![]() ![]() If it is blown the dealer is instructed per GM Bulletins to replace the valve cover AND verify that the orange check valve is present in the intake manifold. Anyone can remove the cover and test to see if the PCV valve is blown without tools. I'm going to try to link to a few threads that explains the PCV valve, how it works, how to test if it's blown, and the intake manifold. Typically the PCV valve fails due to high pressure for other reasons. Maybe this dealer is really telling the truth, and has shared some GM info we haven't heard, or it's their postulation. I guess it could be, as rubber gets more firm and brittle when exposed to moisture that freezes. This is the first I've heard of a PCV Valve failure due to moisture. There is a TSB out there that calls for replacing the valve cover, which is obviously bad, as well as checking for the check valve in the intake manifold and corrugated PCV hose from turbo to intake manifold, and if found missing, to replace those as well under PT warranty. Left untouched, the crankcase pressure will build up, oil goes through the turbo and everything else and makes a mess/exhaust smoke, the hole in the burst disc will enlarge, and the car begins to run/idle like crap. Usually the car will throw a check engine light with 3 codes - P0171, P1101, and P0106 - well before conditions get worse and you have oil leaking out of everywhere. Unfortunately, they've gone through several design updates for the valve cover, but the root cause seems to be that pesky intake manifold check valve, and THAT was never re-designed. I haven't heard of this issue where they freeze, but the PCV burst disc (in the valve cover) and check valve in the intake manifold are very common failures on these 1.4 engines. Obviously the temperature outside will become warmer now as it's spring and yes she still have 1 year remaining of powertrain warranty, but I can't risk her to remain stuck somewhere far away because she plan a road trip later this summer. Now I try to figure out if her Trax will run fine and I am a bit confused about this PCV valve know issue and I would like to know your opinion. So I asked the technical advisor if this may be related to the frozen PCV valve and they said "don't know", but obviously my opinion is the frozen PCV valve (closed) built a high pressure in the oil and this is what actually exploded all those gaskets, because obviously if the engine have any kind of leak prior to the PCV problem, it would be visible on the pavement in the driveway. While they are doing usual diagnostic for the frozen PCV valve yesterday, they also discovered three blown oil gasket and severe oil leaks oil pan gasket are blown, crankshaft gasket are blown and another oil gasket are blown (I can't remember where). One more thing (now comes the amazing part!). But in Canada temperature goes under -30'C pretty often, so this is not something new to us, nor to the Trax! 40 degrees celsius change in 24 hours! When the Trax failed, it was -25'C outdoor. for example last week temperature was 15'C and then the next day it's -25'C, yes, this is not a mistake. I have to admit that we have some very nasty weather in Canada this month. As the outside temperature drastically increased yesterday, the issue completely disappeared and now the engine run smooth when the dealer test drive it later. As oil change as been done only a few thousand of KM with full synthetic, we decided to don't do anything. But the most amazing part of there's an official GM technical bulletin is there's no fix, except than GM recommend to clean entire air intake to remove any oil deposit, then change oil and that's it! Moreover, it's not covered by warranty (around 200$ labor!). Yesterday they called me to discuss about the issue with the Trax and apparently this is a "known issue" and there's apparently a technical bulletin for the Cruze and the Trax who both shares the same 1.4T powertrain, the problem is apparently that during high temperature variation, there's some water/humidity that build up inside the oil and when the temperature drop very cold, the PCV valve diaphragm froze in place and don't vent the engine causing the engine to eventually stall few KM away. We don't have any SES light that comes up, but since the car is burning oil and the engine power was too reduced to drive, we get it towed at Chevy dealership with roadside assistance. The car is only 70,000 KM old (4 years) and suddenly the car begin to smoke oil and engine to stall only a 3 KM away from the house after a cold start. and she recently met a severe problem with her 2013 Chevrolet Trax that is powered by identical 1.4T powertrain than the 1st gen Cruze, this is why I am asking your help here. ![]()
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