Hey guys,

I am new to fords, but I work on cars very frequently and recently purchased a 2012 ford escape to rebuild and put back on the road. I noticed by accident that if I remove the dip stick or oil cap while the engine is running there is significant airflow coming out of the either one. The oil cap when opened I can hear exhaust and oil blows everywhere like there is a ton of pressure. Is this normal for these engines or am I missing something. I have never seen an engine do this before and if it did, there was a major issue. Ran a compression test and get 175 psi across all 4 cylinders. Any input would be great!

Thanks

 

The engine has to breathe. Make sure that the PCV valve and its plumbing are intact and working with good vacuum. A new OEM valve would be a good idea since many aftermarket valves are not at the same specs as the original.I would also replace its hose with one being gas resistant and suitable for emission applications. There is also a breather line which may have a filter attached to it. Usually it is run to the air box. If there is a blockage, the engine will build up pressure in the crankcase. It may even be the oil cap itself. If all that checks out, combustion pressure is being forced into the crankcase.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...501934&jsn=456

 

Thanks for the reply, do you know where the pcv valve is located on these engines? I am having trouble finding information about it. There is also a breather hose on top from the top valve cover to the air intake however I noticed there is no pressure coming out of it...which is weird since there is so much pressure coming out of the oil cap.

 

I don't know for sure on your engine but look for it in a grommet in your valve cover or could be plugged into a hose. You could also look for a larger hose coming off a fitting on the intake manifold and trace it to the top of the PCV valve.
I would look possibly for a blockage on that breather line. You should have a very slight vacuum on that breather line as the engine would be drawing air in to displace what is going out.