Is this my PCV Valve?

[Trekker4747]

My car has a couple "idling issues" at times.

When the car is low on gas (quarter of a tank or less) it struggles for a while when first started. I think this might be a fuel filter or fuel pump problem but I'm just tossing this out there.

Now, occasionally when stopping -it seems to only happen in certain circumstances- the car will hesistate and shudder like it's going to stall and sometimes it gets there. The car's revs will also on its own occasionally "surge" -that is rev really high- without causing any major increase in speed/acceleration.

These problems are leading me to think there could be problems with anything from the master cylinder, the PCV valve and possibly some other sensor or device in the car.

Any thoughts?

 

[JonathonWally]

Is your engine blowing smoke out the tailpipe?


PCV valves vent pressure from the crankcase, are your rings shot and you're getting blow-by?

Do you have problems with your brakes? Is the brake pedal mushy? Overly sensative? Did you recently bleed your brake lines? Because a Master Cylinder is what "pushes" brake fluid.

Or have you just heard a bunch of automotive terms and decided to just list the ones you've heard?

 

[Trekker4747]

No smoke coming out of the tailpipe, don't know about my rings or even what "blow-by" is. But other than those occasional Rev-surges, stalling at stops and another issue that is getting fixed as we speak the car doesn't seem to have any other issues.

It is a '00 Focus with 95,000 miles on it.

After the edit:

Break pedal isn't mushy or semsitive haven't recently -or ever- bled the lines.

Mine automotive knowledge isn't vast but I've got a slight grasp at things so I've not "decided to list the ones I've heard" just trying to maybe get a better fix on what is (or might be) going on before I go into get it fixed so I know what to expect.

 

[JonathonWally]

No smoke coming out of the tailpipe, don't know about my rings or even what "blow-by" is. But other than those occasional Rev-surges, stalling at stops and another issue that is getting fixed as we speak the car doesn't seem to have any other issues.

It is a '00 Focus with 95,000 miles on it.

After the edit:

Break pedal isn't mushy or semsitive haven't recently -or ever- bled the lines.

Mine automotive knowledge isn't vast but I've got a slight grasp at things so I've not "decided to list the ones I've heard" just trying to maybe get a better fix on what is (or might be) going on before I go into get it fixed so I know what to expect.

Rings are on the pistons, they prevent the fuel from leaking down into the crank case and stop oil from coming up the cylinder wall into the combustion chamber, this is "blow-by" If oil gets in, then you blow smoke (burnt oil) out your tail pipe.

PVC valves vent positive pressure from inside the crankcase. They're not really needed, they're just a piece of emissions put in there so the vapors don't just leak out into the environment.

A master cylinder is part of your braking system and does nothing involved with the engine itself.

Are you using shitty gas? Maybe the timing is off, try putting a tank of super in there to see if there's a difference, it would negate the timing issue if it's just off a few degrees.

Have your tech hook up the OBDII and check your mass airflow sensor as well. Your mix could be off. It should be 14:1

 

[Trekker4747]

Rings are on the pistons, they prevent the fuel from leaking down into the crank case and stop oil from coming up the cylinder wall into the combustion chamber, this is "blow-by" If oil gets in, then you blow smoke (burnt oil) out your tail pipe.

I know what rings are, thanks though.

A master cylinder is part of your braking system and does nothing involved with the engine itself.

This part I realize, but was fairly sure the master cylinder was atleast connected to the enigne in some manner to get power/pressure to operate.

Are you using shitty gas? Maybe the timing is off, try putting a tank of super in there to see if there's a difference, it would negate the timing issue if it's just off a few degrees.

I've always had the impression that putting higher grades of gas in cars offers no benifit. I may give this a shot on next fill-up, though. I am approaching the point where I need to consider to replace the timing belt which I suspect would correct or help any timing problems.

Have your tech hook up the OBDII and check your mass airflow sensor as well. Your mix could be off. It should be 14:1

A friend of mine has a device that can do just this, I'll borrow it and check the this.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[JonathonWally]

Rings are on the pistons, they prevent the fuel from leaking down into the crank case and stop oil from coming up the cylinder wall into the combustion chamber, this is "blow-by" If oil gets in, then you blow smoke (burnt oil) out your tail pipe.

I know what rings are, thanks though.

You said you didn't know what blow-by is, I explained it.

Are you using shitty gas? Maybe the timing is off, try putting a tank of super in there to see if there's a difference, it would negate the timing issue if it's just off a few degrees.

I've always had the impression that putting higher grades of gas in cars offers no benifit. I may give this a shot on next fill-up, though. I am approaching the point where I need to consider to replace the timing belt which I suspect would correct or help any timing problems.

Higher octane fuel is beneficial, it just depends on the set up an engine. If the timing is advanced or retarded, or if it's a higher compression ratio. Most cars are usually 8:1 or 9:1 compression and therefore regular fuel or plus is fine and higher octane wouldn't have any benefit, but once you have higher compression or advanced timing you need the higher octane or else it'll ping (detonation when the spark timing isn't set at TDC [Top Dead Center]

And ya, a timing chain or belt will stretch over time and that would definately effect the timing.

But since it your car has individual ignition coils, it's not as easy has just holding a timing light and twisting the distibutor like in the good ole days

 

[Trekker4747]

I believe my car has a belt, rather than a chain, and since I'm nearing 100K -the reccomended time to change it- it's the next thing I'm getting done on it. Probably next week. Hopefully that'll clear up the problems I've been having and I may as well get it a full tune-up/check-up when I do that too to make sure everything is in working order.

Today I had the "pleasure" of getting the transmission pan and gasket replaced as well as the fluid getting changed.

 

[Plecostomus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbVY5teBzlg

This should help.

 

[Trekker4747]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbVY5teBzlg

This should help.

WTF?! That's got more technobabble in it than an episode of Voyager that was written by Brannon Braga!