I'm afraid my engine is shot. Only 106k and it runs great. But after 30 minutes of run, engine is smoking. PVC valve is clear and vac is good at PVC. Valve cover is soaked with oil. Is it possible to adapt a Ford type PVC to the Valve cover? When engine is idling with oil cap off it does not seem to be much blow by. Also check engine light is lit. I have 240 books but not 700. Any help with code diagnosis would be appreciated.

I am a believer! If you read through all the FAQs you see a lot of references to the flame trap. They are not worded strongly enough. If you own a Volvo you need to know how to service the flame trap and all vacuum lines associated with it. Joe Sixpack at your local quick change oil station doesn't have a clue. Ford and Cheverolet mechanics most likely wont either. Last week my 93 Volvo 940 had oil pouring out of the rear main seal through the bell housing and all over my driveway. I had learned about the flame trap, but still didn't have a book so really didn't know what one looked like. I knew enough from reading the FAQ on this forum to know I needed to make sure the flame trap was clean before changing the rear main seal. I went to the Volvo Center, a local Volvo dealership in San Antonio and the parts man sold me the flame trap and the little holder it is inserted into for seven dollars. He then walked out to the car and showed me where it was located on the car. He also cautioned me to make sure the furrel that is in the manifold that the vacuum line attaches to is clear and that the hose is also clear. It took about twenty minutes to change the flame trap and run a coat hanger wire through the hose. Everything was coked solid. The hose was full of junk, the furrel was full of junk and the flame trap that should look kind of like a shower head was solid. Its been three days now and hasn't leaked another drop. I know where the weak seal in the system is now, but dodged the bullet this time. Saved me from $350 to $550 that it was going to cost to change the Rear Main Seal.

There isn't a PVC valve in the engine. There IS a flame trap, located between #s 3 and 4 intake, unless that's what you're talking about.

If you haven't cleaned that flame trap out, it should be a plastic screen with a bunch of holes in it, or a metal screen of similar function. You should be able to blow through it with little effort. Also important is to clean out the vacuum line (the small one) that goes to the intake manifold.

Check up on that and THEN get back to us. If the flame trap is blocked like several I've seen, you will get oil from every possible place in the engine.

Also, using a good oil like Castrol will keep sludge and baked deposits out of the PCV system.

As a rule, Volvo engines don't fail that way (they barely fail unless you really TRY). But they do succumb to PCV blockage. That white vacuum valve on top of the engine is not a PCV system piece, so don't mess with it.

As far as the Check Engine light goes, see the 700/900 FAQ section of this site. There are excellent instructions about how to deal with that.

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chris herbst, five volvos.

The flame trap was completly clogged when I got the car, the vacuum port was also clogged. But now 50 miles later I'm showing oil all around valve cover again. I've changed oil fill cap gasket and will change valve cover gasket, however it apears to be new. Next step may be a compression check. But like I said the car feels strong.
76 245, 84 240, 65 P1800[in storage,parts car] 89 740[new to me]

Your oil breather box, beneath the flame trap, may be clogged. See the FAQ for details.

No need to help with codes FAQ gave me the info. Thanks