Plays_with_Toys
10-10-2005, 04:41 PM
Alot of you have seen pictures of my engine bay, and have asked about the PCV filter. I thought that by getting cleaner air into the intake, it'd help prevent carbon build up in there; however, it resulted in a very dangerous situation.
When I routed it, I uncapped the line and had it dumping out to the side of the engine. Because it was getting mixed with fresh air and would be getting pushed out by incoming air, I thought nothing of it. I ran the car like that for a few months, but one saturday I had a long day of driving. I chaulked my extreme tiredness to the lack of sleep and long work week. When I finally arrived at my destination I smelled smoke. Opened the engine bay and smoke was pouring out of the side of the engine, near the tranny. There was no direct source for the smoke. I promptly went driving around again thinking maybe the inner CV boot was toast or something and causing rubbing/smoke. A little more smoke was present but not that much. Thats when it hit me like a brick. It was exhaust blow by from the line I unplugged. It was simply staying stagnant in the engine bay, near the firewall. There wasn't any air coming in and pushing it out from the engine bay. Since I had spent several hours on the highway, with the windows up and running the A/C from time to time (on recycled air), I had allowed the fumes into the cabin of the car for several hours. I have no doubt in my mind that the fumes were coming into the car and were the reason for my tiredness. Its scary to think that a person so in love with cars could be this careless with one. I very well could have died, either from carbon monoxide poisoning or from passing out and crashing at 70mph.
So, if you have followed my example of running the PCV filter, remove it immediately. In the last week since I took mine off I've had twice as much energy as normal. I drive 95% of the time with windows down, but with winter approaching, that danger could be that much more.
On the same token, if you have a header or exhaust leak under the car, get it fixed. Its you and your friends/family's lives in danger.
Here is information on carbon monoxide posoining:
http://my.webmd.com/hw/home_health/hw193733.asp
When I routed it, I uncapped the line and had it dumping out to the side of the engine. Because it was getting mixed with fresh air and would be getting pushed out by incoming air, I thought nothing of it. I ran the car like that for a few months, but one saturday I had a long day of driving. I chaulked my extreme tiredness to the lack of sleep and long work week. When I finally arrived at my destination I smelled smoke. Opened the engine bay and smoke was pouring out of the side of the engine, near the tranny. There was no direct source for the smoke. I promptly went driving around again thinking maybe the inner CV boot was toast or something and causing rubbing/smoke. A little more smoke was present but not that much. Thats when it hit me like a brick. It was exhaust blow by from the line I unplugged. It was simply staying stagnant in the engine bay, near the firewall. There wasn't any air coming in and pushing it out from the engine bay. Since I had spent several hours on the highway, with the windows up and running the A/C from time to time (on recycled air), I had allowed the fumes into the cabin of the car for several hours. I have no doubt in my mind that the fumes were coming into the car and were the reason for my tiredness. Its scary to think that a person so in love with cars could be this careless with one. I very well could have died, either from carbon monoxide poisoning or from passing out and crashing at 70mph.
So, if you have followed my example of running the PCV filter, remove it immediately. In the last week since I took mine off I've had twice as much energy as normal. I drive 95% of the time with windows down, but with winter approaching, that danger could be that much more.
On the same token, if you have a header or exhaust leak under the car, get it fixed. Its you and your friends/family's lives in danger.
Here is information on carbon monoxide posoining:
http://my.webmd.com/hw/home_health/hw193733.asp