Hi all,

I have a 92 944 turbo which has been causing me a wealth of problems - all to do with the valve cover. Bought the car in December, changed the oil in January. After the oil change I noticed the valve cover was covered in oil seeping from under the oil filler cap. here's what's been done:

- new cap and gasket
- breather box checked/cleaned (by volvo mechanic)
- valve cover replaced (by volvo mechanic)

I don't know what else to do. I have noticed that once the dip stick reads about 2/3rd's down, the oil filler cap no longer leaks, however I'm still concerned about the gaskets. It's only when I get an oil change or top up the oil that I get oil on the valve cover. Any ideas?

i have similar issues (and horrible oil usage on long runs) and i find if i remove the gasket from the oil filler and wipe it dry, also the filler cap and the neck, then put it back together it stops...

Sounds as if the crankcase may not be properly ventilating up through the breather box/pcv valve. Have you checked that there is vaccum at the small hose which connects to the intake manifold from the PCV valve. Also, I've read that with the engine running, pulling the dipstick, there should be no smoke rising through the stick opening if the crankcase is venting as it should through the breather box. Perhaps others can confirm if this is a valid test. In any case, I'd test the operation of the breather box/pvc/associated hoses.
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dnvolvo '89 765T 200K - '91 245 100K

Dan;

In my opinion, the caps are poorly designed and prone to leaking. My Honda cap screws on and seals at the base via o-ring. Far superior and never leaks and it has as much blowby (320K KM) as the Volvo.

You can try to bend the tabs of the cap so it fits more snugly on valve cover but do this at your own risk. Cap is plastic and it's hard to get a good grip while bending.

Ensure the sealing surface is very clean too; IE where rubber seal contacts valve cover sealing surface. I believe that scratches in the paint can cause small channels where oil can leak through.

If I ever take the valve cover off, I'm going to file this surface flat. Of course I won't do that while the valve cover is still on car due to metal filings getting into cam area.
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Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 204,000KM

I presume the Volvo meccanic also cleaned out all the flame trap hoses and intake manifold fittings connected to the breather box. If this is so, then you might have some kind of blowby. Have you tried an engine oil cleaner designed to free up sticking oil control or compression rings? AutoRx comes to mind.

And do you have the correct dipstick? What is the distance between the round, flat tube stop at the top and the "full" mark? Mine is 21-7/8 inches for a B230F/T

Well, I'm not so convinced the AutoRx is the engine panacea the redneck types on Bobistheoilguy forum claim. Expensive is a vast understatement. $25 for a teeny weeny bottle(8oz.?). Most claims of success are: "smoother running engine", "it sounds better", stops leaks???, cleaner dipstick,cleaner filler cap. Redneck logic and justification of the bloated price.

I used it to try and fix a sticky lifter. It simply didn't work. There's a lot of placebo effect going on with this stuff. There is a lot of sponsorship bias...and no one better deny that. There is a lot of rationalization that it must work it's expensive. Does it fix sticky lifters on a Volvo? Not mine.
Oh, and BTW...what about the buy 2 bottles for cars with over 100K....a real deal for we bricksters.

I categorically disagree with the patently false recommendation of" follow the AutoRx treatment and change to synthetic". Utter nonsense. Use Mann filters and Walmart oil and save yourself some $$.
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94 940 106K ,98 V90 96K

have you looked at the independant test site...certainly lloks impresive and some good numbers to back it up...

Good comments. I do know that esters in general do a good job of cleaning,since they are highly detergent, and anecdotal reports on AutoRx seem to so indicate. But you're correct: it is expensive stuff and it does not cure everything. If one were experiencing a sticking piston ring, though, I would consider these oil treatments first as a means of trying to dissolve the crud, before doing anything else.

I categorically disagree with the patently false recommendation of" follow the AutoRx treatment and change to synthetic". Utter nonsense. Use Mann filters and Walmart oil and save yourself some $$.

Certainly some will agree with you as modern oils with better detergents/additives do a good job of cleaning.
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Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 204,000KM

Oddly enough, I was there this morning asking about the dipstick. He pulled one from a 740 and they were the same.

He says that the breather box and hoses were cleaned (because it's a turbo, I had to ask specifically for it to be done). Haven't heard about the AutoRx though.

Is it a problem to run the car with the oil 1/2 down the dip stick?

Not really, but remember: (1) there's more risk of running out of oil and (2) the oil you do have is working harder.

AutoRx has esters that do a good job of cleaning the engine, freeing rings, and otherwise scouring things. While a bit expensive ($25), it may help free a sticking ring and it will generally do a nice job cleaning your engine. Follow up after the "rinse" cycle with synthetic oil for continued good performance and lower deposits/volatility.