E46 vacuum question
Discussion
Who said anything about soot? The carbon I described takes the form of oily lumpy charcoal, not dry powdery carbon.
The kind of mess often found inside engines that have missed an oil change or two, Saab turbos were very prone to this, the carbon would find its way into the sump from the breather, block the oil pickup strainer and ruin the engine.
The simplest way to find out if this is the problem is to check the breather pipes, trying not to let any muck fall into the sump, unless you fancy taking that off to clean the strainer.
The kind of mess often found inside engines that have missed an oil change or two, Saab turbos were very prone to this, the carbon would find its way into the sump from the breather, block the oil pickup strainer and ruin the engine.
The simplest way to find out if this is the problem is to check the breather pipes, trying not to let any muck fall into the sump, unless you fancy taking that off to clean the strainer.
OP here, with a conclusion.
Well, I went back in and removed the dipstick tube and disconnected the pipe from the CVV to the dipstick. Here is a diagram of the dipstick-
The bit circled was absolutely blocked solid. I cleaned it out thoroughly, put the car back together and can confirm that the issue is resolved and that the car runs great.
Moral of the story- if you are mental enough to DIY the CVV then make sure that you clean out previous blockages!
Next job is to replace the cam cover gasket but I'm holding off doing that until the vanos seals arrive; I'll do both at the same time.
Here's another picture-
Well, I went back in and removed the dipstick tube and disconnected the pipe from the CVV to the dipstick. Here is a diagram of the dipstick-
The bit circled was absolutely blocked solid. I cleaned it out thoroughly, put the car back together and can confirm that the issue is resolved and that the car runs great.
Moral of the story- if you are mental enough to DIY the CVV then make sure that you clean out previous blockages!
Next job is to replace the cam cover gasket but I'm holding off doing that until the vanos seals arrive; I'll do both at the same time.
Here's another picture-
Edited by StuTheGrouch on Tuesday 26th May 11:03
The big blue puff of smoke is commonly noticed after fixing a busted CVV, according to other forums I've read before I fixed mine (I haven't witnessed this though).
What sort of oil consumption are you seeing? Also consider that a blocked CVV may also damage oil gaskets (cam cover and oil filter housing are common).
What sort of oil consumption are you seeing? Also consider that a blocked CVV may also damage oil gaskets (cam cover and oil filter housing are common).
Edited by StuTheGrouch on Tuesday 26th May 14:42
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