Use current location
Your car is something that you rely on every day. It is designed to get you safely and comfortably from point A to point B, but its ability to do that is very dependent on how well it is taken care of, making regular servicing incredibly important.
One part that can be damaged and go bad outside of your regular service schedule is the PCV valve. In this article, you will find out more information about the PCV valve, the signs to look for if it has been damaged, and the negative impacts a bad PCV valve can have on your car.
PCV formally stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The PCV is the oldest and most widely used emissions system in cars. So no matter what vehicle you drive, it is safe to say that you have a PCV system, which means that you also have a PCV valve.
The PCV valve is responsible for eliminating crankcase emissions. This is done by diverting these emissions back to the intake to be used again. The emissions are directed into another engine cycle for combustion. This ultimately leads to cleaner engine emissions because more of the fuel to air mixture is being used.
The majority of PCV valves are made the same. The PCV valve consists of two hosing connectors with a one-way spring-loaded valve inside of the connectors. When your vehicle is idling, a large vacuum is created, which helps to divert the emissions even when you are traveling at a slower speed. As you start to drive faster, the PCV valve opens up even more and can redirect a larger amount of emissions back to the engine.
The first indication that there is something wrong with the PCV valve is an illuminated check engine light. The check engine light is responsible for alerting the driver to an issue under the hood. As the PCV valve helps to increase engine efficiency and reduce harmful emissions, when it goes bad it is the check engine light that will communicate this to you. The only way to know that the check engine light is referring to the PCV valve is to have a trusted technician read the error code from the engine control module.
Another sign that will alert you to a bad PCV valve is increased oil consumption and oil leaks. Over time, the PCV valve hoses can become blocked by built-up moisture causing high pressure to be built up in the engine crankcase. The only way for this high pressure to escape is up through the cylinders and out of the gaskets, thus causing the gaskets to lose their seals. Oil is now able to leak out of the gaskets because the seal has been ruptured.
The greater the pressure, the greater the oil leak. In turn, the engine will attempt to use more oil to make up for the leaks that are occurring. All of this because the PCV valve was blocked by moisture.
The two main issues that you will see happen to your car when
you have a bad PCV valve are rough idles and a lean air to fuel mixture. These two problems cause an issue with the air intake due to the bad PCV valve.
Many of the symptoms of a faulty PCV valveare the same as an intake air leak. This means that both instances will cause an imbalance in the overall performance of your car. With a rough idle, the PCV valve is not allowing enough air to return to the combustion chamber, creating a rough idle as the levels are imbalanced.
The second damaging issue is a lean air-to-fuel mixture. Again, this is an imbalance in the fuel to air ratio and can lead to great damage occurring in the engine because of misfires.
The best way to address a bad PCV valve is to have it replaced. The best place to do this is at Huron Automotivein Green Bay, WI. Here, we have trained and certified techniciansthat are able and willing to provide your vehicle with the best service available. We will quickly diagnose the issue with our diagnostic tools and have all necessary parts replaced to get you safely back on the road. Contact us today for a convenient appointment.
Please click anywhere to continue browsing our site.