Malibu PCV Valve Symptoms: Smoke + Power Loss Alert

Had the exact same symptoms on my 2015 Chevy Cruze last month. The smoke and power loss were dead giveaways for a crankcase ventilation system failure. The PCV valve was completely stuck, causing excessive pressure buildup and oil consumption. The leak caused oil to get into places it shouldn't, and the ventilation problem was allowing blow-by gases to mess with the engine performance. This isn't just a minor inconvenience, running it this way can damage your turbo and valve seals. The repair involved replacing the entire valve cover assembly since the PCV valve is integrated. It's not a quick DIY job on these models because you need special tools to access some components. The smoke you're seeing is likely oil being burned, which will definitely cause you to fail emissions testing. Would strongly recommend getting this fixed soon, the symptoms you're describing match a serious PCV system malfunction that'll only get worse. The power loss happens because your engine isn't breathing properly through the clogged ventilation system.

Yeah, those symptoms sound exactly like what happened to my Cruze. Turned out my PCV valve failed and the whole valve cover needed replacement because of a crankcase ventilation malfunction. The maintenance team also found some oil leakage that needed attention. Was definitely dealing with similar power loss and emissions issues, super frustrating! Got it fixed a few months back and the car's running much better now. Did you end up getting yours repaired yet? What did they charge you? Just curious if other stuff came up during the repair, sometimes these valve issues can cause chain reactions with other components.

Got mine fixed last week after dealing with that PCV valve nightmare. The maintenance team confirmed it was a complete crankcase ventilation system failure just like we thought. The repair cost came to 360 for the whole job, which included fixing the defective valve cover and cleaning up the oil residue. The smoke issues cleared up immediately after the repair, and the engine's running smooth again with full power restored. No more power loss during acceleration, which is a huge relief. The maintenance crew mentioned catching it when we did probably prevented additional damage to other components. The leak was causing oil to build up in several spots, but luckily there wasn't any serious damage to surrounding parts. Regular maintenance checks would've probably caught this earlier, but these valves can fail even with proper care. If you're still seeing similar symptoms, don't wait too long to get it checked. A faulty PCV system can lead to bigger problems if left unfixed, especially with the oil consumption issues these models tend to develop.

Took my car to the shop after getting the advice here, and what a difference! The mechanic confirmed exactly what everyone suspected, bad PCV valve causing all that smoke and power loss. Ended up costing €485 total, which included replacing the valve cover assembly and cleaning out all the oil buildup. Shop managed to squeeze me in pretty quick since I mentioned the symptoms were getting worse. The maintenance crew found some minor oil leakage around the crankcase area but caught it before it caused any major problems. Really glad I didn't wait longer, mechanic said the malfunction could've done some serious engine damage if left unchecked. Car's running like new now, no more smoke under acceleration and power's completely back to normal. Whole repair took about 4 hours, and they even did a quick system check to make sure no other issues popped up. Definitely worth fixing rather than risking more expensive problems down the road. Thanks for all the input, helped me avoid getting overcharged and knew exactly what to expect when I went in.