Checked my oil tonight been 2500 miles since changed so I know in about due

Oil looks REALLY NASTY. It's thick and milky is it just condensation?
Doesn't smoke runs just fine and doesn't overheat motor has 100k on it I put valvoline max life synthetic in my last oil change and some oil additive maybe that's my problem?

Here's what it looks like

That looks bad... oil additives are not recommended usually. Are you losing coolant? Looks like head gasket is going out.

Ya I dumped in "engine restore" made for 4 cylinders to see if it would do anything. No major coolant loss that I can tell... Should I top off coolent, change oil (without additive) and give it a good drive and check it again

Drain the oil and see what it looks like

The stick on my truck does this; and there isnt a head gasket issue or anything like that




"A car just isn't a car without a little blood, sweat, and beers." -- Shadowfire

Wife's car looks like that (not with that much though!)

Her car tends to short trip often, which leads to the condensation.......


http://www.autorentalandsales.com/images/2004Cavalier005.JPG

Bad head gasket is first guess, how does the coolant look?.. If you're 100% its not that, I guess change the oil and skip the additive?

Trips with this car are usually 15-20 min Dailey

What kind (brand/weight) of oil should I try putting in it tonight?

I wouldn't spend money on synthetic at this point.

Just grab a jug of conventional 5w30 or 10w30 and see how it looks after a few days.

There are no hard and fast rules for curing an engine of sludge buildup. If it's really bad, flushing the engine might be the only cure, but that could also cause even more problems. If flushing the engine results in bits of sludge getting lodged where they can do more damage, you're actually worse off.

It's interesting to note that some race techs have reported sludge buildup in race engines as a result of aftermarket additives being used in conjunction with the regular oil. The chemical composition of the additives isn't as neutral as some companies would lead us to believe, and combined with particular types of oil and high-stress driving, they can cause oil breakdown and sludge to appear. The lesson from them appears to be "don't use additives".


when it's an oil and water emulsion from a leaking or blown head gasket. If this happens, you get a whitish cream coloured sludge on the inside of the oil filler cap that looks like vanilla yoghurt or mayonnaise, or Wendys Frosty. The cap is typically cooler than the rest of the cam case and so the oil/water mix tends to condense there. If the underside of your filler cap has this sort of deposit on it, chances are the engine has a blown head gasket.

A surefire way to confirm this is if your oil level is going up and your coolant level is going down. The coolant gets through the breaks in the head gasket and mixes with the oil. When it gets to the sump it separates out and the oil floats on top. A more accurate way to check for this condition is to use a combustion leak tester, or block tester. The Combustion leak testers are basically a turkey baster filled with PH liquid, with a non-return valve at the bottom. To use one, run your engine for a few minutes until its warm (not hot) then turn it off. Use a protective glove (like an oven glove) and take the radiator or reservoir cap off. Plug the bottom of the combustion leak tester into the hole and squeeze the rubber bulb on top. It will suck air from the top of the coolant through the non-return valve and bubble it through the PH liquid. If the liquid changes colour (normally blue to yellow), it means there is combustion gas in the coolant which means a head gasket leak....do this test at your own risk

There is one other possible cause for the mayonnaise: a blocked scavenger hose. Most engines have a hose that comes off the cam cover and returns to the engine block somewhere via a vacuum line. This is the scavenger hose that scavenges oil vapour and gasses that build up in the cam cover. If it's blocked you can end up with a buildup of condensation inside the cam cover, which can manifest itself as the yellow goop inside the filler cap.

thought this may help, some good info





Everyone should wrench!

I think I figured it out maybe...

I changed oil tonight and when I was done I pulled out dipstick and it looked exactly the same.... Thought to myself WTF... So I cleaned it off and put dipstick in the tube again this time only 3/4 of the way down, pulled and it looked the same again(thick and milky)!!!. The tube is full of condensation I think not sure if it's cracked ow what but I can swivel around the tube like it is loose.. I'll pull the tube off and clean and inspect it tomarow. The O rings are in the stick still so that isn't an issue...When I drained oil it looked pretty good and it is not white or milky from what I can see on the valve cover fill cap or inside there.
Also topped it off with coolent, it didn't take much at all. Hopefully all is well the next 3000 when I change it again thanks everyone