[Familyman 90]

PCV replacement is not programmed for any mileage. PCV issues are all but unheard of on these diseasel engines.

Is your dipstick being blown out? I find it difficult to believe that the PCV could be at fault and cause smoke that badly and it wouldn't have been blown out.

To be fair to the first garage, a ring problem is still the best fit for the symptoms. What makes you thinkmyou know better than they do? It would be helpful if you could share you reasoning. In the time that had elapsed you could have bought an inexpensive compression hauge and done it yourself if it came to that.

If the next garage say the same will you start to believe them? This has been dragging on for a while now and anyone else would have just had the blasted thing repaired instead of mincing about with this and that. I'm not sure how consumer law works kver there, but its easy here - if a garage tells you a fault is a particular item, they take it apart and they are wrong then you do not have to pay for their mistake (just make sure you have their diagnosis in writing first), so there is nothing really to lose.