My Aie filter is soaked with gasoline: HELLLLLP!!!!!

I was showing my air filter to a co-worker at break (we work for a OEM suppier, federal Mogul) when we noticed that the air filter was wet. My coworker smelled it and said "Man, this is gasoline.....what the hell???". I went to autozone after work where I got an similar response. WHAT THE HECK COULD THIS BE????

Inspect your PCV valve and hoses.

Inspect your PCV valve and hoses.


I replaced the PCV valve a little over a month ago. I also changed the hose that goes directly to the air filter. Can I myself change the rest of the hoses?

I don't see any way for gasoline to get on your air filter. It is more than likely 'blow-by' coming down the hose that goes from your valve cover to the air cleaner box. Blow-by is what gets by between your piston and cylinder wall. That's why pistons have rings but they wear out. This could have some unburned gas as well as burned oil in it. It comes down the tube as a gas but when it cools can go back to liquid form. Normally the PCV valve sucks this stuff up and burns it. So you have a bad PCV valve, the wrong PCV valve or your engine may be wore out. Where the hose hooks to the air cleaner box there should be a small foam filter inside the box. Do you have one?

I wouldn't replace to rest of the hoses unless you see physical damage. I would just blow air thru them to make sure they aren't clogged. And yes it's possible you have an exessive blow-by. A cylinder leak-down test may be a good idea..

I wouldn't replace to rest of the hoses unless you see physical damage. I would just blow air thru them to make sure they aren't clogged. And yes it's possible you have an exessive blow-by. A cylinder leak-down test may be a good idea..



How many hoses do I have to blow air throug? I'm a novice and I see a couple of hoses however I don't know where all of them are.

There's only one hose going to the air cleaner box. That's the one going to the valve cover from the base of the air cleaner box. You might see several vacuum lines under the air cleaner box but those go to the charcoal cannister and have nothing to do with the air cleaner.

I used gasoline to clean the little foam filter that's right at the beginning of the air filter box where the hose is connected. I cleaned out the filter box which was filled with this oily substance. I looked at it 2 days later and I saw this emerging again. I got an oil change so I know that there isn't too much oil in the engine. If it is in fact a bad motor should I just junk this car because there are too many problems along side this one for me to continue to dump money into it? :confused:

Don't tell the EPA you're doing this but unhook the hose at the air cleaner box and remount it somewhere low and it'll just drip on the road instead of the air cleaner. A buddy of mine did this on an '89 Escort about two years ago. He drives 160 miles a day and it still runs. He made a can to run the hose in to and catch the oil. He just dumps the can every few days. It'll buy you some time. Are you sure you got the right PCV valve? Also, where the PCV valve's hose mounts to the top of the engine there is a 90 degree elbow. There's been reports, me included, of these elbows collapsing. If this happens then the blow-by has no where to go but out the aircleaner hose.