Back to all

Lehigh Acres Drivers: Is It Time to Replace Your PCV Valve?

December 11, 2022

drive

The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine.


When you are diving around Lehigh Acres, fuel is burned in your vehicle engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase.

Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge. Sludge is like Vaseline and clogs passages in the engine, leading to damage.

Also, the pressure build up would blow out seals and gaskets. So in the old days, there was just a hose that vented the crankcase out into the air. Obviously, not good for our air quality in Lehigh Acres, FL.

Enter the PCV valve. It's a small, one-way valve that lets out the gases from the crankcase and routes them back into the air intake system where they are re-burned in the engine. Fresh air comes into the crankcase through a breather tube. This makes for good circulation in the crankcase. And that gets the air out. As you can imagine, however, the valve gets gummed up over time.

Your vehicle manufacturer usually recommends they be changed somewhere between 20,000 to 50,000 miles/30,000 to 80,000 kilometers. Unfortunately, PCV valve replacement is left out of some vehicle owner's manuals, but your friendly service advisor at Tuffy Lehigh Acres, we will make sure your PVC is replaced if needed.

Tuffy Lehigh Acres
1209 Homestead Rd. N
Lehigh Acres, FL 33936
239-303-0033

More articles from Tuffy Lehigh Acres

Singing a Different Tune (Up) (Tune Ups)

September 8, 2025

Engines required a lot more maintenance in earlier times. You'd have to have your spark plugs, wires, rotors, caps, distributor points, fuel and air filters changed periodically. There were mechanical adjustments of a vehicle's timing, dwell, spark gap and idle mixture, too. Unless you like to ... More

The Light Nobody Wants to See (Check Engine Light)

September 1, 2025

You've probably had your Check Engine Light go on. Then it goes off and you figure, hey, whatever the problem was, it's gone now and I don't have to worry about it. Well, the problem may have gone away and it may not have. Your vehicle likely has one of these warning lights on the instrument pa... More

Oil's Well That Ends Well (Oil Change Grades and Weight)

August 25, 2025

Changing your oil regularly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your vehicle running well. And knowing the right type of oil to use is also very important. Engine oil is classified by weight, but it doesn't refer to how much the oil would weigh if you put it on a scale. It r... More