Back to all

Royal Oak Drivers: Is It Time to Replace Your PCV Valve?

January 8, 2018

drive

The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine.


When you are diving around Royal Oak, fuel is burned in your vehicle engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase.

Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge. Sludge is like Vaseline and clogs passages in the engine, leading to damage.

Also, the pressure build up would blow out seals and gaskets. So in the old days, there was just a hose that vented the crankcase out into the air. Obviously, not good for our air quality in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Enter the PCV valve. It's a small, one-way valve that lets out the gases from the crankcase and routes them back into the air intake system where they are re-burned in the engine. Fresh air comes into the crankcase through a breather tube. This makes for good circulation in the crankcase. And that gets the air out. As you can imagine, however, the valve gets gummed up over time.

Your vehicle manufacturer usually recommends they be changed somewhere between 20,000 to 50,000 miles/30,000 to 80,000 kilometers. Unfortunately, PCV valve replacement is left out of some vehicle owner's manuals, but your friendly service advisor at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak, we will make sure your PVC is replaced if needed.

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

Steering You Right (Power Steering Signs of Problems)

February 16, 2025

Nearly every modern vehicle on the road today has power steering, a wonderful invention that makes steering take far less effort than it did in the "good old days." Today, we take our steering for granted: until something goes wrong, that is. Most power steering these days is rack-and-pinion, th... More

Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak Alternator Replacement Service in Royal Oak

February 9, 2025

Your vehicle alternator doesn't get enough credit. Though your battery gets your engine started, after that it's all about the alternator. Driving around Royal Oak is a lot of work for your alternator, and as upgrades such as heated steering wheels, cooled seats, stability control and lane de... More

Automotive Tips from Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak: Battery Testing

February 2, 2025

The simple fact is that 70% of car batteries fail within 4 years. They just need to be replaced at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak when they are no longer able to hold a full charge.Batteries are a big ticket item for most Royal Oak drivers and its tempting to put off buying a new one as long as p... More