How to check PCV Valve?

[nonickatall]

Hello, I have a 2006 Escalade with the 6 liter LQ9 engine, that has the valve cover with the integrated PCV valve. My oil consumption is about 1 quart per 3000 miles, which I personally find a bit high.

I have read that the clogged hole in the baffle plate, or the PCV valve can cause that.

I know from other cars with the appropriate crankcase ventilation that you have a slight vacuum, when you lift the oil cap with the engine running and put your hand on it. At my engine I have neither pressure from the crankcase nor any noticeable vacuum.

To compare if this is normal, i would like to know: how about that at your cars?

Or Is there another way to check the installed PCV valve, without disassembling, before I order a new valve cover in the USA?

Thank you folks

 

[Mudsport96]

Starting in 2003ish GM phased out the old style pcv valves and went to a metered orifice style valve cover. No real easy way to "check" it. I just put a 2000 valve cover on both of my 06s and added oil catch cans. A quarter per oil change interval isn't horrible. How many miles are on the engine? My Silverado with 400k miles can eat 2 quarts in 3000 miles if I work it hard.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Starting in 2003ish GM phased out the old style pcv valves and went to a metered orifice style valve cover.
No real easy way to "check" it.

Hell yeah there is. If you can't see through it, soak it in brake cleaner, then blow some pressurized air through it.
Since it's solid, with no moving parts, you can just keep cleaning it over & over.

The 12572717 PCV 'thingy' even works well with older Chevy V8s.

 

[nonickatall]

The engine has 130.000 Miles, but sometimes a rough idle and it had ticking from the hydros. But I think it was getting better, after the second oil change with good oil and after i flushed with 1 liter diesel, before oil change and swapped the O-Ring from the oil pump, which lead into a slightly better oil pressure.

Now the ticking from the hydro is completely gone and and the idle is way better.
Until the next oil change I'm not sure if the oil consumption is as well better, but I read so much negative about the PCV valve that I checked that.

As i wrote, I pult down the hose and touched the PCV while the engine was running, but there was no blow out, what is probably a good sign for a good piston and cylinder condition.

There was vacuum at the hose and when I connected the hose again, I open the oil cap but I felt no pressure or vakuum.

But I did the test again with some cling film and you can clearly see that there is a vacuum, so I think that should be fine. I pulled the hose off the PCV valve again and checked if there was any oil. There was only a tiny little bit.

 

[nonickatall]

Hell yeah there is. If you can't see through it, soak it in brake cleaner, then blow some pressurized air through it.
Since it's solid, with no moving parts, you can just keep cleaning it over & over.

The 12572717 PCV 'thingy' even works well with older Chevy V8s.

The question was if there another way to check the installed PCV valve, without disassembling, before I order a new valve cover in the USA?

 

[Mudsport96]

The question was if there another way to check the installed PCV valve, without disassembling, before I order a new valve cover in the USA?

You could try to blow some air through it backwards into the valve cover. I would be very careful if choosing this action however.