Valves and valve seals regulate fuel/air flow and timing into the combustion chamber. Valve seals prevent oil leakage into the chamber and maintain compression. Deteriorated seals cannot perform these functions, leading to issues like blue smoke from the exhaust due to oil leakage into the chamber. Damaged seals also cause poor engine performance from loss of compression and increased oil consumption. Abnormal signs from the engine should not be ignored so seal problems can be detected and fixed in a timely manner to keep the engine functioning properly.