Do you see oil spots on your carport? Do you smell burned oil after you return from the grocery store? Is there light blue smoke sneaking from underneath the hood? There are several reasons for this. Let's talk about the most common. There is a small round cylinder which is pushed into a rubber grommet on one of the rocker arm covers. It has a rubber hose on it that goes to the intake manifold. It's called a PCV Valve. It stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. Its purpose in life is to remove the excess pressure in the engine and send it through the intake where it can go out the exhaust. If it gets stopped up it can't perform its duties. They do get stopped up quite often. The excess pressure in the engine will push itself out at the weakest points: the rocker arm cover gaskets; the front oil seal; the rear oil seal, etc. It is a good idea to change this valve at each tune-up or when you have the gaskets or seals replaced. It doesn't cost much, it's easy to replace, and it can save you a lot of money. Plus, you won't have to clean your carport so much. |
