I recently went to put some engine oil in my car and noticed this thick brown liquid had formed on the cap. I am concerned if the water and the engine oil is mixing and will my head gasket eventually go. Can anyone advise me please? Thanx
Fourteen answers:
joy ride
2006-12-19 13:10:07 UTC
does your car continually blow white smoke??? if not than there is no water mixing in the engine oil...build up on the cap is normal, engines run hot in some cars, especially in Japanese cars...
Dave B
2006-12-19 15:56:48 UTC
Sounds like you need to change the oil more often, head gasket symptoms are water loss from the cooling system, if the water dont go down it aint leaking, but if you dont get the oil hot, say 6 miles at 60mph each day condensation will build up in the engine displacing the oil, the cure for this is 3 monthly, 3000 mile oil changes or a 50 mile run up the motorway.
Bealzebub
2006-12-19 18:16:12 UTC
On the cap condensation will often develop, especially in the weather conditions we have lately. Therefore you'll be unlikely to have a problem as long as the oil on the dip-stick is normal. If this is a milky colour you already have a head problem which can be fixed in most cars by simply putting some block seal into the engine, if it's black you have no problem.
jayfrezzy
2006-12-19 13:09:47 UTC
I just had this happen to my car. It was my intake manifold. Coolant was mixing with oil and the foam ring was on my oil cap. If it's a head gasket ur car would be over heating. Check ur engine and see if oil is leaking.
brumfield
2016-10-18 16:12:56 UTC
A: Early synthetics have been given a undesirable acceptance for leaking. This substitute into by using fact, inspite of the claims of the oil producers, the seal-swell features of the recent synthetics have been distinctive from those of the mineral oils they replaced. If the seal-swell cost substitute into decrease, the seals shrank and oil leaked from crankshaft seals and rocker conceal seals. If the cost substitute into larger, the seals swelled slightly greater advantageous and the engine substitute into tight. Then if the owner replaced lower back to mineral oil, or extra a quart whilst no man made substitute into on hand, issues have been given extremely undesirable. The crank seals had substitute into worn, of their turgid state, and then comfortable. The valve conceal seals have been compressed whilst swelled, and whilst the numerous oil substitute into extra, each and everything leaked like, properly, an old English activities vehicle. fortuitously, the region has more suitable; you need to have not any concern switching lower back and forth. including a quart of mineral oil to a crankcase finished of guy-made would be wonderful. study the wonderful print -- fairly some the "synthetics" on the industry are blends containing a considerable share of mineral oil.
2006-12-19 23:16:42 UTC
Have a look at the hose which connects the valve cover to the air filter. This should suck much of the water vapour out of the engine.
It often get bunged up with goo or swells internally due to the effect of oil on rubber.
RoyS
Mr Smart
2006-12-19 13:14:47 UTC
if you are a do-it-yourself mechanic, get a compression guage, and check the compression in each cylinder. if one of the cylinders is lower than the average pressure, you have a problem already.... it is time to have the engine rebuilt. by the way, anyone who says brown sludge in your engine oil is acceptable, is wrong. My 1997 Mazda 323 has 175,000 miles on the original engine,and because I changed the oil every 3,000 miles or so, the engine is in good shape,and the oil never ever gets sludge in it. sludge equals a problem that will only get worse.
mcmustang1992
2006-12-19 13:15:00 UTC
The thick brown liquid on the oil filler cap is normal. If coolant is mixing in with your oil, the oil on the dipstick will be a very light opaque brown color similar to chocolate milk. If the oil is transparent, you don't have any coolant in it.
2006-12-19 13:10:49 UTC
If the oil itself is OK, don't worry. The scum is caused by condensation mixing with oil. If it's easy to take off the rocker cover, (some cars you need to reprogram the computer before you can open the bonnet!) clean it out with a drop of paraffin or white spirit.
L D
2006-12-19 13:10:30 UTC
It's usually a creamy coloured goo that forms on the cap if it's a head gasket problem.
2006-12-19 13:10:23 UTC
If you have water mixing with your oil, the oil will look kind of milky or light with the appearance of bubbles in it.
boy boy
2006-12-19 14:04:23 UTC
IT IS NORMAL BUT ONLY ON HIGHER MILAGE CARS ITS CALLED EMULSION AND IS CAUSED BY ENGINE WEAR AND CONDESATION IF IT WAS MY CAR I WOULD HAVE THE ENGINED THOUROLY FLUSHED OUT . NEW FILTERS INCLUDING OIL..AIR ..AND FUEL ..NEW PLUGS ..FINALLY FILL IT WITH FULLY SYNTHETIC OIL AND IT SHOULD KEEP GOING WELL FOR SOME TIME
2006-12-19 13:21:34 UTC
Does'nt sound too bad. I would just wipe off what you can and don't worry about it too much. It's probably
just condensation. You will have to wait and see. It
wont just stop or blow up. As the others say check your dip-stick. If it's O K that's fine. !!!!!!!!!!!
sarebeardragon
2006-12-19 13:08:09 UTC
check the colour on the dipstick , if this is normal it's probably just condensation
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