October 20, 2024
Your gasoline engine goes through some exhausting work. Yes, it's truly exhausting, as in: it produces exhaust! And when your engine starts behaving like it's exhausted, such as running poorly or getting lousy fuel economy, the trouble may be something called a PCV valve.
Did you know it's a series of explosions that creates the power in your engine? The spark plugs ignite a mixture of gasoline and air and BANG! A whole bunch of those and you're engine is humming away. Leftover vapors from those explosions go into your crankcase, which is also a place where engine oil goes. Those vapors still have a lot of unburned fuel in them, and if they had nowhere to go, they'd turn your oil into a thick mess called sludge, not good for a smooth running engine.
Engineers came up with an idea. Re-direct those gasses building up in the crankcase into the engine's air intake and mix them with fresh air. That way the unburned fuel could go through the engine again and produce power. It also means the unburned fuel doesn't pollute the air. The part that makes that happen is called the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve.
Besides reducing pollution and preventing the oil from turning to sludge, the PCV valve also relieves pressure in the crankcase, reducing the potential for oil to leak. One of the reasons you should get your oil changed as frequently as your vehicle's manufacturer recommends is that it helps reduce chances for problems with the PCV valve.
After a while, the PCV valve can itself get gummed up and stick, and the driver may notice oil leaks, reduced power or engine hesitation. That's why it's important to make sure the PCV valve is operating like it should, and often it can be diagnosed during a visual inspection by our technicians. Replacing a PCV valve is usually quick and inexpensive. After it's done, your vehicle will run with the performance and fuel economy you're used to. Goodbye exhaustion!
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Grandview
1524 W. Fifth Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43212
614-487-8776
http://www.tuffycolumbus-fifthave.com
June 9, 2025
If your vehicles power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicles engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate. You need U-joints because the surfa... More
June 2, 2025
Let's face it. Vehicles are complicated machines, each having thousands of parts. And since they're subjected to heat, cold, vibrations, bumps and much more, these parts wear out and need to be replaced. When your service advisor says you need a new part, you may have many options. Let's say ... More
May 26, 2025
So winter has arrived and you don't feel confident in how your 2-wheel drive vehicle does in the snow and ice. You envy all those people with all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 4-wheel-drive (4WD) cars, trucks and SUVs. You start thinking, "I need one of those. I'll be able to go anywhere without any w... More