Someone Explain Oil separator/pcv system

[mes882]

2010 with 2.5.  Can someone tell me about the oil separator/pcs systems. How it might work?  I have some water in the oil. Not coolant. Water. Then the hose on the back of the valve cover had water it. 

[bangster]

Oil separator is not for water in the oil, but something that you can put on the PCV hose to get the oil that is returned that way to be collected instead of sucked into the intake and coating the intake with oil and also letting it into the combustion chamber and being burnt. I was going to check the PCV on mine when I had the intake off to wap the spark plugs, but didn't...I was curious if it was a heated PCV that helps in these situations (which it is in my 2012 3.5, but not in your 2010 2.5).

 

Water in the system is likely condensation from environment and driving style or never really reaching operating temps for a long enough time to burn them off. Do you see milky looking oil on the dipstick when you check the oil, or on the bottom of the fill cap? It might not be making it to the crankcase. Is that hose with water in it from the PCV or just the crankcase ventilation tube? I thought the PCV was passenger front and a short hose. 

[mes882]

The hose starts on the back of valve cover. Driver side then runs to the air intake. Had water/condensation in it. Yes there is that milky white look. I ended up taking it to a ford dealer. The tech said the oil separator and pcv is all one piece on this 2.5.  When they changed it there was also a cracked hose coming off the oil separator. Tech said it was pretty nasty in there. Replacing it would correct the water in the oil. Guess time will tell.