My 2011 Prius 4 has 61,500 miles. If I get a high quality oil catch can installed soon, will I never have to clean the egr system and intake manifold or is cleaning and or replacing the egr system and intake manifold mandatory before installing an oil catch can? Also, will it cause problems with a smog check if I move to California or is a fully sealed oil catch can legal in California?
I don't know of any type of catch-can legal in California. They don't always inspect carefully enough to notice one, but they used to be extra careful with the out-of-state transplants.
Good question and I hope it gets an answer. Also, there's a 73 page thread on the OCC which, to be honest, I don't want to read through. What's the consensus? Do all Prius years need an OCC or just certain years?
I don’t believe that it’s possible to avoid having to clean the EGR system of the Gen 3. I know that 18 months ago, when my engine expired, the EGR cooler was 98-99% restricted. I had 213k at the time of initial cleaning. This past week, 18k later, there was a light soot buildup in the pipe and on the valve. This spring, when the weather is nicer, I’ll do a complete tear down with pictures to see how quickly the buildup returns.
I don’t believe that it’s possible to avoid having to clean the EGR system of the Gen 3. I know that 18 months ago, when my engine expired, the EGR cooler was 98-99% restricted. I had 213k at the time of initial cleaning. This past week, 18k later, there was a light soot buildup in the pipe and on the valve. This spring, when the weather is nicer, I’ll do a complete tear down with pictures to see how quickly the buildup returns.
As far as the catch can, there is sufficient space under the intake to hide the catch can. And there are threaded holes cast into the block that make nice mounting points to make the install nearly invisible unless the underbody panel is removed.
You have exhaust gasses going through the egr, so it will clog, eventually. The extra oil just makes it worst. But the OCC will help, and can't hurt.
Very, very good question. I have a 2015 with 28,000 miles Most miles are short trips ~2 miles and obviously in the NE we get cold too so 50/50 hot/cold I figure I will have the time to tear down and clean (if necessary) and inspect its status. But it would be nice to know IF I do not need to touch for 50k more miles I will be shunned... But as for my stance, I am not going to install a OCC I plan to just do the full EGR cleaning if/when necessary every 50k or whatever that may be. For MY SITUATION that may be every 7-10 YEARS at this point in time. More than likely a new car (can you say Toyota BEV-FOOLCELL!) when it comes along But lets get more feedback on the preventative OCC Need some high mileage peeps!
I installed one and live in Northern California. If worried about it, I would pick up a second pcv valve hose and swap it out before the smog check. But the guy I use doesn’t check for these types of mods. Remember that if the catch can isn’t working right, you’ll get a vacuum leak and subsequent code. But if you go low and mount it to the front cross member, it’s very difficult to see for someone even looking for it.
At 61,500 miles, the pristine intake and EGR "boat" has long sailed. Also, I don't think an Oil Catch Can will eliminated EGR clogging. I suspect it'll reduce the rate of clogging somewhat. I'd hope it'll also reduce/delay piston rings gumming up. Take a look at the EGR pipe (the stainless steel tube between the EGR valve and intake manifold, to get some idea of the current state of the EGR passages, both in the EGR valve/cooler and intake manifold. To see what the PCV valve has been dumping into the intake manifold, I would unbolt and lift off the the throttle body (leave coolant hoses attached). Clean it while you're at it (with carburetor cleaner on a cloth), and swab out the "sump" at the bottom of the intake. You could also disconnect the MAP sensor (Manifold Absolute Pressure) on the right side of intake manifold at the bottom, spray it with some MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor cleaner (say CRC's). There's relevant torque values in the attached. The throttle body nuts/bolts is 7 ft/lbs, a 3/8" or 1/4" torque wrench is good for that.
The OCC keeps oil out of your engine intake. This preserves engine life, it’s good for the rings, head gasket, etc. If that oil gets into the combustion chambers, then it gets into the EGR cooler, where it gums up the tiny cooling fins. I don’t know if the OCC will keep the EGR cooler perfectly clean, but it will help. The gunked-up EGR then blocks airflow in the intake manifold. I just did an EGR cooler on a 140,000 mile car, and it was definitely getting clogged. So a catch can is a good idea. In the unlikely event you fail CA smog test, it can be temporarily removed and then replaced. That’s not a big deal. The bigger worries are that you need to be sure you empty it at every oil change, and since water enters it, it could freeze and possibly block. But nobody on PriusChat has reported that problem, and it’s not a worry in California anyway.
No, just catches it, akin to a skimmer. It's not a lot of oil, and especially in spring, is more an olio: maybe 50% oil, and the rest a water soluble concoction. There are some air-oil separators that return the oil to the sump, usually proprietory to an auto manufacturer? Even the Prius has a crude one: the pcv valve screws into a plate on the crankcase wall, and if you take that plate off, there's a simple labyrinth behind, that routes air to the PCV, catches a little oil in the process, and lets that oil trickle back into the sump. Still, it's not that effective. Removal of that plate is not that easy: it has bolts around the perimeter and form-in-place gasket to seal it, kind of like the timing chain cover.
cant help myself reply to this genius message. Looks like we all have to surrender to the inevitable result.
