PCV Valve Location 2013 Buick Lacrosse 3.6?

2013 BUICK LA CROSSE
150,000 MILES • 3.6L • 6 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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DAVEH6189
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I had a mechanic tell me that the PCV Valve was stuck in the valve cover and he might need to remove the intake manifold and the valve cover to get it out. Yuck! I decided to give it a try myself since I'm pretty sure I have more time to mess with it than he did. Hard to believe how difficult it is to find out where it is on the engine! Diagrams don't show it. Haynes describes a PCV valve but that's it. See the photo. I removed the tube (blue), but there is no PCV valve in that. I don't think it's the green. Is it somewhere about where the red arrow is? Also, is left and right looking from the driver's side or the front.
Mar 14, 2026 at 2:15 PM
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STEVE W.
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The tube you removed is the fresh air intake for the PCV system. The fitting you have circled in green is the "outlet" side of the PCV, that is where the crankcase gases come out of the engine to be drawn into the intake and get burned by the engine. Follow that tube down to the valve cover in the rear and you will find a fitting on the valve cover, That is the actual PCV valve. It is called a "hose adapter" in a lot of GM paperwork which is why it gets missed. It should pull out of the grommet in the valve cover and the replacement gets a bit of oil and pushed into the grommet. They get stuck because the rubber shrinks a bit and they get buildup on the area that sticks through the cover. Remove the hose and try to twist while pulling straight out on the valve. Replace it, reinstall the hoses and you are done.
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Mar 14, 2026 at 3:41 PM
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DAVEH6189
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Thank you Steve! This site is awesome!
Mar 15, 2026 at 10:29 AM
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STEVE W.
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You are welcome.
Mar 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
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DAVEH6189
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I got down to the pcv valve and could see that the mechanic had given it a good try. I also tried and after lots of wiggling the pcv valve cracked. My car did not like that very well but I got some electrical tape wrapped around it and it's temporarily happy now. I'm going to go ahead and remove the intake manifold in order to get a better angle. I plan to try to get under the small flange of the valve starting with an old crappy screwdriver that I sharpened and get it unstuck. Otherwise maybe an easyout or a turn a screw of the right size into it and pull it out that way. Any better ideas / advice?
Mar 18, 2026 at 8:42 PM
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STEVE W.
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Never seen one so stuck it didn't come out using some force. However you could make a tool to get under it from one of the cheap trim tools available. Something like the last two in this set, open the slot so it fits around the new valve and then use it to get under the old one and pull it out. The wide flange around the valve would give more support to pull it. That way you don't need to pull the intake. the set pictured is from harbor freight but similar tools are available from many places. I make custom tools all the time, commonly to do a job in a way to avoid creating even more work.
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Mar 19, 2026 at 8:32 AM
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DAVEH6189
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Thanks. I will try that first.
Mar 19, 2026 at 9:29 PM
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STRAILER
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STEVE W. is one of our best! Please let us know what happens.
Mar 21, 2026 at 9:30 AM