Re: Location of PCV Valve on 2002 Buick Regal

It's under the big plastic thing that says 3800 on it.

> I have been trying to find the pcv valve on my 2002 Buick Regal LS (3800 > Series II). > > Thank you for any help! > > --Bill > >
Reply to
clevere
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Bill,

Perhaps one of the other posters ( Ian ) who knows this type of engine can answer the question better. I just remember the PCV is on the left side and is inside of some tube/ housing and some other electrical component is mounted over it, and has to be removed. It may be at the extreme edge of the Intake. I think the belt also runs pretty close to it as well.

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE ~_~_~260,600 miles_~_~~_
Reply to
Harry Face

That sensor is the MAP sensor. Carefully remove it from the plastic holder (the plastic prongs are easy to break on some of them, there is a heavier redesigned part available from GM). After removing the sensor, the sensor holder/PCV valve cover can be removed by turning it about 1/8 of a turn using a socket wrench. Once the cover is off, you can see the top of the PCV valve. You can remove it with a pair of needle-nose pliers, or use the plastic extraction/insertion tool that GM includes with the new PCV valve kit. I think the kit is about $16 and includes a PCV valve, redesigned PCV valve cover/sensor holder, and the removal tool.

Just out of curiosity, why are you already replacing the PCV valve on an '02 model?

Hope this helps and makes sense (I'm about to fall asleep while writing this), Roger

Reply to
zroger73

Roger, Thank you very much for your message. Actually I just recently bought the preowned 2002 Regal. On my previous car, a 94 Century, the PCV valve needed to be replaced more frequently than every 2 years, and I just got in the habit of replacing it whenever I replaced the air filter. The air filter on the Regal probably had never been replaced (even though the car has 36K miles) and the air filter looked a little oily, so I replaced it and thought I would replace the pcv valve too. I'm sure you are MUCH more knowledgable about these matters than I am--I'm just someone who likes to know how to do some of his own car maintenance. I've got the passenger compartment air filter ordered :) Do you think I should just leave the pcv valve alone?

-Bill

Reply to
Bill

Replacing the PCV valve certainly won't hurt anything, but it may very well be an unecessary expense. There is no recommended change interval for the PCV valve on this car.As long as the valve rattles when you shake it and you can blow through it, then it's likely just fine. I did replace mine around

65,000 on my '99 Regal, but only because the plastic part that holds the MAP sensor was broken. GM does not sell just the plastic part - it only comes as a kit that also includes a new PCV valve and removal tool, so I went ahead and repaced it anyway. My old one was clean and working properly. It seems unusual to me that your 94 Century needed such frequent PCV valve replacements. I would suspect an incorrect valve for the engine application, an engine problems (that may or may not have displayed driveability symptoms), or extremely high mileage between changes. Should you change the PCV valve? Well, that's up to you. I likely wouldn't. How many miles are on your Regal?

Roger

Reply to
zroger73

That's odd... I don't think I have ever replaced a PCV on any of my cars. Some of the higher milage cars (200k-300k miles) needed the PCV cleaned every few years or so though. Did the 94 burn a lot of oil?

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I can't say it didn't burn any oil, but I rarely needed to add any between oil changes. When the "service engine soon" light came on, a new pcv valve made it go off again (my girlfriend had the illusion that I was an "auto-god" after seeing this process!). The dealership diagnosed this problem for me for free the first time since a pcv value is an emissions device and covered under the 50K mile emissions clause. After that, I didn't hesitate paying annually, in cash, $2.49 for a new pcv valve. It was MUCH easier to replace on the 94 Century than the 02 Regal! :D I am looking forward to upgrading someday to the improved PCV valve assembly, and thank you for letting me know about it! I may not replace the pcv valve at this time, but it makes all the difference to me that I know where it is! In fact, after this little exercise, I know quite a bit about what is under the hood of my new Regal! Thanks again, Bill

p.s. When you replace the air filter on this car, do you generally remove the coolant hose (to the left)or anything? I removed the air intake hose leading from the filter, but it really wouldn't move out of the way. I replaced the air filter, but not very gracefully. My knuckles will heal! :D

Reply to
Bill

You can push everything out of the way but it takes a bit of doing. You are right about the pcv, at $2.49 it may be worth it just to change out every year or two.

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