what is this? milky substance around oil cap

[Spax MC]

I installed my neuspeed short shifter today and I decided to check my oil level and add just a tiny bit.

I took of the oil cap and saw this

Is that coolant leaking into the engine?

[Robin @ Revo Technik]

Yep, thats a coolant/oil milkshake.

Check your oil cooler / heat exchanger and you might want a compression test to check the headgasket.

Any mods? Is it only around the cap like that or is it in your coolant bottle too?

[crew219]

Quote, originally posted by Robin @ Revo Technik »

Yep, thats a coolant/oil milkshake. Check your oil cooler / heat exchanger and you might want a compression test to check the headgasket. Any mods? Is it only around the cap like that or is it in your coolant bottle too?

Nope, it is most likely condensation buildup from the cooler weather.

Dave

[Spax MC]

the car runs stock software has milltek tbe and neuspeed intake. when i first got it last november it had tiny traces of this stuff and it went away in the summer. now that the winter comes it's back

so, back for service it goes (just got my second front bearing replaced last week)

[Spax MC]

Quote, originally posted by crew219 »

Nope, it is most likely condensation buildup from the cooler weather. Dave

i really hope so, as i said it was gone in the summer the car runs like a champ. i'm going outside to inspect the coolant reservoir

[Robin @ Revo Technik]

Dave,

Most of that should burn off once the oil gets up to temperature. Thats quite a bit, its not trace amounts.

Spax-- is the car used often? Or just quick short trips?

[crew219]

Quote, originally posted by Spax MC »

i really hope so, as i said it was gone in the summer the car runs like a champ. i'm going outside to inspect the coolant reservoir

It isn't coolant. Every year around this time, plenty of n00b posts pop up asking about this. It basically has to do with thicker oils not being able to reach the temperatures to effectively evaporate fuel and water condensation in the oil system. Given that the oil cap is one of the highest parts of the engine, you'll find this residue collected around the oil cap.

I switch to 0w30 in the winters and notice less of this effect.

Dave

[Spax MC]

the car is used often for short trips. 3 miles from my house to my gf house. i never ever drive it hard when it's cold. i'm using elf 5w-40 and i check the oil level weekly. the car uses very little to no oil at most half a quart every 5k miles

thanks for the replies guys

[mp3mike05]

I usually get a bit of that every now and then, but nothing nearly that extreme

[Robin @ Revo Technik]

Take it out and get it nice and hot once in a while, I bet that'll vanish

[crew219]

Quote, originally posted by Robin @ Revo Technik »

Dave, Most of that should burn off once the oil gets up to temperature. Thats quite a bit, its not trace amounts.

It normally does not fully burn off, not to mention the bout of 20 degree weather we've been having in NY doesn't really allow the oil to ever truely get up to temperature.

Just changed the oil this past thursday. Only drove the car maybe 3 times this weekend. This is what my oil cap looks like today with fresh 0w30 oil.

Now multiply that effect with a 5w40 oil that takes longer to get to temperature and short 3 mile trips. My coolant temp gauge doesn't even budge with one mile of driving. The oil isn't going to get heated up that much either.

Dave

[Spax MC]

would it be better if i started the car early and let it warm up before making the 3 mile trip?

i remember reading something about carbon depositing when you do that

[crew219]

Quote, originally posted by Spax MC »

would it be better if i started the car early and let it warm up before making the 3 mile trip? i remember reading something about carbon depositing when you do that

Letting the car idle doesn't warm the engine up as well as driving. If anything I'd consider taking a slightly longer route back from work, or making sure that you mix in a few longer drives a few days each week. The condensation is normal and for the most part, harmless.

Dave

[MFZERO]

I changed the oil in my gf's car this past weekend and found the same but less of it on the oil cap. should just be condensation like Crew said.

[thutty2]

I've noticed this a couple of times on my car also. I figured the f'en dealer had screwed something up during one of it's week long "visits". Funny thing is I never saw this on my 3 previous VW's.

[crew219]

Shot these this morning after only 11 miles (in one outing) being driven on the car since the last pictures. The oil cap and filler were wiped clean after the last pics.

Guess I have that blown headgasket

Dave

[rippie74]

That my friend is a ****LOAD of "milky white stuff" around your oil fill cap. This condition is commonly associated with a BLOWN Head Gasket. Through my experience... on ANY car I've ever seen that much white stuff on the oil cap, it ALWAYS meant a Blown Head Gasket.

[veedubtek]

Quote, originally posted by rippie74 »

That my friend is a ****LOAD of "milky white stuff" around your oil fill cap. This condition is commonly associated with a BLOWN Head Gasket. Through my experience... on ANY car I've ever seen that much white stuff on the oil cap, it ALWAYS meant a Blown Head Gasket.

Well, your experience is obviously very limited. Read crew's responses, he's exactly right.

[Brass Monkey013]

Yea I had a cap that looked similar with all the white stuff, my dealer said it was just condensation, he said theres alot of it on there because it probably had never been cleaned off and was just building up on there.

I cleaned the cap about 3000 miles ago, changed my oil yesterday and there was hardly any of it on there

[OOOO-A3]

Quote, originally posted by crew219 »

Nope, it is most likely condensation buildup from the cooler weather. Dave

Exactly. If you want to see n+1 people freaking out about this on a daily basis, hang out at rx8club.com for a while. It means nothing. It's just condensation. (Mazda finally issued a recall campaign that modified a breather hose to reduce condensation around the dipstick, and a squeegee liner for the dipstick, because that was easier than trying to explain the truth to people who just wouldn't listen.)

Seriously, it's nothing. If ALL your oil looks like that, it's something. Otherwise, wipe it off with a paper towel and move on.

[munky18t]

i just checked mine and i have the same amount of white gunk

[blackvento36]

Quote, originally posted by thutty2 »

I've noticed this a couple of times on my car also. I figured the f'en dealer had screwed something up during one of it's week long "visits". Funny thing is I never saw this on my 3 previous VW's.

That's because for one, you probably didn't run 5w40 in your previous VWs, and for some odd reason it seems to take 2.0ts forever to warm up.

I still don't understand why it's impossible for this car to warm up at idle. Not that it's something I do, but it's just weird. Plus it seems to take forever even when driving.

[Spax MC]

my tech said that the fsi technology is very similar/shares qualities of a diesel

can someone elaborate? or is it complete bs

[tdipower4me]

yes, they are both direct fuel injection.

[gtiiiiiiii]

your car got a little too happy/stimulatated, happens to people all the time.

[feels_road]

Quote, originally posted by rippie74 »

This condition is commonly associated with a BLOWN Head Gasket. Through my experience... on ANY car I've ever seen that much white stuff on the oil cap, it ALWAYS meant a Blown Head Gasket.

A prime example of why you need to take anything you read on the intarwebs with a grain of salt (at times, the all the salt used on North-Eastern US roads in the winter does not suffice, though...).

[thutty2]

No, I use what oil the owners manuals required in all of my previous VW's. I also have a 25 mile commute each way. I first noticed the white stuff on the oil cap after a 250 mile drive. Is the consensus that this condition is normal?

[Dan GSR]

your not running your car hard enough
need to beat on it, to get it hot enough to evaporate the moisture

[Crubb3d Rymz]

Quote, originally posted by Dan GSR »

your not running your car hard enough need to beat on it, to get it hot enough to evaporate the moisture

if the OIL (not coolant, OIL) is not up to temperature...dont listen to the above statement

[Dan GSR]

well, obviously
that should be without saying

drive it without WOT for like 15-20min to get it warmed up nice
then flog it for like 30min, it'll clean right up

[chris@revotechnik]

Thats a lot of white stuff. Haven't seen that much since VW switched to the plastic valve covers on the 2.0L 8Vs in the Mk4s.

Its probably condensation like everyone is suggesting but man that is a lot. with that much I'd always just pull the dip stick and see how it looks in the pan. If that is normal but the cap is white like that then condensation. If the oil in the pan was looking like that then I'd be concerned.

The issue is more prevalent now with plastic valve covers that remain cold. In the past metal valve covers would heat up with the engine and not have to rely on oil temps as much to evaporate the moisture out. Now it basically just rises to the top as steam.Hits the plastic valve cover and cools back into a liquid mixes with the oil being thrown around by the cams and makes that white milky stuff.

I am actually glad I put in my oil separator a few weeks back as when I pulled it out to check how much oil was in it to my surprise there was none. But it was full... with WATER. Sure there was a slight bit of fuel smell too it and a slight bit of oil but I had about 8oz of water in it. Which is good that means that very little oil vapor is being whipped around in the head but there is a ton of moisture in there and the separator is pulling it out and keeping it out of the oil, intercooler pipes and engine.

[Crubb3d Rymz]

Quote, originally posted by Dan GSR »

well, obviously that should be without saying drive it without WOT for like 15-20min to get it warmed up nice then flog it for like 30min, it'll clean right up

granted i dont have a 2.0T...but i love beating on my rabbit

[Sadistic]

I just went out and checked mine. 2010 miles and the cap was covered in it, as was the oil fill tube. Just wiped it out. It looks like water. No coolant smell. All is well in FSI land

I was also pleased to see that the oil was still at max. That was a worry of mine from all the oil use threads.

[b00stin_02917]

mine has looked like that soon as winter hits or in the early spring.. Just condenstion, i have 30k with no problems just keep up with the oil changes and your golden.

[deadguy]

Quote, originally posted by Spax MC »

I installed my neuspeed short shifter today and I decided to check my oil level and add just a tiny bit. I took of the oil cap and saw this

MMmmmm, that looks like a nicely pulled shot of espresso

I'm glad I found this thread, I just checked my oil and saw the same thing, at first, i thought I had a leaky head gasket (I have 2 head gaskets and a spacer)... seeing this thread was a relief... the temperature being in the teens explains why I saw the milky oil on my cap.