Thanks to ‘Dieselgate,’ Volkswagen’s shift towards full electrification is swiftly underway. Until the day the last internal combustion engine VW rolls off the line, though, the German company still has a few oily bugs to sort out on its older models.
Key Points
- Among the main culprits for oil leaks in VW vehicles are valve cover gaskets and camshaft chain tensioner gaskets linked to blocked positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) systems in older Volkswagens.
- The PCV valve (otherwise known as an oil/air separator) in Volkswagens undergo constant strain while regulating vacuum pressure, wearing out the internals in the long run.
- PCV replacement is an easy fix, while gasket repairs and beyond can run into the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
- The bottom line: Preventative maintenance is key to stemming future Volkswagen oil leaks while saving tons of cash for more important upgrades.
VW Can Electrify its Future, But Oil Continues to Leak From its Past, When Fallout From ‘Dieselgate’ Led Automaker Away From Diesel
The 2010s were not kind to Volkswagen, all thanks to one major disaster dubbed “Dieselgate” by the press.
In short, VW knew when its diesel engines would be undergoing emissions testing and used a few computer tricks to pass those tests before resuming normal operation.
The fallout from this revelation found the German company pivoting away from diesel entirely. Instead, VW also opted to cast aside gasoline for full electrification of its lineup, beginning with the ID.4 and ID. Buzz EVs.
The company aims to make half of its sales from EVs by 2030, have a full EV lineup in major markets by 2040, and be carbon neutral by 2050. Quite the turn from where Volkswagen was in the 2010s, to be sure.
However, oil will still have a role to play in the near term, especially where it concerns its latest models.
Positive Crankcase Ventilation Clogs Lead to Leaky Volkswagens and Rough Idling
A common cause of oil leaks in Volkswagen models from the 2010s and earlier comes from blown valve cover and camshaft chain tensioner gaskets.
According to reports made to Repair Pal about the Passat, repairing the oil leaks through the dealership or certain garages have run into the thousands of dollars.
How did the gaskets get blown, though? The common culprit, per FCP Euro, is the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, otherwise known as the air/oil separator valve. Issues linked to the PCV include vacuum leaks, rough idling, and oil leaks from the rear main seal.
According to the FCP Euro site, “the constant strain of regulating the vacuum in modern engines wears at the internals of the PCV system, leading to a variety of different symptoms of varying degrees of severity.”
Reportedly, the issue generally appears between 60,000 to 80,000 miles and affects VW models like the 2013–2017 Beetle, 2014–2017 Passat, and various 2015–2018 Golfs.
Cheaper to Replace the PCV at Home Than Gaskets, More at the Shop
The fallout of Dieselgate may be driving Volkswagen toward an electric future, but it’ll be a while yet before oil disappears from the entire lineup. Even then, though, there will be plenty of future classic VWs on the road, all needing a new PCV valve sooner or later.
Preventative maintenance, however, will guarantee no future oil leaks will find their way out of a properly maintained Jetta, Golf, or Passat.
Photos: Volkswagen
