Where is the PCV valve located on a 1999 Ford Escort ZX2?

Answer 1

Your owner's manual says to take it in to a dealer at 60,000 miles and they'll do it for free. I have to do that soon. I haven't found the PCV Valve yet in mine either. The PCV valve is located on the front of the engine block on the drivers side of the car.(below the camshaft cover) The valve is fairly well hidden with a rubber elbow plugged onto its top. The elbow connects the PCV to an insulated plastic tube that runs (invisibly) to the rear, beneath the spark coil assembly and some other stuff. IMPORTANT: The insulated plastic tube curves down behind the engine block and inside the plastic intake manifold. It attaches to a vacuum nipple on the hidden face of the intake manifold via another rubber elbow. The rubber elbow softens with time, heat, and hot oil fumes, and will eventually split, allowing uncontrolled air leakage into the intake manifold. That screws with the engine emission sensors and you will experience rough idling and stalling at stop lights. If you have more than about 50,000 miles on the car you should replace not only the PCV valve but the two rubber elbows in the system.