What ate the Basic Symptoms of Damaged Oil Control Valve in Car?

The engine of your car is generally connected with bearings and other parts for delivering oil for lubricating and cooling them. On the other hand, the main function of the oil is to lubricate all the moving parts of the engine adequately for avoiding premature wear and tear. So, using the clean oil in your car can enhance its engine performance as well as reduce the gas emissions.

But the oil control valve of the car is also known as variable valve timing solenoid which is commonly controlled by the engine control module for delivering oil to the engine’s camshaft. It is commonly used for controlling the flow of oil into the variable valve timing or VVT gears. If the oil control valve is damaged, then the oil flow can be interrupted. Subsequently, the oil flow can be blocked due to some other factors also such as clogged oil filter, old oil sludge, etc.

When the oil control valve is damaged or malfunctioned, you will notice certain symptoms in your car. You can easily prevent these signs by changing the engine oil recommended in the owner's manual. Here is the list of signs you can notice due to the damaged oil control valve in the car.

Rough idling

When the revolutions per minute of the engine increased, it will put more pressure on the car. Throughout the process, you will notice that the oil control valve is activated because you are putting more pressure on the car or trying to drive uphill. But if the oil control valve of the car is damaged, then your engine will experience rough idling. The rough idling is generally arising when you stop or park the car and the RPM rate is drastically fluctuating.

Engine overheating

The engine of the car has a lot of moving components and parts that are rubbing against each other and create friction while running the car. Now the engine overheating is a common issue found in all types of cars. When the oil control valve of the car is failed, it will prevent the oil from reaching the engine components. Eventually, you will notice that the engine is overheating when you find these components are not lubricated properly.

Poor acceleration

The operation of the engine can be slow down when your car has a damaged or failed oil control valve. As a result, the engine doesn't have a steady flow of oil for lubricating the engine components. Due to these reasons, you will notice the acceleration problem in your car because the engine needs to put additional power for proper lubrication. Therefore the engine unable to fulfill the demands of the components and resulted in poor acceleration when you step on the gas pedal each time.

Activated warning light

Like other issues, the check engine light of the car is illuminated on the dashboard when the oil control valve is damaged. The performance of the engine directly depends on the functionality of the valve, but when the valve has any issues, the check engine warning light will come on automatically. Thus, the warning light can be activated for numerous reasons, but when it arises with some other symptoms, then check the oil control valve by a mechanic.

Poor fuel mileage

The oil control valve has a constant opening and closing options which is controlled by the engine control unit for allowing the oil of the car to flow through it and prevent the oil from coming through. By managing the timing of the oil control valve, the engine control unit will increase the engine performance; reduce the fuel consumption so that the drivers cover more mileage through their cars. But when the oil control valve is damaged, the fuel mileage is reduced very poorly.

Conclusion

The damaged oil control valve can affect the performance of the engine, consume more fuel, poorly accelerate, and roughly idle the car. Determine the failed control valve by identifying the illuminated check engine light and error code on the dashboard. Don't drive the car when the oil control valve is damaged because it damages the internal components of the engine poorly. So, perform the routine oil change of the car for preventing the issues in a long run.

Mark Douglas Motorworks is a family owned and operated auto repair shop, giving service to all European and exotic cars like Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Mercedes, Maserati, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land rover, Porsche and Rolls Royce.