Panic! Oil

This is common in cars that do short trips. It is caused by water emulsifying with the oil when it does not get hot enough to evaporate off. You only really need to worry if you find oil in the coolant water.

For every gallon of fuel you burn you get a gallon of water. That is why if you do mostly short trips you should change the oil and filter more frequently than the service intervals.

QUOTE(Dabhand16 @ 17 Nov 2009, 04:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>For every gallon of fuel you burn you get a gallon of water. That is why if you do mostly short trips you should change the oil and filter more frequently than the service intervals.
So where exactly did the 20 odd gallons of water go when I did 500 miles over the weekend? I seriously doubt those figures

should i panic?

QUOTE(coolkrio @ 17 Nov 2009, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>should i panic?
Nope, take it out for a decent run and then have a peek at the oil and it should be fine - takes time for the engine to 'burn off' the condensation which occurs in there when it's first started and the oil's warmed up but the heat hasn't soaked into the engine casings etc.

Ring me on 0161 406 9797 if you are worried - but I am sure that your car is fine.

We see quite a build up under the oil filler car when we are moving the cars repeatably in and out of the workshop.

The process of combustion resullts in the formation of many things, all sorts of gases and water or water vapour. The bulk of it passes out of your exhaust as steam (never seen the water dripping from a cold exhaust or the steam coming from a car in front of you on a cold day?)

Condensation will also form inside the engine. When the engine is fully warm it will evaporate off and the water formed by the process of combustion becomes water vapour. If the engine does not reach a decent temperature the water and water vapour will not be driven off and will combine with the oil vapour in the crankcase and inside the cam cover and other similar places. This emulsion of oil and water is the white gunge.

QUOTESo where exactly did the 20 odd gallons of water go when I did 500 miles over the weekend? I seriously doubt those figures

Out of your exhaust pipe.

Interesting debate on the water thing.

To the OP, really no need to worry this is very common. Only worry if you delvelop a misfire (especially when cold) and coolant level drops.

thanks chaps! panic over.. ill go for a long blast tomorrow

today i cleaned the filler cap out then went for a 50 mile drive. upon getting home i checked the coolant, and that had not changed at all. but in the filler cap there was a very small amount of cream goo! looking into the filler hole the oil in the engine looks fine.
car ran perfectly all the way.

should panicking commence again?

QUOTE(coolkrio @ 18 Nov 2009, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>today i cleaned the filler cap out then went for a 50 mile drive. upon getting home i checked the coolant, and that had not changed at all. but in the filler cap there was a very small amount of cream goo! looking into the filler hole the oil in the engine looks fine.
car ran perfectly all the way.

should panicking commence again?

Has the water level dropped? - Has it misfired on start up from cold?

nope and no.
level is the same and engine runs fine, no miss fire.......