How does a PCV breather work?
Positive Crankcase Ventilation is a system that was developed to remove harmful vapors from the engine and to prevent those vapors from being expelled into the atmosphere. The PCV system does this by using manifold vacuum to draw vapors from the crankcase into the intake manifold.
What happens when a positive crankcase ventilation ( PCV ) system goes bad?
A Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system regulates the vacuum pull through its crankcase. Once the vacuum gets higher than desired at idle, the PCV valve shuts off and stops that vacuum. The drop in vacuum leads to an increase in RPM, which in turn allows more gas to be pulled in. What happens when a PCV valve goes bad?
How can I tell if my PCV valve is bad?
The source of the noise can be tested by blocking the vacuum source to the valve and listening for changes to the noise. A bad PCV valve, can in some vehicles, cause oil to blow onto the air filter element. If you see a dirty or oily spot near to the PCV inlet hose, then this is an indication of a bad PCV valve.
How does the PCV valve system actually work?
Knowing how the PCV valve actually works, is the first step in diagnosing a bad or failing one. When your engine is running, thousands of powerful explosions take place to release the fuel energy; producing highly toxic and harmful gases. As a result, in 1961, the PCV valve system was introduced, to deal with this problem.
What happens if the PCV system is not working?
Internal parts, not protected by the engine oil, will begin to rust and/or corrode. This will happen due to the water and acids that will become trapped within the crankcase. If the (PCV) system is not functioning properly, the flow of crankcase vapors will not be properly metered.
How does the positive crankcase ventilation ( PCV ) system work?
Vapor is then carried with the fuel/air mixture into the combustion chambers where it is burned. The flow or circulation within the system is controlled by the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve. The (PCV) valve is effective as both a crankcase ventilation system and as a pollution control device.
Internal parts, not protected by the engine oil, will begin to rust and/or corrode. This will happen due to the water and acids that will become trapped within the crankcase. If the (PCV) system is not functioning properly, the flow of crankcase vapors will not be properly metered.
Where does fresh air come from with a PCV valve?
With a PCV valve gases are fed back into the intake manifold as part of a fresh charge of air and fuel. This is accomplished by drawing in a clean source of fresh air via a breather. On a V-8 the typical fresh air source is the opposite valve cover from the PCV valve.
How often should you check your PCV valve?
Inspecting Your PCV Valve. Unfortunately, many car manufactures are not strict about PCV system maintenance. Some suggest servicing the system every 20,000 or 50,000 miles. However, a more frequent system inspection helps prevent costly repairs and keep the engine running smoothly.