Broken PCV Valve – Full Information
A Positive Ventilation Valve or the Broken PCV Valve of a car is an important component. We can relate PCV Valve with the crankcase ventilation system. During the internal combustion process, there are some gases that form inside the engine compartment then these gases are redirected to the exhaust system by the exhaust valve. The catalytic converter which is present in the exhaust system directly converts these types of toxic gases into the less toxic ones. From there these gases move towards the tailpipe and then are directly released into the air. It Is a well-known fact that nothing exists in this universe with 100 percent accuracy.
In the case of the catalytic converter, it can not convert all the toxic gases into lesser toxic ones. There are even a few percentages of toxic fumes coming out of the exhaust pipes. A small percent of toxic gases escape from the combustion chamber because of minor leakage. After that these toxic gases go to the engine compartment. As a result of which they start residing in between the cylinder wall and its piston ring. If these gases tend towards staying there then it may cause your engine to ultimately get damaged because of the immense pressure created by them in the engine. So here we will discuss the broken PCV Valve.
Symptoms of a Broken PCV Valve
To make your car environment friendly and cleanest emission possible you should have PCV Valve in a working state. Although PCV valves can be non-functional after some years of continuous use. That’s the main reason why you should recognize these symptoms to find out if your Valve is ill or not. Where most of these are not very difficult to identify. Even though identifying these symptoms, will also help you protect your car from further damage due to damage caused by these gases.
Too much oil consumption and leak
If PCV Pipe is non-functional then it may result in leakage and excessive oil consumption. You can also notice it by the fact that your garage contains few drops of oil on your floor. This is due to the fact that the crankcase has increased pressure due to the failure of the PCV Valve. Which gives a push to the oil to get away through the seals and gaskets due to the immense pressure created. This leakage in your car will make your car drink more and more fuel. If any of these cases happen with your car then contact a mechanic or replace the PCV Valve.
Have a look at your engine light
Generally, your engine control unit is in direct contact with your oxygen sensors. When your PCV Valve goes wrong it makes the engine consume more oil as well as increases the air intake by the car. As a result sensors in your car will transfer this information into the engine control unit. Which may result in a warning of gas leak will display in your dashboard. Then you need to scan your car for any of the stored faults codes through an OBD2 scan tool. After which you may result in getting a PCV Valve-specific code or some common codes like P0171 or P0174. In this PCV failure can be one of the reasons for the code.
Contamination in the filters
A Filter or a Breather element can become contaminated by oil and hydrocarbons when PCV does not work well. As the increase in pressure of the crankcase due to which water vapor pushes towards the filter element. After which water gets diluted into the air which can result in an increase in fuel consumption. You can inspect this issue physically by checking the filter element of your car. The simplest way to do that is to check the gas mileage of your vehicle. If the mileage of your car goes down without any major reason then your PCV may be doing wrong.
Poor performance of your car
As your PCV Valve gets wrong then the performance of your vehicle gets on decreasing. As the pressure build-up in the exhaust or the engine may get some damage. If you have a wrong PCV Valve then it may let oxygen enter directly into the combustion chamber. Because of which the fuel and air get to mix with each other which results in poor performance or can damage your vehicle properly.
Sludge formation
The leakage of these toxic gases from the engine combustion unit causes the mixture to settle between the cylinder wall and piston from where they get mixed with the oil. Diluting oil with toxic gases makes a formula known as sludge. The sludge will continuously build up until it damages your engine. You can not easily see the sludge formation in your system until you inspect engine oil or see it by yourself.
Cost of Broken PCV Valve replacement
You can easily replace a PCV Valve as it does not really cost that much. The average price for replacing one can cost you anywhere from $35 to $75. The major part of PCV only costs around $10 to $15. If you are willing to replace one by yourself then it will only gonna cost you some pennies as you are cutting the labor cost associated with it. Else you should be ready to be charged more as a mechanic may take anywhere from $25 to $60 for the same work.
This is not too much money but instead more than the price of the major part. If you do not have experience in auto parts then don’t perform it anyway as you may damage your engine or hurt yourself. You should replace your PCV Valve after every thirty thousand miles. Replacing an item like PCV Valve means maintaining your vehicle to last longer.
Conclusion
You can not drive your car with a broken PCV Valve as driving with one for more than 12 hours is a very risky thing to do. As the Positive ventilation valve or the PCV Valve transfers excess fumes from inside of the crankcase into the intake manifold from where these gases can be used in a similar fashion as the fuel. This mechanism of the vehicle allows it to use gases in the most suitable manner. It’s really a good tip to replace this broken component before making any plan for a longer road trip. Your mechanic can explain to you even better why you need to replace your PCV Valve before any long trip. Although you can also compare a process such as fuel economy directly with the PCV. As it can be very effective in reducing your gas bill.
