Is it worth it to Clean the CCV valve?
 

I have a 2002 3.0, 60,000 miles ago I replaced the ccv with the cold climate upgrade. I am wondering if just taking it apart and cleaning the whole unit is worth it or should I just replace it once I get it out of the engine bay?

Money is a bit tight and $200 in parts would just increase the old Credit Card balance. I had hoped to replace it next fall. but, yesterday at 24 degrees F, I heard the tell tale faint "fire engine siren sound" coming from the CCV area. (that's the sound I heard minutes before my CCV blew up 60,000 miles ago, I have bad greams about that sound). I pulled into a parking lot and let it idle for about 15 minutes to get good and hot and the sound went away. Drove it the rest of the day and no problem.

This morning 19 degrees F. I let it warm up in my driveway for 20 minutes before I gingerly drove it about 10 miles to my first appointment. NO NOISE THIS MORN. Car running great.

What should I do?

No opin on replacing vs cleaning, but you might take a Pasadena on those long 'warm ups'; it isn't warming anything up, properly.
GL, mD

I normally don't do that. But, feeling that the condensation had frozen in the down tube for the dipstick at those sub freezing temps, I figured warming the oil and pan would eventually melt any ice that might be in there. The ice is near the bottom of the dipstick correct? so heating the metal pan and the metal dipstick tube....:dunno: Before I put any real stress on the engine going up a hill etc. It seemed to work temporarily. I normally just get in and drive. Temps are supposed to be above freezing for the next few days, Hope to get it done during this window.

I guess I'll get the parts. take the ccv apart and either clean it if it looks in good shape or replace parts if anything is cracked or damaged.

I'm no engineer but, this just seems like a bad design.

After reading all the problems the X5s are having with this issue, I decided to us some preventing maintenance. This is what I do every year:

1. Right after the first month of freezing temperature, i will take the CCV off and clean it.

2. Since I drive the X5 to work every day and the job is only 15 miles away (not enough to burn the condensation), I use a Vacuum to suck milky stuff that may be accumulating in the CCV. I can tell it is clean when i see black oil coming up the tube.

See pictures below.

I hope this help.

Joe

So, how often do you do this after the initial cleaning?

You are a genius, Twins Poppa you could do it every month during the winter it looks so easy.

Taking off the CCV is easy? I thought that it was a PITA to get to. The vaccuming looks easy but that is only half of what he does, correct?

Not really, I just think about doing things the easier way without given all my money to the dealer.

Twins Poppa, I usually disconnet the tube going to the CCV and see if there is any milky stuff there and depending how much I see, I will connect the Vaccum and suck it out.

He cleans it once. then vacums until he cleans it again. Or am I wrong?

you are correct. Taking off the CCV is no easy task. I do it because I like taking stuffs apart and put them back together (This has cost me alot because i usually brake something, :D). I had a hard time putting it back together about a month ago. It was not bad inside, meaning my preventing maintainance worked. I will not be taking it off next year, since the sucking of the milky stuff is working fine.