what is this crap in my engine ?
what is this crap in my engine ? was doing alittle maintance on my STS TA and took off the breather oil cap and heres what i saw.
I also have a catch can.
what is it and should i be worried?
INSIDE CAP
INSIDE OIL FILLER TUBE
I also have a catch can.
what is it and should i be worried?
INSIDE CAP
INSIDE OIL FILLER TUBE
It's condensation mixing with the oil film. It can be considered normal as the colder it is the worse it gets as your engine cools off faster. Make sure that when you drive the car it gets fully warmed up...this helps evaporate any condensation in the crankcase. Also make sure your PCV system isnt plugged up. Worse case is you have a leaking head gasket letting coolant into the crankcase so be sure to check your coolant level.
It's condensation mixing with the oil film. It can be considered normal as the colder it is the worse it gets as your engine cools off faster. Make sure that when you drive the car it gets fully warmed up...this helps evaporate any condensation in the crankcase. Also make sure your PCV system isnt plugged up. Worse case is you have a leaking head gasket letting coolant into the crankcase so be sure to check your coolant level.
joshp14 is right on. Unless you've got water in your oil, the cause is frigid temperatures and not letting the oil get hot enough to burn moisture out of it. I just cleaned a bunch of that crap out of my tahoe's oil cap/tube. My wife's commute is 3 miles each way, and when it's 10* outside the oil just doesn't get hot enough.
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i usually only drive it to work 8miles one way. but its never that cold in cali.
It does have a gas fuel smell
Theres nothing on the dipstick. My catch can is also probably clogged becaue i dont seem to be getting anything in it anymore.
It does have a gas fuel smell
Theres nothing on the dipstick. My catch can is also probably clogged becaue i dont seem to be getting anything in it anymore.
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TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (8)
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 392
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From: The city of Hewitt in Central Texas
Back in 2000 when I had my V6 Camaro I had a similar issue. I really thought nothing of it until one day I started the car and heard a tapping noise. I had a lifter collapse on me so I had to pull the heads to find the bad lifter and what do you know, I found that both head gaskets were blown. There was water in my oil and oil in my water. I replaced the head gaskets and the problem went away. Hopefully you don't have the same problem I had. Good Luck Man! Keep us posted
TECH Addict
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,379
Likes: 2
it doesn't need to go below 32 degrees before condensation hits. A lot of short trips will do it, nothing longer than 20 mins worth of running will do it. Change the oil, check for coolant in the oil. Will make it milky. Check the coolant, look for oil in coolant.
If your oil is fine and the gunk doesn't return after a week of driving after you've cleaned it, then just treat it as normal condensation build up.
If your oil is fine and the gunk doesn't return after a week of driving after you've cleaned it, then just treat it as normal condensation build up.
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: upstate NY
I live in NY and since winter is here and the temps are alot colder, I see that crap on prolly 95% of the cars when doing an oil change here at the dealership. I'd also vote that its not getting warmed up enough.
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 56
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That is what dexcool looks like when it cooks. You need to pressure test the system and check your dipstick. If I where you I wouldn't even start that thing. You may have a serious problem. Whenever you get water or coolant it goes and cleans the oil off the bearings. Good luck
Back in 2000 when I had my V6 Camaro I had a similar issue. I really thought nothing of it until one day I started the car and heard a tapping noise. I had a lifter collapse on me so I had to pull the heads to find the bad lifter and what do you know, I found that both head gaskets were blown. There was water in my oil and oil in my water. I replaced the head gaskets and the problem went away. Hopefully you don't have the same problem I had. Good Luck Man! Keep us posted
Reason I say that is I had this crap on my fill tube as well. Went looking, the oil itself seemed to be OK and so I thought it was that condensation thing. Well a few months later I had 5 bad lifters (all at once) which cost me an arm and a leg to get fixed (couldn't do it myself, no time or place to do it at
).Makes me wonder if they are related then. Ugh, if so that means I bought a car with a leaky head gasket without knowing it
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
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From: Vancouver,[KITSILANO].B.C. Canada *WestCoast*
Mine sure is clean....never seen that ****..I dunno...looks suspiciously like something might be wrong. We don't have many freezing days..and I sure don't drive it when its that cold anyway.
