Before going for a ~450 mile drive last weekend, I checked to make sure my coolant, oil and PS fluids were all topped off. The entire trip, the car never overheated nor did I notice any smoke. This morning before going to drive the car since last weekend, I decide to check the levels again.

 

First was the oil. Pulled out the dipstick and it was dry! WTF?! Check it another time and still nothing. So I put in a whole quart, then I'm able to see some fluid at the low mark. As I take off the oil cap, I notice white crap on it and the downtube, which I know means moisture.

 

 

 

 

This a sure sign the engine needs to be rebuilt?

Well it would be helpful if you told us the mileage on th car. Secondly what are your oil change intervals. it can be a sympton of blow-by, can mean too many short trips, can mean absoloutly nothing. If your not loosing coolant i wouldnt worry about it. Remeber oil in these engines does vaporize a bit, mix that with humidity in the air, a little blowby and you will see that. Clean the cap and keep track of it, but i wouldnt panick.

Now the oil levle, chexk the bottom of the engine to see if it is wet. Rule out oil leaks (subrua can leak and not leave any drips). If you burned it you would have seen smoke at that low a consumption. Have somone drive behind you and watch for smoke.

 

nipper

I bought at the end of the summer. I changed both on 9/20/2006 when it had 149650 miles. Penzoil filter and Castrol 10W30. That was trying to fix the HLA's sticking, so I put in half a can of seafoam and it went away. Then changed the oil again on 9/22/2006 with 149666 miles.

 

The car now has 151K miles. Planning on changing the oil again in December after I drive home.

 

Also, is it normal for exhaust/white vapor to come out the dipstick hole, when it's out and the engine is cold?

Also, replace the PCV valve, clogged PCV doesn't let the engine lower ends 'breathe' and moisture accumplates in the block, cheap and easy fix.

I saw a similar-looking sludge in a friends' 3.1 GM engine, known for a problem with intake manifold gaskets that leak both oil and coolant. They had it fixed in a shop, and no more sludge.

On this engine, it might be the head gasket but let's hope for something else.

I bought at the end of the summer. I changed both on 9/20/2006 when it had 149650 miles. Penzoil filter and Castrol 10W30. That was trying to fix the HLA's sticking, so I put in half a can of seafoam and it went away. Then changed the oil again on 9/22/2006 with 149666 miles.

 

The car now has 151K miles. Planning on changing the oil again in December after I drive home.

 

Also, is it normal for exhaust/white vapor to come out the dipstick hole, when it's out and the engine is cold?

 

Water vapor is normal on a cold engine, but not usually out of the crankase. you have blowby when cold (maybe warm too but hard to tell unless your burning something), the next question is how much and why. A compression test would help, if the numbers are even and high, its just a high mileage normal engine thing. Its nothing that is going to be disastarous today tomorrow or next month, but it would be nice to dig around a bit.

Also do change your pcv valve.

 

nipper

About 10% of the cars that come in to our shop have the froth look under the oil cap, its just a fact of life living in the PNW, gotta get the car hotter (long drives) to burn out the water in the oil from condensation.

 

 

It's probably no big deal, but if you start loosing coolant, or your oil level goes up, its a head gasket.

It is not just getting the water out of the oil. That water has to go somewhere, so it goes up the filler neck that is a lot cooler and condenses into that scudge. Like Noah says, a fact of life in a cool climate.

My 93 legacy wagon used to do this before we replaced the engine,but it was never built up like that. I'd suspect the PCV to begin with,appears something isn't venting right.Since putting in used engine with 72000 miles and new plugs,filters,oil and PCV haven't seen any of that sludgie stuff in 15000 miles.

John

that's alot more than i would have expected to see, never seen that much on this coast. interesting.

you PNW people probably are familiar with it, but i'd want to clean them both off really good and see how long it takes to come back.

this is a turbo? i'd make sure no coolant/water is mixing/crossing in the turbo or lines as well. check the intake for any oil/coolant mixing in there as well.

Third vote for a new PCV.

 

Or just flushing it out. Maybe the Seafoam deposited some gunk in it?

that white junk is caused when petroleum oils react with water, that can create acids that eat bearing surfaces.

saw a great example inside an engine running on propane, it never got hot enough to burn off the water. big pits on the mains and rods where the acid ate into them....

use sythentic oil, it doesn't react with the moisture and cause these acids

that white junk is caused when petroleum oils react with water, that can create acids that eat bearing surfaces.

saw a great example inside an engine running on propane, it never got hot enough to burn off the water. big pits on the mains and rods where the acid ate into them....

use sythentic oil, it doesn't react with the moisture and cause these acids

 

thats why frequent oil changes are needed even more so on cars that see low annual mileage.

 

nipper

thats why frequent oil changes are needed even more so on cars that see low annual mileage.

 

nipper

 

true...if you are using petro oil, it reacts with water, and evaporates. and goes bad just sitting, which is why they give a time interval to change dino oil regardless of mileage

synthetic doesn't have these problems, hence the longer drain intervals, and no problem with just sitting and not driving