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after 40K miles the PCV system should be fine - but that assumes the job was done correctly the first time which may not be a good assumption to make. As I've noted doing the job right requires the tech to inspect and clean any accumulated gunk out of the ports in the block. The current tech sounds like he's just calling it as he sees it since he can't tell what's going on inside the bottom end without removing the oil pan or the PCV hoses themselves. As to what can cause a cam seal to leak? if under some driving conditions you build up crankcase pressure, that pressure has to go somewhere - cam seals tend to be first. If the front seals were replaced then they would stay in place better than the rears which have likely hardened after 15 years. The caution here is should it turn out you really have a crankcase pressure issue, you don't want it to get to the point it pushes out the main seals - which either requires the timing belt to come off the front or removal of the transmission to access the rear main seal.
Regarding the invoice above stating that the car had an "oil leak" 40k miles ago in 2013...and that the "flame trap box" contraption was replaced, I never complained of any oil leak in 2013. Bergeron Volvo put that on the invoice, perhaps just like they fabricated other things on my invoices. Perhaps they wrote it in there so as to justify a job they never really did, it's hard to say, but I KNOW I never complained or knew of any oil leak until now. I do not even remember the service advisor verbally telling me that I had an oil leak, to justify those repairs, because if he did, I would have driven over there to see what he was talking about. He may have advised those repairs and I ok'd them but as far as the "oil leak" part, BS to that. So that may very well mean it was never even replaced. Slipping "oil leak" in on the invoice may have been a sneaky way to justify doing a repair that was never actually done. (And had I known this was the PCV system, then I would have known, but I did not. My understanding is this is the PCV system I thought I never had changed throughout this string/dialogue).
I did just drive back and I do not have a surgeon's glove right now, and I did take off the oil filler cap and the dip stick out with the engine running and there is a lot of smoke coming out of both (with the caps off; however, when the caps are on, the engine looks fine). There are no check engine or other lights and no performance issues, nor did i have them when I brought the car in. Wouldn't that be normal with an engine that has just been run on the highway for a few hours? I still am trying to see a difference with the PCV system cleaning I just paid $600 for since I was told this fixes the issue, and I don't have a surgeon's glove right now. As far as I can tell, there is no difference. What should I be seeing?, so I know the condition of my PCV system? I was told that my car did not need another new "oil trap box" (i.e. i was told was the pcv box) and that a cleaning would do the job in this model car. That's what I was told and what was advised to me. I also asked if the original box was still in there and I never got that answer. Maybe they could not see it. If they knew it was never replaced, then they should have told me. I asked. You tell me to watch out for "crankcase pressure" issues but i am not exactly sure what to look for.
I am confused, I thought there were 4 cam seals. I do not know what you mean by "main seals". My understanding is that there are 2 cam seals that drive the timing belt and 2 rear cam seals. which are on top and center of the engine, and those 2 were replaced. I do not understand why the transmission would need to be removed to replace what I was shown were the rear cam seals. I don't understand, what he showed me was leaking was on the very top and center of the engine. he put his hand back there and I saw the drip of oil. It was a drip, not just residue.
Last edited by colleenscc1; Oct 17, 2019 at 03:15 PM.
Ok well I do not know how to attach video here, so I posted it privately on YouTube and I am goingto attach the link. Can you see the video of the current oil smoke situation going on with my car, with the engine running while it is warm, with the oil filler cap off?
Attached is the invoice for this "PCV cleaning" recommended.
I am concerned this PCV situation may not be fixed. Can you see the video? I did call the service advisor back to inquire about the matter. She said she would speak with the mechanic and call me back. What is your opinion?
I logged out of my youtube acct to see if you could see a private video, and I do not think you, can so i made it public so you could see it. Is this normal or is there still an issue?
Would be great if we could attach videos on here straight from our computer.
You can attach a video file to a post using the "Go Advanced" posting option and the paper clip icon.
The board only accepts the following file extensions: apk avi bin bmp cfg csv doc docx ecu efi gif gsc hex hpl hpt html jpe jpeg jpg mov mp3 mpeg mpg msl msq pdf png pps psd rar table tun txt vex wav wmf wmv xls xlsx xml zip. So if you have an MP4 or VID file type it needs to be converted.
The timing belt causes strong air turbulence under the timing cover, so any leak will result in oil everywhere. Cam seals, crank seal, oil pump - any one and everything will be oily.
Find a mechanic who will add a bit of fluorescent dye to the oil and he will quickly identify the source of the leak.
If the timing belt is low mileage, I'd just clean and reuse it - your car, your money, your choice.
Before you do anything else, check the seal under the oil fill cap. If it is leaking, oil will run onto the cylinder head then down the front of the engine. A new seal costs less than a dollar and takes 2 minutes.
mt6127 or someone who can tell me - attached is the video converted to avi. As discussed in the thread, I was advised to clean the PCV and throttle body this week and I paid for it and I paid for a new oil trap box in 2013 40k miles ago. The leak is apparently fixed. So was the work that I paid for, done?, based on what you see in this video, is this PCV system in good shape or can it throw out another cam seal and cause another leak, or cause other problems?
Can somebody please tell me about the health of my PCV system? I see absolutely no difference.
If the PCV system was really replaced by Bergeron Volvo in 2013, 40k miles ago (and both they and the lafayette mechanic called it an "oil trap box"), then I should not be having PCV problems. Especially after i just paid $600 for a cleaning (that the mechanic recommended and I did ask if the PCV system was ever replaced and I did ask about getting a new one). I see absolutely no difference.
If it is not a PCV issue, but worn pistons, then that would be because of the wrong oil being used in the car, would it not?
Had I realized the PCV system was allegedly replaced, and would come out the same, I could have had Briskers take care of this back in New Orleans and for $1000 more (less travel expenses), I would have also have 2 other new cam seals, a new timing belt, and a new water pump and thermometer. (even though the timing belt does not really need to be changed until 2022).
Last edited by colleenscc1; Oct 20, 2019 at 10:21 AM.
I do not know either of these people responding to me, but I do appreciate guidance as quotes can later be taken out of context. mt6127, can you please respond? I questioned the mechanics at the Volvo Dealer in Lafayette and specifically asked if my "oil trap box" as they called it, had ever been replaced. I showed the service advisor this week, my 2013 invoice, and asked her. The mechanic told me they do "cleanings" all of the time and "it works". I specifically questioned him on how many old Volvos they really extensively serviced in that area (not just oil changes, that doesn't count). He told me "a lot". I asked them if my box was ever really changed in 2013 and I got no answer except that the service advisor said it was the correct part that was changed. I have the written advice, recommending the cleaning, which I approved. It is certainly possible that Bergeron Volvo in Metairie is running a black market operation for parts. Invoicing paying service customers for parts they never replace, and giving them to people who come in for parts and Jeff Landry, the Attorney General for Louisiana, may be a part of that operation, too.
mt6127, can you please respond? Is my crankcase ventilation system, in my 2004 Volvo XC90, healthy?
Last edited by colleenscc1; Oct 20, 2019 at 12:01 PM.
Given your oil separator (flame trap) was replaced recently (they should last 100K+ miles unless the engine has ring/cylinder damage), I doubt if its gummed up - plus with that hose fix that stopped the glove from inflating suggests the PCV system is now functional based on your observation that the rubber glove on the fill cap is no longer inflating. The tech should be seeing a similarly acceptable reading on their pressure guage.
As far as doing cleaning, it should be a recommendation after doing an inspection not as a "we see this all the time" since you have had some prior work donel As to black market for parts - that's not really what dealers do. Dealers are able to source parts directly from Volvo - ie those parts carry a "Genuine Volvo" brand and are warranteed by the dealer should the part fail prematurely. Some dealers will also source after market parts to save money for the customer particularly for older cars but you don't get the same quality guarantee. I've also had my dealer allow me to provide parts (with no guarantee on the work should that part fail) so the key is they should tell you in advance when they are NOT planning to use Genuine Volvo parts or give you a choice.
I agree about the pressure gauge. Their pressure gauge did not seem to be working to me. It did not move at all.
I was not told "we see this all the time" . I was told "we do this all the time" regarding the recommended PCV cleaning.
Regarding the black market for parts, what i mean by that is if they are recommending that you change parts that don't need to be changed, or invoice you for parts never put in there, then in my mind, there must be a black market going on. Overbilling is one thing. While it is a form of overbilling, in those circumstances, something else is going on.
As far as I know, the Volvo dealer always uses Volvo parts. Now whether they put the right part in your model of Volvo is a problem, whether they actually even change the part they invoice you for, or perform the service you were billed for are all problems (issues). All of those issues i have witnessed as a victim of all of their scams, Certified Volvo dealers and 1 non-Volvo dealer that I am aware of.
As clarified in the other thread, I do think my oil changes were done as invoiced by the Volvo Dealers and paid for. There is no sludge or symptoms. That mechanic did not change my oil in October 2019, and fortunately I caught it and it was done.
