V70 P2 PCV breather hose replacement on a non-turbo engine

[BeginnerVolvo]

Good day, gentlemen,

A few weeks ago, I bought a 2006 Volvo V70 with the naturally aspirated 2.4L B5244S2 engine. This is my first Volvo, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of the platform, and my goal is to gradually take on basic maintenance and repair tasks myself.

Recently, I discovered that the hose running from the cylinder head to the oil separator (part of the PCV system) is completely broken in half:


Despite this, the car has been running fine, with no obvious symptoms. After some research, I suspect this issue is related to the PCV system. Given the age of the vehicle and the fact that it has had around 15 previous owners, I have no service history regarding whether the PCV system has ever been cleaned or replaced. So far, I’ve only done an oil change and replaced the timing belt kit.

From what I’ve gathered on forums and YouTube, the proper fix would be to remove the intake manifold and replace the entire PCV system. However, I also found posts suggesting that non-turbo engines (like mine) are less prone to PCV clogging, and that the hose may have simply failed due to age or poor material quality. So I’m wondering if replacing just the broken hose be enough for now?

I removed the broken hose pieces and tried the “glove test,” but the result was inconclusive. The glove was neither inflating or being sucked in. Possibly because the hose was missing.

I came across several posts claiming that the breather hose can be replaced by reaching under the intake manifold, but most of these were related to turbo engines. Since the layout differs slightly on NA models, I haven’t found specific information for my setup. When I tried accessing the hose from underneath, I just couldn’t get enough clearance.

So here’s my main question:
Has anyone here successfully replaced the PCV breather hose on a non-turbo 2.4 NA engine without removing the intake manifold?

If it is possible, are there any components I could remove to make access easier? For example, would removing the radiator fan help?


I’d prefer to replace the hose first and re-test the PCV system (glove test) before committing to a full PCV system overhaul. If the glove test fails after the hose is installed, then I’ll go ahead and do the complete service properly.

Apologies if this question has been asked before - I tried searching but couldn’t find anything specific to the NA engine configuration.

Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experience.

[cn90]

I replaced by reaching under IM, no need to remove the IM.
Leave the cosmetic cover off the car (easier if you need access to the hose and ignition coils).
I wrote it in XC90 forum.
Similar idea turbo or non turbo.
Use only Genuine Volvo parts,

[chrism]

“Just Maybe” it would help to remove the throttle body and the intake duct (the throttle body may need to be cleaned anyway) and “Just maybe” you can reach your right hand/arm under the intake manifold to disconnect/reconnect the hose from the top of the separator box.

[BeginnerVolvo]

Thanks guys.
I finally had time to attempt the repair and it was successful. Access was very limited for my thick arm, but I managed to replace the hose without removing the intake manifold. I only removed intake duct and radiator fan though I think the latter was unnecessary.

Edit: glove test passed

[chrism]

Well done!

[scot850]

Agreed, well done. I have only done this twice, both times on turbo cars. 2nd time I had the help of a young guy helping on his car. Fortunately he was slim and had smaller hands allowing him to get into tighten the pipe clamp on the PCV catch can.

Neil.

[jonesg]

nice to know.!

[tomox]

i had the same issue identical to this.

[DavidE7]

i had the same issue identical to this.

Make sure you run the glove test after replacing a broken PCV hose. I had the diaphragm at the PCV trap stop working and then the glove test fails when the rest of the PCV system is leak free.