Servicing your OCC
We at CorkSport hope all of you are staying safe, warm, and happy during this winter season. As the weather changes, so do the components in your Mazda. Making sure to take the time to maintain your Mazda properly will go a long way. Whether you own a Mazdaspeed, NA Mazda, or Turbo Mazda3, here is how to service your CorkSport Oil Catch Can and why that is important as the weather starts to become colder.
Why Use an Oil Catch Can
Having an oil catch can on your Mazda is always a good idea. Over time, the engines will start to wear down allowing oil to blow by the piston rings. Due to this, you can have oil pass back into your intake, causing unwanted smoke to come out of the tailpipe. Keeping oil from contaminating the engine will result in a much cleaner engine over time.
Also, having an OCC on your car is a good way to tell if you have internal engine issues or a bad PCV. We recommend draining your catch with every oil change. If you see a bunch of oil in your catch can, then you know it’s time to start looking into why the can is filling up with oil.
Servicing Your Catch Can for Winter
Making sure to catch all the nasty vapors an engine puts off is an important thing to do in regards to the longevity of the engine. However, ensuring the CorkSport OCC is working properly is just as important. This is important because you want to ensure your oil catch will continue to filter out the nasty vapor; otherwise, you will dirty up your engine faster. However, it is very easy to maintain a good working oil catch can.
Follow these couple steps below on getting that catch can back up to a new status:
- Remove Top Dipstick
- Remove Bottom Plug
- Spray Brakleen Through Dipstick Hole. You can also remove the hose line and spray through the hose line
- Allow Draining
- Repeat A Couple of Time to ensure your can is clean
- Check all rubber hoses. Make Sure None of them are cracked or look dry
Why You Should Service Your Oil Catch Can
Even though oil/gas takes really cold temperatures to freeze, water vapors still make it into the system, which can most definitely freeze. The last thing you want is to have your oil catch no longer able to catch the nasty vapors the engine puts off.
If you have a frozen can, those will pass by the baffle and make it into the intake. Ensure to drain that OCC, and continue to drain it every time you change your oil. As long as you do that, there should be no problem with having your catch freeze or getting too dirty.
Check-in with us and see other tips and tricks for your Mazda.
Keep on driving Mazda, fam!
You may also like:
- Keeping Your Mazda Clean During This Winter Season
- Protect Your Mazda with the CorkSport Air Filter Sock
- Keep your Mazdaspeed Engine Running Cleaner and Better with the CorkSport Aluminum Oil Catch Can and Drain Valve Kit
I have had to empty my OCC far more often than every oil change when it is near or below freezing.
In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve had the thing freeze solid which rendered the PCV system inoperable or partially inoperable. Until I was able to thaw and drain the catch can my car consumed a ton of oil. As soon as it was empty the problem went away.
During this time it was intensely cold – something like -15° at night if I remember correctly so it was unusually cold for where I live.
Are you guys sure brake cleaner is safe for the OCC and all the attached hardware like the drain valve?
Would a less potent degreaser also work?
Empty the can monthly in the winter, especially in cold climates. The cold weather contributes to water vapor condensing and will fill it much quicker than summer.
Better safe than sorry.