Foam in oil 98 Camry

Apr 10, 2006 4 Replies

I changed the oil in my 98 Camry 4Cyl 70k mi yesterday and found foam in the drain pan. I realize that this may be an indication of cracked block. Is there a test to determine if the foam is caused by coolant. The oil has been changed consistantly every 3000 mi with the recommended 10w30



I would also like to get opinions on the following...a possible cause to the above.



I brought the vehicle into a quick lube place to get the coolant replaced (the only thing I let these guys do) I was watching them as they hooked up the drain and fill machine. The draining part was happening nicely. Suddenly one of the Bozos realized that the "Fill" part was not happening. As you know the vehicle is running during this process. I suspect the vehicle ran a few minutes without any coolant. Meanwhile one of the "automotive experts" noticed the temp gauge and proclaimed "this thing is gettin' reel hot" at that point they figured out that you have to turn the valve on to let coolant back into the engine. Coolant then was introduced into hot engine. great. What do you think? This happend about 4 months ago.



Unrelated to the coolant issue one of the Bozos decided to check my oil filter while he was wating for the coolant to pass into my engine (with the valve closed). He didnt feel it was tight enough (there was NO oil leaking out of it) before I could stop him he reached down an cranked it down as hard as he could. That was a joy to take off!



It is possible that running the engine without coolant and then suddenly introducing cold coolant cracked the block or head, it is also possible that the head was warped in the process or that no harm was done.

Coolant mixed with the oil generally results in the oil having the appearance of a milkshake, not just foam on top.

Check the coolant level to see if it is at the proper level. If it is at the correct level, then you can just monitor the oil and coolant level for a while.

Check the exterior or the engine for visible signs of leaks.

Does the car start without any problem, i.e., excessive smoke out the tailpipe or rough running at startup?

Thanks for the input! I noticed the foam in the oil I drained out yesterday...(the reason for my post) It was not excessive or milkshake like. Just a thin layer of foam. ( the engine was cool when it was drained) My wife drove the car about 50 miles and I drained the oil with no foam present (Engine was at operating temp) and refilled it. Have I over reacted? As stated, I change the oil every 3K miles religiously without ever noticing any foam. The car starts like a champ doesn't appear to have any blue smoke...coolant level seems consistant. I can hardly tell when its running because it idles so nicely. How long would it take to ruin an engine in the manner I described above? (running with no coolant)Thanks again!

If coolant was getting into the oil, 50 miles is probably not enough for it to be detectable.

If there are no other symptoms, you're probably OK. Just keep an eye on the oil and coolant levels and appearance.

It would not take very long to ruin an engine without coolant, probably under 5 minutes.

It sounds as though you need a new head gasket. You should get it looked at immediately.

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