Oppo: What is this stuff in my engine oil? UPDATE: I'm confused now.

"ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability" (italianjobr53)
04/13/2018 at 15:28 • Filed to: None

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I was checking the oil level in ze Mini when 1 side of the dipstick had this whitish stuff on it.

Is this just condensation? My daily drive is just 5 minutes during which the engine doesn’t come up to temp.

I’m also loosing a little bit of coolant (I need to refill 1/3rd tank every 5000 miles). According to a shop, either my water pump is on its way out or I have a cracked head. If the head is cracked, I will have coolant in the oil pan. Is this coolant?

Update:

I drove around for 45 minutes. Parked the car and pulled the dipstick to see this:

So, it is less than it was before but its still there. I cleaned the dipstick and put it back and pulled it out again; this time no white stuff. I checked the dipstick again after about 10 15 minutes and again, no white stuff.

So, did I not clean the dipstick properly before I went out for a drive? Although if the stuff was water it wouldn’t have mattered anyways, right? Also, the first time I checked the oil (when I initially wrote the post), I checked the oil 5 minutes after I had parked.

Any ideas? I’m confused.

DISCUSSION (38)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 15:42

Very possibly is coolant. There shouldn’t be large amounts of condensation in your pan even with minimal getting-to-temp, because your oil heats up relatively quickly.

Future next gen S2000 owner > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 15:43

I think coolant and oil turns a more milkyish look but that depends on the volume. I think you have a problem. Any stains where you park? If you don’t have any and you are losing coolant......that’s no bueno.

jasmits > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 15:44

That would be a lot of condensation :(

Also if you’re losing coolant and there’s mysterious liquid in the oil... I hope it’s not but if it looks like a bear and smells like a bear it’s probably a bear.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > jasmits
04/13/2018 at 15:47

But does the Pope shit in the woods?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/13/2018 at 15:47

Not5 minutes quick. My commute is 15 minutes and I get condensation. And that’s a big V8.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 15:49

Looks like condensation to me. Probably got onto the dipstick from in the dipstick tube. I doubt there’s that much sitting in the pan. Get your cooling system checked out. If there are no external leaks then you can start worrying about internal ones.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Future next gen S2000 owner
04/13/2018 at 15:49

No stains. The thing is the Mini has always been losing coolant ever since I got her 15000 miles and 6 months ago. The rate of coolant loss has been pretty much constant as well. This is the first time I have seen the white stuff. Only thing that has changed is the ambient temp is around 30F right now whereas it was around 80F for the first 4 months.

I topped the coolant about 800-1000 miles ago and the oil is 1000 miles old as well. The coolant is at the correct level right now.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/13/2018 at 15:49

I’m getting worried right now

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 15:51

I’m having the head and the water pump looked at in a month. Hopefully I won’t have an issue till then.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 15:51

Oil looks like that typically because of water or coolant getting in.

If your daily drive is only 5 min, try to get a longer drive (like an hour) at least once a week, maybe on the weekend, to boil off any water built up in the oil.

Take it on a long drive of at least an hour and if the oil still looks like that after, then consider spending investigating if it’s the water pump or an issue with the head or head gasket.

FYI... if you had a blown head gasket, you would see plumes of White smoke when you step on the throttle.

And if you had a cracked head, you would probably hear a difference in the engine and probably be down on power.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
04/13/2018 at 15:53

I was filling up my sipper with water as we speak! I’ll report back in an hour or so. Thanks for the tip!

BLCKSTRM > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 16:04

If you wipe it clean and check it again, is that what comes out? Or does the oil look normal?

I’m with everyone else - losing that much coolant regularly and not seeing it accumulate under the car is no bueno, and usually at least a head gasket issue.

If all your oil looks weird, you need to stop driving now - you don’t want to kill your bottom bearings.

If not, you could have been losing coolant into the cylinder for a long time before it got worse and started getting into the oil.

Open up your coolant expansion tank, start the car, and have someone rev the engine. If you get bubbles, you’re leaking compression into the cooling system.

His Stigness > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
04/13/2018 at 16:08

A head gasket can be bad, or the head cracked, just enough to allow coolant to mix with the oil while still not showing huge plumes of white smoke.

Only when it’s really bad will a car smoke.

Dogsatemypants > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 16:12

I call it mung. Water vapor and atomized oil. Make sure your pcv is clean and flowing properly.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 16:13

Had an unkillable chevette. It ate head gaskets, even after I had the head shaved and rebuilt. after the second one I kept it alive by changing the oil every saturday. Actually it was more like putting in 4 quarts after removing 6 or 7 quarts of water, foam and gasoline. Straight garden hose water and used oil. (yes I was and am crazy, but it was torch red with slot mags and it looked like a hotwheels.) Would start losing it’s 55 horsepower when the crankcase brew got up to the piston skirts. It never died though. redlined at 52, went into valve float close to 8,000 rpm. Drove it to the guy’s house to have the engine replaced. Then the two of us drove it around the block n first gear with the gas on the floor. Quite a few times. Then we got bored because it was taking too long and only got marginally louder and smokier. So we drove it into the garage and yanked the engine that refused to die. I don’t think the mini has this characteristic though. I don’t think any other car does.

Long-Voyager > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 16:17

Take it out for a nice long drive. I’d almost bet when you get back that will be gone as it looks like it’s just from moisture due to your short trips (which are horrible for cars BTW).

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 16:22

It’s not good, whatever it is. Have you got a trusted “car guy” to have a quick look at the dipstick again. (not that any car guy completely knows what he’s talking about) Before you go in for service? I’d suggest a pre-emptive, diagnostic oil change (keep the old stuff just in case) just to see if it happens again and how quickly. *please note that I’m technically a bodyman, and would just hit the engine with a hammer.* I defer to AMGtech, who actually does know what he’s talking about.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 16:30

You get enough condensation to show on the dipstick?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
04/13/2018 at 17:25

Oh absolutely. Only takes a drop or two.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 17:28

Ah.

I’m surprised your car doesn’t warm up enough in 15 minutes. I know it’s got a little more oil than my W202, but I’m pretty sure the oil gets up to temp on mine within the first 5-10 minutes. My reference is when I drove an E46 M3 to work for a week, and the oil started reaching temp in that time.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
04/13/2018 at 17:33

Depends on time of year. Winter? No chance. Summer? No problem.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 17:49

What’s winter?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
04/13/2018 at 17:50

I don’t know. Ask people from the Midwest.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/13/2018 at 18:10

Lol. You get snow there so I think you are allowed to describe winter.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
04/13/2018 at 18:18

Lol I was sort of referring to the massive blizzard hitting the Midwest right now

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
04/13/2018 at 18:26

I don’t actually :/

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 18:54

After your last long drive, take a sample and send it in to Blackstone for analysis.

I did it last oil change on mine and found coolant in the oil which lead me to change the oil cooler. Does yours by chance have an oil cooler? If so, it’s a good place for oil and coolant to mix.

Also, the testing will tell you if it’s coolant and not just water, as they look for potassium. That’s what was the tell tale for mine. You can take a sample now and store it in a clean container, you only need a half pint or so. Then once the Blackstone test kit comes in the mail, you can send it in to them. $28 well spent. Even if you have other checks done, I’d still do the oil analysis to just confirm once the test is completed.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 19:01

Is the oil level increasing? Mine did with my coolant level dropping. Bad oil cooler to blame for mine.

Have you pressure tested the cooling system or added due to see if the leak is something like a crack in the reservoir or the joint between plastic and aluminum core of your radiator? You shouldn’t be losing coolant, but it doesn’t mean it’s going into the engine.

I’ve had a radiator leak on my old CTS-V that was not noticeable until I put dye in the system. Then it became evident.

I also thought my reservoir was the culprit on my S8 just recently until I got my Blackstone test results that confirmed potassium in the oil, so coolant was mixing. Changed the oil cooler and now my coolant is staying at the proper level.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
04/13/2018 at 19:44

I don’t think i have an oil cooler.

The system was pressure tested and it was loosing pressure, so we know there is a leak somewhere. The shop which did it a mini specialist and according to him it could be either a cracked head or a leaky water pump. Unfortunately the water pump is not clearly visible until I take off some plumbing (It’s attached to the supercharger).

Blackstone is a good option, I’ll send them a sample when I change the oil. However the oil is just a 1000 miles old.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/13/2018 at 20:28

Does the water pump tie into the oil system some how? I mean it would explain the loss of coolant, but not if you have coolant in the oil, but as of now, you may not have coolant in the oil anyway I guess. That’d be probably the best situation. Just replace the water pump. Due in the coolant may help show you if you have an external leak. At least you might be able to pinpoint it.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
04/13/2018 at 20:41

Yes, that’s the plan now

72911T > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/14/2018 at 16:34

I’ve never seen so much condensation that it settled in the bottom of the pan. Typically condensation will end up high in the motor around the PCV valve or the filler neck. That much moisture I would bet dollars to Donuts is coolant. Don’t just jump to the cracked head conclusion though. Most likely it’s a leaking head gasket which can fail a couple of different ways because you have cooling jackets and oil galleys and of course the cylinder. Usually you’ll get air coming out of the coolant system while the engine is running and then when the engine shuts off the coolant system being pressurized will push coolant into the cylinders. Then typically on Startup you’ll get an excessive amount of steam. Then you might not see any adverse running conditions. I agree with the engine oil analysis. It would also be a good idea to have a different shop look it over.

72911T > 72911T
04/14/2018 at 16:40

I I should add sometimes you can be transferring coolant into the oil and or oil into the coolant without having an issue with the compression. If the head gasket is leaking you’ll be transferring fluids and or compression between at least two of those three.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > 72911T
04/14/2018 at 17:35

Thanks! I’m getting the oil analyzed by Blackstone. They shop who checked it are arguably the most prominent Mini specialists in the northeast/midwest (Detroit Tuned), so I think I will stick with them.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
04/14/2018 at 17:38

Nope, Oil level is pretty normal. Still on track to burn 1 qt oil per 2500 miles like she always has been.

I’ll try out the dye. Do you remember which dye you used?

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/14/2018 at 18:57

There is some inexpensive stuff on amazon. But if you go to the parts store they have dye for green coolant and a specific one for tbt dexcool. I’ve used the cheap dye for green coolant in dexcool and it works fine, but then the coolant looks like it’s the regular green coolant. I’ve also used the regular dye in my audi without issue. A little goes a long way, a half bottle will treat an entire cooling system.

Spectronics Corp / Tracer TP39000601 Engine Coolant Dye 1oz.- Set of 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NPIYM8?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
04/14/2018 at 19:09

Thanks!

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > 72911T
04/14/2018 at 20:03

I just checked, the coolant in the expansion reservoir is not bubbling. So at least my head gasket is fine.