Still Smoking after PCV replacement

BlackThunder · Post by **BlackThunder** » 31 Jul 2025, 10:25

2013 C30 125,000 miles

I have been taking my car for the past few years to a local shop that does European cars. They work on lots of Volvos.

Ok, i have been having an issue with puffs of blue smoke at start up for years. Used to be only on really cold days. Then, this past summer, it seemed to be all the time at start up. So I spoke to the shop and they suggested a PCV replacement. This has never been done on this car and I have owned it since 2013. So I said, let's do it!

Now the car is smoking all the time. Blue smoke. Oil. This is very frustrating. AND it cost me $741. The shop seems to not know why this is happening. Any suggestions here could maybe point them at someting to look at?

Side note: I remember when I first had to take this car back to the dealership when it was under warranty in 2014 Winter and having the first time seeing the blue smoke. So this has been going on but not this badly for the past 12 years. I had the same shop replace the ETM about 2 years ago because the car would randomly not start in the super cold temps. Not sure any of that helps but the more context the better.

Help me MVS, you're my only hope

I love this car and don't want to have to get a new one. Could this be piston rings? I've never had a car that needed that. Probably time for new plugs too? Only 125,000 miles.

Thank you!

Dustin

Post by **scot850** » 31 Jul 2025, 17:21

Valve stem seals. Use only Volvo seals. Also check the turbo seals are still good if your car is a turbo.

Neil.

BlackThunder · Post by **BlackThunder** » 31 Jul 2025, 21:49

Thanks Neil. I drove the car back to the mechanic and left it with them. It is smoking so much that it is really annoying to drive and it is polluting more!

Are valve stem seals an expensive job? The exhaust pipes were still smoking when the car was off

Anyway, the mechanic said they would try and fit it in to look at it and see what the next course of action is. I don't think they did anything wrong I think the problem just got worse with a new breather system somehow, I guess?

Dustin

Post by **Krons** » 31 Jul 2025, 22:28

Another option for piston rings sticking is Valvoline Restore and Protect engine oil. Not sure if your engine has given any indications of sludge buildup but this has helped some engines.

Your issue seems to be something mechanically wrong to have that much smoke.

Post by **scot850** » 01 Aug 2025, 08:14

The cost of valve stem seal replacement depends on the skills of the mechanic. Some can replace without removing the cylinder head. If the head has to come off it might be cheaper to find another car.

If your car is throwing out that much smoke, as Krons says, something else is wrong. Valve stem seals tend to smoke when the car starts due to oil leaking down the valve stems and then burning off on start up. You will also get puffs of smoke on hard deceleration and acceleration as internal engine pressure pushes oil past the seals. If it is smoking all the time, then the issue may still have seals for the original post, but if it is worse since the shop worked on it they have added something to the mix.

Neil.

BlackThunder · Post by **BlackThunder** » 01 Aug 2025, 08:20

Ugh. Great. I know this car is 12 years old but I don't want to get another car now. The mechanic did mention something about how piston rings and stem seals would be expensive. Would this be something that the shop would do at the same time? Replace the piston rings and the valve stem seals? Since the block would already be open? Might as well replace the head gasket at that point too? Boo, this is getting expensive fast.

But after the PCV was replaced it is just smoking so much that it is too much when driving. Prior to all of this it was only puffing oil at start up on cold days. The shop had said that replacing the PCV was sort of the "cheapest first step" at $750. I felt that was reasonable. I guess I should have just left it alone and dealt with the puffs of smoke.

Dustin

Post by **scot850** » 01 Aug 2025, 19:22

If it was not smoking to this extent before it went to the shop, then something they have done has caused this I would suggest. It is unusual unless the car has been ragged on constantly for rings to have failed at this mileage. And why did it worse after a repair that should have reduced the issue?

Neil.

BlackThunder · Post by **BlackThunder** » 01 Aug 2025, 20:11

Correct, Neil. I drive this car gently. 32-34MPG average on most tanks of gas. I hardly ever drive it hard. I did try to drive it hard - the mechanic suggested that I do this (drive it hard to get the oil to burn out presumably). I left the car with the mechanic yesterday and I told them they can have it until Tuesday.

They said they would develop a game plan. And they said they'd check over their work too

I told them I trust them and trust the process.

Sigh.

Dustin

Post by **scot850** » 04 Aug 2025, 19:15

I wish you luck!

If you told me the bottom end was knocking, then I'd be less surprised.

Neil.

BlackThunder · Post by **BlackThunder** » 04 Aug 2025, 21:08

I got a call from the mechanic today. They said they think the part might be faulty since no vacuum was being made. So they are ordering a new breather system, bench testing it to make sure everything works and then putting it in the car.

They are only using Volvo parts but k wonder if they should use a different brand?

Hopefully I'll get the car back by Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. I just hope they can drive it and that is working as it should. The first day I got it back it felt like it was idling smoother. But when I dropped it off it was definitely not as smooth. Plenty of oil in the engine (and out the tailpipe)

I'll let you all know how it goes. Hopefully this fixes it and they don't have to do the valve seals or piston rings. There was t any knocking at all.

Dustin