New to the forum and hoping for some good advice!!!! I have the "smoking dipstick" problem. The PVC system including the oil separator have been cleaned. My Cylinder pressure is at 120 125 120 120 120. It had been a while since the timing belt had been changed so I took it to a shop to have the belt changed. They changed the belt and pulleys and then said that my front cam/crank seals looked like they were the originals and that they weren't leaking, but since they were taking the belt off I might as well have them changed too since they could start to leak and then we would have to take everything off again to fix the seals. I agreed to this.
I have had to take it back 3 times for blown seals that have all blown the day the work was done. I know that I appear to have engine blowby, as I have cleaned the oil system parts and it continues to smoke, but the shop (a shop I had never been to) keeps trying to say this is something caused by blowby and they can't fix. Keep in mind it was not leaking a drop from the cam (except a very small amount from the oil cap) when I brought it in for what I thought was a routine repair. The car runs GREAT! I spoke to a mechanic that doesn't work at this repair shop and he told me they probably do not know how to work on Volvo's. Number one, they used after market seals, which apparently is a no-no with a Volvo. They can't get the seals to seat and now are trying to find ways to blame the problem on the car. The mechanic I spoke to who doesn't work there said that for engine blowby to be causing the cam seals to blow immediately, the pressure would have to be enormous and he doubted that was the problem. He thought the problem was that the mechanic at this shop was not familiar with Volvos. I have been there several times in the past couple of weeks since this nightmare began and I have not seen any Volvos there. I am getting frustrated with this run-around I am getting there. Additionally, now they are saying my valve cover is leaking in the front corner which is was NOT doing before I brought the car there either. If anyone has any ideas, comments, suggestions, I would appreciate it.

 

The car is estimated to have about 150, 000 to 160,000 miles on it. I am the second owner. First owner took care of the vehicle and used one mechanic after the warranty expired. I should have probably taken the car to that same guy but I live far from his shop. I really love this car and it runs like a top. I feel like this shop got in over their head with it and are trying to stick it to me!!

 

Those compression numbers are low. They should be between 156 and 185. That alone could blow your cam seals. They should have let well enough alone with those seals. I would NOT put after market cam seals in my car, go get a set of the OEM seals from Volvo and take them to the shop to install, if you still trust them to touch the car.

Also, I don't know how anyone can "clean out" the old PCV stuff. I believe it all needs to be replaced with new. Also, have the compression tested with a warm motor, say over 150 degrees. Also have the numbers run wet. If the compression is really that low you may be in trouble.

My Volvo mechanic was 34 miles away out in the sticks. Now I do all I can myself since he has retired. One of his mechanics has a shop about 24 miles away and I do take it to him if there is something I can not do myself. It's worth the trip.

 

My guess would be the PCV system wasn't "cleaned" enough and possibly some of the crud in that black box blocked a passage and may be causing your back pressure problem. Just a guess.

I know some people clean them but for the trouble involved to get to it, it's just wiser to install a new one with or without a new hose assembly.