

send in an oil sample for analysis, see if you get higher metals. I had the pcv hose sucking dirty air in a construction zone for a whole summer and my lead was llike 475 ppm. I don't think you have anything like that, smaller leak, not in construction zone, but an oil analysis would give you some peace of mind knowing the numbers are not bad.

 

[simple_gifts]

With your handle, what do you expect?

 

[LeakySeals]

The oil has 6100 on it. I better dump it. Off to Walmart.