PCV Valve

91 Civic DX, I think I said in a previous post it had 122,000. It actually
has 222,000...typo.

I replaced the pcv valve today. Before I took the valve off of the intake
manifold I unclamped the hose. The top of the valve was full of black soot.

I assume this is because the car is burning oil (when I replaced the plugs
and wires I noticed oil residue) and probably because that valve hasn't been
replaced in a very long time, maybe never.

Does anyone have any insight on this soot buildup?

Thanks.

 

Your car is fairly old and has a lot of miles on it. It's normal for such
a car to burn more oil and as a result produce more "soot" than you would
find in a newer car that had less than 50,000 miles on it. You might want
to consider visiting AutoZone or NAPA and buying a product that you mix
with the oil that helps to solve some of the problems found in older cars.
In addition, make sure you change the oil every 3000 miles if you do a lot
of city driving or every 5000 miles if you rarely ever do any city
driving.

 

Was the soot dry and dusty or wet and goopy?

 

Was the soot dry and dusty or wet and goopy?

Dry and dusty.

 

If the soot was dry and dusty, then oil is not getting into the PCV valve,
which is a good sign. It means you're not sludged up and the car's had the
benefit of timely oil changes.