It has taken some while for us to find what was wrong with the engine breather system on out Picasso. The engine was always turning the oil into a creamy gunge and sucking this mess into the engine throttle body. This causing burnt oil smoke being omitted, sometimes quite badly from the exhaust. After several trips to garages, Citroen specialists too, non could determine the fault. This left us even more determined to find the problem ourselves. Putting what information we had gathered we determined the problem was with the PC Valve. But where is it we wondered. Nowhere to be seen under the bonnet. After further investigation and from photos from the internet we surmised it was probably inside the rear cam cover. Having removed the cam cover it was clear something was amiss. Inside was solid with this creamy, frothy gunge. I decided I would break in to the enclosed area of the cover only to find the offending PC Valve membrane completed hardened and rigid. We preferred to buy a new cam cover, £148, to ensure a secondhand one didn't have the same problem as it can only be seen by breaking it open. Since fitting the new cam cover the problem has been totally eliminated and the Picasso is running as it should. What I don't understand is why didn't Citroen make this PC Valve more accessible and make the membrane in it easy to change if required. I do have a photo of the old cam cover after i broke it open if anyone wants to see it.

I hope this information will help any others who may experience a similar problem.

Edited by cearve on 05/06/2019 at 22:43