notmycar2

my experience was a little oil film in the pipe between the separator and intake is ok, but enough oil to form drops is not. I'm not sure how you tell whether the separator has internally failed or you have an air leak into the separator (from the bellows hose, the drain pipe seal, or the lower plastic tube connecting to the separator), but if I understood the operation of the separator correctly, then a checkvalve in the round part on top should prevent a lot of air flow through the unit. When a rubber diaphram tears, the checkvalve stops working and oil gets sucked into the intake. You'll find puddles in the intake plumbing forward of the throttle body. If you are going to remove the oil fill pipe to make more room, use a heat gun/hair dryer at the joint to soften the plastic so you can separate the pieces. Try to prevent the hunk bolted to the engine from moving around a lot when you are tugging (and swearing) at the joint...it's pretty easy to snap the pipe where it makes the 90 degree bend down to the top of the block. next up for my friends car is the water pump. It gave up at 51K miles. I offered to buy the car off her for $13.50, but she's holding out for $22.75 :-)

conclusions..... I cut open the round top of the separator. Inside is a diaphram and restriction mechanism. It appears the purpose is to throttle the air flow through the separator when the intake vacuum goes up. Assuming the tear I found in the diaphram wasn't created by my chopping the thing open, the symptoms are all explained. The tear acted like a vacuum leak to the intake, hence the lean condition and codes P1128 and 1130. Since the diaphram mechanism was not blocking the vacuum, oil was simply sucked into the intake where it puddled. The oil vapors that accumulate after engine shutdown burn off when the car is started again, resulting in a rather impressive smoke-screen. The only thing not explained by the separator is the oil puddle on top of the engine. That appeared to come from the oil fill tube joint. The latest version of the tube doesn't look like it will help a lot - the updated tube is easier to pull apart, but the basic design is still "a pretty stiff plastic tube getting clamped around a solid plastic tube" ... not good considering which way the oil is flowing. Anyway, some notes: you can replace the oil separator from the top. However, it's easier if you disconnect the oil fill tube. Assuming you don't have the latest fill tube and neck, use a hairdryer to soften the plastic a little before attempting to pull the pieces apart. It's not mandatory to split the fill tube, it just gives you more room. If you have oil in the intake, remove the intake pipes from the throttle body forward, including the cross pipe. You'll need to mop out the oil, and when the intake plumbing is off, you have lots of room to deal with the separator. Buy a pair of locking hose clamp pliers with ends that can swivel...you really need them. I tried using some small vice grips, and invented a couple dozen new four letter words before popping out to the tool store. The pliers do what they are supposed to. When replacing the separator, install the bellows hose first before inserting the plastic drain pipe into the engine. That will let you tilt the separator and get your arms down both sides to push on the hose. If you do replace the oil fill tube and are reading the TSB, you don't need two people. However, to get the new tube onto the service port unit, you need those locking pliers to hold the clamp open from the engine bay side. A second person would be handy to hold your glass of scotch, though. If you also replace the fill tube neck (the part that connects to the top of the engine) because, for example, you leaned on it and cracked it, you'll need a crows-foot wrench to remove one of the bolts. If someone needs my old bellows tube, toss me a message and you can have it. It's got 45K miles on it, and is still soft with no evidence of cracking. Apparently you cannot buy the hose itself, you have to buy a separator to get a new one. total cost of repair around $150 for a new separator ($88), oil fill tube, and fill tube neck.

search for oil bellows tube. no direct answer on why this could cause oil to be sucked into intake, but I'll pull the separator again and check the tube. if someone can explain how oil in the intake gets there, that would be helpful, instead of the generic "the oil separator failed, replace it". A new separator comes with a new bellows tube, so what is really at fault?

car symptoms: - CEL and ODB2 codes 1128 and 1130 - excessive smoke from exhaust at startup - oil puddle on top of engine below throttle body I pulled the short hose connecting the oil vapor separator to the intake and there's liquid oil in the hose. Is that normal? next I was going to remove the throttle body/intake and see how much oil is laying around in the system. I don't know if the separator is not working right, or the oil is just normal accumulation from 5 years of vapor condensation. Any way to test the separator or other suggestions? thanks, phil