PCV Valve Service at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak in Royal Oak
May 15, 2016
Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. Unburnt fuel is forced into the crankcase as your engine runs. The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve vents this unburnt fuel and oil vapors from the crankcase and sends it back into the air intake system to be burned in the engine. A clogged PCV will not allow these vapors to escape. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause vehicle engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak. At high speeds on Michigan freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.
Back in the old days, vehicles were simply installed with a hose that vented these gases out into the atmosphere. But starting in the 1964 model year, environmental protection laws required that these gases be recycled back into the air intake system to be mixed with fuel and burned in the vehicle's engine.
This is much better for air quality and improves fuel economy also. (Budget-conscious Royal Oak drivers take note!) The little valve that performs this important function is the PCV valve. The PCV valve lets gases out of the engine, but won't let anything back in. Over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won't work well. That can lead to all of the problems I've already described, oil leaks, excessive oil consumption and decreased fuel economy.
Fortunately, it's very easy to test the PCV Valve at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak in Royal Oak and quick and inexpensive to replace. Even so, it's often overlooked because many Royal Oak vehicle owners don't know about it. Check your vehicle owner's manual or ask your Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak service advisor. If this is the first time you've heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a replacement.
There's another aspect to the PCV system. In order for the valve to work correctly, it needs a little clean air to come in. This is done through a breather tube that gets some filtered air from the engine air filter. Now some vehicles have a small separate air filter for the breather tube called the breather element. That'll need to be replaced at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak when it gets dirty.
Please ask your Royal Oak service advisor about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals in Royal Oak, you can avoid some very engine repairs.
Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak
3110 Rochester Rd
Royal Oak, Michigan 48073
248-585-0980
http://www.toptechautorepairroyaloak.com
Need Service?
More articles from Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak

Getting from E to F (Fuel Gauge Problems)
April 27, 2025
Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't until it doesn't work any more. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail. And when yours stops working, you will probably... More

A Fluid Situation (Check Fluid Levels)
April 20, 2025
There's one fluid in your car you are always careful to keep at a certain level: the fuel. If you don't have fuel, you're not going anywhere. Your vehicle has other fluids which are vitally important to proper and safe operation, too. So, here's a "level" headed approach to those "other" fluids... More

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT STEERING (Loose Steering)
April 13, 2025
Perhaps you've heard someone use the term "loose steering." And it's pretty much what it sounds like. You turn the steering wheel and the vehicle's wheels don't seem to go exactly where you thought you were pointing them. You have to constantly make steering adjustments. Loose steering is slop... More