My mechanic is telling me this is ok... i'm a bit leary of it...
In january we had a used block, new head installed... i check the oil daily now including under the cap. No choco shake on the dipstick ever, but I have found it twice on the cap (wiped it off each time).
Sounds like a problem to me... is there any reason for it to occasionally appear and all be well? (he said it's just condensation from the cold, but yesterday wasn't all that cold).
When it is cold and you are not doing long trips, it may form even if there is not a problem.
Cold is relative. To an engine that likes to operate at 195 F and oil that can get hotter and boil moisture out of it, ambient temps us mortals exist at are cold.
--TW
You need to replace the engine since you no-longer trust your mechanic. And when it comes back then you will find out it's normal! All kidding aside, believe your mechanic "IT's NORMAL"!
Woodchuck wrote: : You need to replace the engine since you no-longer trust your mechanic. And : when it comes back then you will find out it's normal! All kidding aside, : believe your mechanic "IT's NORMAL"!
I dunno... it's always been a symtom of headgasket or oil cooler leak to me... I have a appointment to drop it off again tomorrow as now it's on the dip stick as well :-(
My trips are almost always at least a hour... I use it as my commuter car so it is getting about 50 miles a day of city driving. It is cold here.
I have quasi trust of my mechanic... He got a ticket with my car... I know because he didn't pay it and we got a warning notice that the fine was doubling so we paid it... after yelling at my teenage son for a while about getting the ticket and not paying it, we realized based on the location and date that it was the mechanic...
I thought the choco-shake on the oil cap was a design feature of these engines.
jbx2 wrote: : It's NORMAL.... Our 94 has been like that every winter for years. If the : shop has emissions equipment, have them sniff the valve galley for glycol : and you'll find out if there is antifreeze mixed with the oil. They can : probably sniff the coolant for oil too, but I think it's fine.
Just got back from vacation... dropped car off before leaving as the stuff was on the dipstick now. He seemed a bit concerned (I've never had the oil contaminated before with the old motor), but I suspect if you like your bearings, you don't want anything else in there as all it's doing is diluting the oil and increasing wear.
I'll find out what he found tomorrow...
Went out to Arizona for 5 days.. much nicer than Chicago this time of year...
if you are talking about the white creamy mousse like stuff that collects on teh oil filler cap, and clogs the crankcase ventilation hose on my old bus.. i htink that is a symptom of blow by adn worn rings.. moisture in the air blows buy the cylinder rings during combustion and enters the crankcase.. and then the moisture mixes withte hdetergents in the oil amd makes the foamy creamy mousse..
i don't think this is a serious problem as long as teh car runs.. but in my case on my old air cooled bus, the mousse would blow into and clog the crankcase ventialiton hose, then into the carburaator and clog up the k+n air filter.. then the bus would run rich and stumble from lack of oxygen till i cleaned the hose + air filter.
new rings solved the problem mostly.. but it sitll makes a small amount of mousse... much less than with the old rings..
Chicago Paddl> : It's NORMAL.... Our 94 has been like that every winter for years. If the
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required