Checking to see if PCV working

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 31 Mar 2010, 14:50

I heard that you can check to see if your PCV system is working (i think mine is not) by seeing if any smoke comes out of the dipstick while the engine is running. Also, you can hold the oil filler cap and kind of hover it over where it goes and see if there's any sort of vacuum that pulls the cap into place.

My car is showing smoke out of the dipstick hole (with the stick removed and engine running) as well as no vacuum while hovering the oil cap.

Do you guys think this means PCV problem for sure?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 31 Mar 2010, 14:59

With the oil cap sealed, engine on, stick a balloon over the dipstick tube and see if it inflates. If it inflates you need to service the PCV system.

...Lee

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 31 Mar 2010, 16:08

Thanks Lee, that is a lot easier to decipher the results than the other two tests (i.e. go or no go). It's pretty easy to tell if a balloon is inflating or not

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 01 Apr 2010, 11:54

I tried it with a glove (no balloon handy) tied with some string over the dipstick tube, and it was fully inflated by the time I had walked from the drivers seat to the front of the car. Suspicions confirmed

thanks