White goo in my oil!!!

[M. Brown]

What could this be? I don't think its antifreeze because this stuff does not blend into the oil. It sticks to the dipstick, and also because my antifreeze level is full and has never been low to my knowledge and my engine doesn't over heat. Do I just need to get the engine flushed out when I get my next oil change or is this something serious?

[Jchiasson]

With heating and cooling of the engine and it's components, this could just be condensation mixed in with the oil that did not burn off during operation. Keep an eye on that coolant level, for sure!

[carlover626]

Does your car normally get warmed to operating temp when you drive? i.e. do you do a lot of short trips?

[rixGAphx]

Kinda looks like a garden slug, smeared on the top of the dipstick, and on the inside rim of the oil filler cap.

Perfectly normal.
It is pure water vapor from the crankcase air, really heated by the oil and the heat of the undersides of the pistons.
The vapor condenses on the 'cold spots', being the top of the dipstick and the plastic oil filler cap.

There is also oil vapor condensing at those places at the same time.

While 'oil and vinegar' don't mix in a salad dressing, 'oil vapor condensate and water vapor condensate' DO mix.
They form that slug-like crud.
Much more prevalent in cold climates, and in humid climates, and in engines that are rarely driven long enough (~30+ minutes at a time) to really heat-up the dipstick and cap, AND evaporate the water vapor out of the crankcase.

If you see this crud on the BOTTOM of the dipstick, instead of plain oil (clean or dirty), then water has flowed into the sump from a leak, like the Lower Intake Manifold gasket on the V6's.
The oil pump forces the two liquids together under pressure, just like milk is 'homogenized' so the cream/fat doesn't separate and float to the top.

Just wipe the crud off with a paper towel.

-Rick

[M. Brown]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
Kinda looks like a garden slug, smeared on the top of the dipstick, and on the inside rim of the oil filler cap.

Perfectly normal.
It is pure water vapor from the crankcase air, really heated by the oil and the heat of the undersides of the pistons.
The vapor condenses on the 'cold spots', being the top of the dipstick and the plastic oil filler cap.

There is also oil vapor condensing at those places at the same time.

While 'oil and vinegar' don't mix in a salad dressing, 'oil vapor condensate and water vapor condensate' DO mix.
They form that slug-like crud.
Much more prevalent in cold climates, and in humid climates, and in engines that are rarely driven long enough (~30+ minutes at a time) to really heat-up the dipstick and cap, AND evaporate the water vapor out of the crankcase.

If you see this crud on the BOTTOM of the dipstick, instead of plain oil (clean or dirty), then water has flowed into the sump from a leak, like the Lower Intake Manifold gasket on the V6's.
The oil pump forces the two liquids together under pressure, just like milk is 'homogenized' so the cream/fat doesn't separate and float to the top.

Just wipe the crud off with a paper towel.

-Rick

I am seeing it at the bottom of the dipstick. Is it a major problem then? I have a 2.2 ecotech. Also thanks for the info!

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by M. Brown
I am seeing it at the bottom of the dipstick.
Is it a major problem then?
I have a 2.2 ecotech.It depends.

It's OK if the bottom 1-1/2 inches or so is 'normal' oil, and then there's a little gob or a few streaks of crud above the oil level.

It's a major problem if there's no 'normal' oil, just crud for the full 1-1/2 inches.
That means you no longer have oil, you have an oil-coolant mixture.
The only way that can happen is if some part of the coolant system has leaked internally, and the coolant has dribbled down into the crankcase.
I haven't heard of any specific problems in this regard for the 2.2.

Good luck,
-Rick

[M. Brown]

hmm. My coolant level is fine...I'll check it out again tomorrow morning. Maybe I'm just over reacting. I hope thats all it is. :(

[Nighthawk243]

If anything, get a photo too... it'll help.

[tenspeed]

Originally posted by carlover626
Does your car normally get warmed to operating temp when you drive? i.e. do you do a lot of short trips?

You didn't answer this one and it may be the cause if you don't drive long distances.

You're in NE where it's cold and wet. Moisture gets sucked into the engine when it cools. The engine has to get hot enough and long enough to boil the moisture out of the oil.

[M. Brown]

I drive 30mins to school every day on the highway and 30mins back home.

[M. Brown]

Here is picture. My oil is in dire need of being changed. That is my fault. But look at these pictures is making me think that I have a serious and expensive problem here. :(

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7086/pic0048bh9.th.jpg (http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pic0048bh9.jpg)

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by M. Brown
....a look at these pictures is making me think that I have a serious and expensive problem here. I agree, though the pic is kinda small and I can't get good resolution.

But if that crud is 3/4+" deep as it appears, then you shouldn't start the engine.
That crud doesn't pump well thru the oil passages, and it doesn't lubricate the bearings worth a damn.

Right now, your problem is finding and fixing the leak (IMO, 3:1 it's a leaking gasket).
If you damage the bearings, then you need a complete engine overhaul.

Can you wipe the dipstick, dip it again, and take/post a closer pic?

-Rick

[M. Brown]

OK there is something freaky going on...I went to go take some more pics of the dipstick wiped off and dipped again and now there is no crud to be seen! What happened. This is the best pic I can come up with for some reason :( Sorry for the extremely poor image quality.

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/5329/pic0056rh9.th.jpg (http://img454.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pic0056rh9.jpg)

[rixGAphx]

In the prior pic, all of that crud might have collected higher on the stick, and had just kinda dribbled and pooled to the end.

IF the dipstick repeatedly looks like the second pic, with dirty oil but no tannish coolant crud, then I think you're OK.

Definitely change the oil and filter.
I think I would do an oil change this week, then go for a long drive, at least 50 miles within an hour, two hours at most.
This warming of the oil and running of the engine should be enough to 'boil-off' all the humid air that has collected in the crankcase over the winter.

Then do another oil change immediately to get the rest of the crud out of there.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

[daman]

Whats it look like under your oil cap?

[M. Brown]

Originally posted by daman
Whats it look like under your oil cap?
I'll check that out tomorrow.

[Mac00GT]

for a second there it almost sounded to me like the coolant was mixing with the oil, kinda like what the LIM problem does. Either way that shouldn't have been in there, even if its not showing up now. I would take it in and get it checked out asap. There was another member on here who's car got wrecked and said he had a coolant leak in his engine and showed the pic of it and it was that same color but looked to be thicker. GL on this man hope it turns out well.

[RazorDX]

I had something similar on my dipstick (kinda orangish) and got all paranoid. My dad looked at it and told me that it was just the Valvoline. I have no clue whether this is valid or not, but I do know for sure that you need to change your oil/filter.

[daman]

Originally posted by RazorDX
[B]I had something similar on my dipstick (kinda orangish) and got all paranoid. My dad looked at it and told me that it was just the Valvoline.
I would call B/S on that,,,how long ago was this??

no oil that i'm aware of makes your oil look like his....

[tgussie666]

My '95 Bonne was doing that underneath the oil cap.....looked like a mustard type substance, and learned that it was just condensation from driving only short distances. I was told to change the oil a little more often, especially if I just make short trips only. With having an older car, I started changing the oil every 1500 miles, and no yellow stuff.

[slowbird]

I noticed a little bit of the Sludge under my oil cap one day....I immediatley checked the dip stick and found none.

A week later the bit of sludge on the cap was gone. When I did my oil change shortly after I held my hand under the oil draining out and it was fine.

My old Cutlass used to get this stuff in the Winter, and my dad mentioned his old 350 Impala did the same.

I'd get a can of Seafoam...poor a bit in the Oil...run the car for a bit and then change the oil. Clean the Dipstick and Oil cap well and then check back every few days or so.

[RazorDX]

Originally posted by daman
I would call B/S on that,,,how long ago was this??

no oil that i'm aware of makes your oil look like his....

As I said, I'm not sure how valid that is but it has since gone away. It was maybe a month ago while it was starting to warm up, then got really cold again. The oil itself didn't look like that, but along the dipstick you could see orange gunk. An oil change later and it's gone... the oil had about 4k miles on it so we'll see in about 3k miles if it comes back.

[daman]

^^^If it keeps coming back and your not doing short drives i'd
be checking it out...Good luck.

[2000grandam3400]

The sludge is a sign of coolant leaking into engine block. The blown lower intake manifold gasket may be the perpetrator. Check the coolant level more often. If you lose coolant quicker, get the LIMG replaced A.S.A.P.

[karnoff]

just wanna help you out on a side note. on the second pic you took, check your camera settings, you have it to focus on the background not the foreground. that will help in taking better pics.