Golf GTI Mk 5 PCV Valve

[Dogbash]

Just had the car bluefinned and read about these PCV valve issues. Is it something I should replace now before it goes wrong? What does it control anyway? Is the new version stronger than original fit?

Cheers,
Andrew

[SuperchargedVR6]

http://www.psituning.com/product.php?xProd=21395

Front one is 10 mins work. The rear corrugated pipe is fiddly, but doable DIY. You must fit both together.

It's job is to prevent the valve cover from being pressurised by boost, but still draw crankcase fumes in on part throttle.

Tell tale signs of front PCV failure include:-

Hunting idle (revs up and down of it's own accord).
Oil blowing out of the oil filler cap and / or valve cover seal.
Reduced performance.
Increased oil consumption.

[ManOpener]

Plus, in my experience, about a 5mpg drop in economy.

[andrewparker]

FWIW I wouldn't bother replacing it until it goes - it might not. It's very obvious when it does anyway, you'll notice rising and falling revs when the car is idle.

[AJB88]

Get the parts from a dealer and it will be cheaper, ECS just sell OEM parts with their markup on them.

[SuperchargedVR6]

Prevention is better than the cure. Especially if the car is mapped. Replacing the rocker cover seal and getting oil out of the spark plug recesses and possibly replacing a coil or 2, costs a damn site more than replacing the PCV.

Yep, PSI do add a bit of commission but for people who don't want to, or can't, go to the dealer, it's an easy solution.

To the OP, if you're a "in for a penny, in for a pound" maintenance kind of guy, you might want to check / replace the mechanical fuel pump's cam follower. The consequences of not doing that could cost you a pump, cam shaft and a lot of labour.

http://www.psituning.com/product.php?xProd=23731

[va1o]

Yep if you're keeping the car long term the PCV is worth doing, and probably the DV/ cam-follower at the same time. All 3 prone to failure and cheap DIY-able replacements.

[AJB88]

va1o said:

Yep if you're keeping the car long term the PCV is worth doing, and probably the DV/ cam-follower at the same time. All 3 prone to failure and cheap DIY-able replacements.

Cam follower I would say is the most important of the 3.. a leakly DV or PCV can be replaced... a cam-follower that breaks up can cause major damage.

[ManOpener]

Isn't the cam follower a quality control issue issue? As in, some of the non-revised followers are fine, some of them are prone to excess wear.

[AJB88]

http://r-techperformance.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/...

Have a look at that photo

[SuperchargedVR6]

ManOpener said:

Isn't the cam follower a quality control issue issue? As in, some of the non-revised followers are fine, some of them are prone to excess wear.

It's the early GTIs with the soft cam that suffer the most. The intake cam was hardened from 2007 on iirc.

TFSI engines really clobber the engine oil, and I suspect the worst cases of follower wear are caused by neglect and / or VAG's stupid longlife servicing.

The pics of destroyed followers circulating the net are from American cars, where they really do get cheap on their cars, and do huge mileages.