97 Expedition - Moisture in Oil

Feb 06, 2005 8 Replies

Have a 97 Expedition, 5.4L, 170,000 miles.



Noticed a good amount of thick, creamy white oil build-up around the oil fill tube. Replace the cap but it didn't go away.



Would like a few pointers on where to start looking/replacing from least to most expensive.



Thanks Todd West N. Canton, OH



02 EB Explorer
97 Expedition
99 EB Expedition

I don't know your driving habits, but if your vehicle is used often for short trips which doesn't get the engine fully warmed up, this is normal. Especially in the winter. H

Thanks. Rarely drive short trips. Usually 15-20 miles minimum.

Check your coolant for oil. You might have a small leak in a cylinder head, which is seeping coolant into the oil and vice-versa.

yeah, or low-no coolant altogether. My '65 Galaxie had a head gasket problem that quickly went from your symptom to worse.

A bad PCV valve can cause this as well, easy to change, needs to be done if you haven't already, and cheap.

My '71 Ranchero did the same thing, $3.00 and it was fixed. Hope you have the same luck.

Murray

I don't know the specifics on your 5.4L PCV system but, if you are not losing coolant. I would investigate the PCV valve, plumbing and, the filters for it. You should also be sure the thermostat is fully warming the engine as quickly as it should. Your trip lengths are plently to avoid this problem.

Thanks to everyone for the ideas. I'm replacing the inexpensive parts first and flushing the oil system.

If it continues, I'll have it checked for head gasket issues.

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