PCV Screen

[boXman]

That's your ventilation tube....the PCV is in the BACK of the motor, under the upper intake, into the lower intake. You really need to remove the upper to get to the screen and all that mess. Might as well replace your valve cover gaskets with some good PermaDrys ( if you can get them over there) while you have the upper off.

Second pic is the screen, last one is the screen and grommet held by the wood screw used to get it out.

[RobClark]

BoxMan,

But, how come that hose gets connected into the connector on my throttle body that the manual says is for the the PCV connection?

Are there two possible places a PCV hose can connect to?

[Archangel]

Rob, there are two hoses for the oil vapours, I think you get them confused:
- the one running from the filler neck on the right valve cover to the trottle body, that's just for ventilation, replace the plastic pipe with a rubber hose and clean the sludge out of the tube in the throttle body.
- the actual PCV system: the valve is located in a big port in the back of the lower intake (kinda behind the upper intake) then the hose runs from it to a port in the front of the upper intake's neck (basically the hose makes a U-turn after it passes under the plenum's neck), look at the diagram below - the intake on the left is what you have, I've marked what hose goes where:

[Big Rectangular Car]

So it doesn't have a screen at all. This has been most helpful, thanks very much.

I see that I will need to check the small sponge type filter that is connected to the valve cover and goes into the air filter housing, more often. This is what catches the most oil, otherwise the inside of the air filter housing gets a sticky patina of oil, and probably clogs the air filter after a time.
Hope that made sense.

I'm trying to find out everything that is possibly causing the car to to have such incredibly bad gas mileage. I had to go back to driving the Golf for local trips, and save the GM for longer trips on the freeway.
Otherwise I'd have to take out a loan just to buy gas for this month.
But that's another topic.

[boXman]

You can clean that lil filter in the air cleaner out, or buy a new one. Advance Auto sells em.

[Big Rectangular Car]

It washed out nicely with some strong liquid detergent, then air dried completely. I have been by the FLAPS several times and they didn't have it in stock. They aren't too swift over there, I asked them for a spark plug socket and they even looked up the size plugs that the car uses, but they gave me one that was way too big. I'd been in there three times requesting the filter, they kept saying they'd order more, and they still didn't have it in stock. They kept forgetting to place the order, or something. ;p

[RobClark]

Ivan D and BoxMan,

Thanks for the great help. I have finally worked out that the hose from my throttle body to oil Filler pipe is supposed to have clean air flow in this direction:

Throttle Body --> Filler Pipe --> Crankcase.

I had assumed (wrongly!):

Crankcase --> Filler Pipe --> Throttle Body

Adding the facts below together - I decided my PCV valve/screen was blocked:
- that hose was full of caked oil
- there was oil in my throttle body - from the place where that hose connects
- placing my finger over the hose when engine running, air was flowing Oil Filler -> Throttle body!!!!

Ok - so:
- laid on the inlet manifold
- found the PCV valve (pulled ... it was clean - not blocked)
- made the screen puller tool (modified wood screw - thanks for the tip guys)
- pulled screen

Yep - blocked solid. Cleaned it. Re-installed everything.

Guess what - put finger over the hose between throtlle body and oil filler...it now sucks air with engine running!!!!

That's better!

[boXman]

Good to hear!

[pine box]

Good info and photos here.
This should be archived!

[Archangel]

Rob, glad to hear everything worked out OK

[85crownHPP]

a clogged PCV system can definitly aggrivate oil leaks too...
I was working on a jeep the other day that had a steady oil drip... I couldnt help but notice that when i removed the oil cap while it was running, I got a PPFFFTTT of pressure being released. Sure enough, after clearing out a few pcv hoses, there was no more pressure on the filler can and the oil leak slowed to an occasional drip.