A Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve (PCV) like every other compartment of automobiles, is effective in the event of a struggle-free ride for every potential automobile user.
If ever there is a part that requires a consistent culture of maintenance and proper surveillance, it is the PCV Valve; hence, to give a thorough inspection to it is vital. But the question is, how much oil can a bad PCV valve burn?
A Bad PCV Valve can burn as much oil as contained in the oil pan attached to the bottom of the engine. The oil consumption rate could increase to 10%, dependent on how frequently the vehicle is set in motion.
What is a PCV Valve?
A PCV Valve is a part of a Crankcase Ventilation System, which functions to control emissions, relieving the crankcase of potential pressure which may build up in it. This Crankcase Ventilation System usually consists of tubes, a one-way valve (the PCV), and a vacuum source.
The PCV Valve collects the gases which escape from the Piston rings and cylinders into the crankcase and channels these gases straight into the combustion chambers of the automobile’s engine.
While this is done, the gases burn safely there (not released to the outer world as pollution) without the car’s user, the automobile itself, or its passing environment being exposed to the risk of a potential hazard.
Can a Bad PCV Valve Burn Oil?
Yes! A Bad PCV Valve can burn oil. A PCV Valve is said to be bad where its spring or ring, which prevents high engine vacuum, allowing for the passage of air, fails.
Where this spring fails, the PCV Valve becomes open- stuck open. Then rather than air, it sucks oil into and burns it in the engine.
It then becomes that a Valve that should prevent high oil consumption and oil leaks, itself, turns out to be the route of consumption and potential hazard to one and many because of its bad state.
How Much Oil Can a Bad PCV Valve Burn?
From research, it is in doubt if there is any generally binding quantity of the oil that a bad Valve can burn. It is subject to the wide variance in engine abilities and capabilities.
However, it is interesting to know that a lousy Valve (PCV), if not checked, can burn all the oil in a car depending on how frequently the vehicle is used with the Valve unfixed.
The above, in essence, implies the nature of PCV Valve oil consumption as being relative- a relative subject.
A vehicle’s PCV can be bad, yet not consume its oil, if such automobile is not in use- may be just parked in a garage or someplace. Since the car is not at work, no oil or fuel would be consumed.
What Causes PCV Valve To Burn Oil?
A PCV Valve burns oil when it is bad. Being bad reflects a failure of the springs in it, which causes it to burn oil. Where the springs fail, the Valve becomes incapable of controlling emission, thus ultimately resulting in oil consumption.
The Valve is spring-loaded, and the spring is very light, hence, its vulnerability to damage.
Precisely, it must be noted that the vulnerability of the Valve does not mean it is often damaged as every part of any automobile is prone to damage on the occasion of negligence or more.
What Causes PCV To Go Bad?
Many possibilities can inform the damage of a PCV. Instances include:
1. Neglect
Neglect is a common phenomenon in the history of humans and automobiles. Though it may not be a practice of every user, research has it that neglect causes PCV Valves to go bad.
Ideally, users must master that proper and adequate maintenance lengthens every automobile’s span of health and operation in parts and as a whole.
The above reiterates that no part, however hidden or small, is deserving of neglect. No! If it exists in the automobile, then it can be reached because it must have been placed there by human hands or, at most, human knowledge. It thus can be attended to and must be taken care of in time.
2. Leakage
Yes, leakage. It is an outflow- an escape of gases in an automobile, between a Piston and its cylinder wall headed into the crankcase. It could be sticky and hot.
Can a Bad PCV Valve Cause a Low Oil Pressure?
Yes! If it is a bad PCV Valve, then yes.
This effect is more like an indirect chain effect: The PCV goes bad, oil is burnt, oil pressure is reduced. Simply put, pressure works on the available oil in the first place. Thus, where oil has been consumed, oil pressure becomes lacking.
Benefits of Having a Good PCV Valve
A good PCV Valve is as essential to the automobile as the fuel is. Its availability in a good state in the car is as good as the automobile itself; hence, its most enduring benefit is regarding:
1. Oil Consumption Regulation
Where PCV Valve passes for good, oil consumption answers a regulated condition. The automobile engine would not have to burn oil in really excessive aggression.
2. Less Pressure in the Crankcase
A good PCV Valve relieves the crankcase of the pressure that may build up in it. This undoubtedly assures safe riding and landing with reasonable mitigation of possible risk.
3. Speed Accuracy
In the face of a good PCV Valve alongside the excellent condition of all other parts of an automobile, a user can enjoy speedy access to destinations and travel at any time of the day, without the fear of intending automobile breakdown.
Dangers of Having a Bad PCV Valve
The imminent dangers from having a bad PCV Valve are:
1. Engine Oil Contamination
Where the PCV is bad, the oil can be contaminated by dirt, fuel, metal particles, or the accumulation of other contaminants in the oil. This is a harrowing ordeal to the engine of the automobile.
2. Increased Fuel Consumption
This is evident in that the engine is reliant on fuel to work. Once the engine begins to burn oil, your gas mileage or fuel consumption rate is high.
3. Sludge Build-up
It could be like wet mud, soft or thick. Sludge could be a viscous mixture of components- liquid or solid.
Whichever state it comes in, it is dangerous to the automobile. Its build-up is already an intrusion to passages that should make for unrestricted airflow.
4. Leakage
Otherwise referred to as oil leaks, leakage is inimical to the general usable state of an automobile. A bad PCV Valve does not take long to give rise to oil leaks which more often than not spells the doom of such engine from the incipience of the leak.
Final Thoughts
The subject of Positive Crankcase Ventilation- PCV Valve is primarily a field of exciting knowledge. With cheerful insight as to the possibility of a bad PCV Valve to burn oil, it is worthy of note that the lesson encoded in this topic of research, in clear terms, is: “Do not keep a bad PCV.”
The user has availed quite many favorable dispositions to the degree of a good one. To the extent of a bad Valve, the user may have an utterly nonfunctional automobile to worry over. The latter is relieving if the car does not crash by the roadside, on a cold night.
