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Old 01-12-2010, 10:07 AM   #2
MagicRat
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Re: Water in the engine oil fill question and others

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeypooh1 View Post
1. Everytime we open the engine oil fill, there is a a layer of milk-like substance, kind of like when oil and water mix, but there is no water in the oil. What could this be?
Someone suggested pcv, but I know we do not have a pcv. Any ideas?
This is not really a problem. It is normal for engines that are used mostly for short trips.
Engine oil gets contaminated by blow-by gases as the engine runs, and by condensation that is produced when engines cool down after running.
Most engines will boil-off these contaminents from the oil as the car is driven on longer trips. However, if you only ever drive the car for short tips, (less than 30 minutes or so) the oil never gets warm enough to purge the contaminents so they accumulate in cool parts of the engine, like the oil fill cap.

Check the PCV system and see if it is clogged. Otherwise, just be sure to change the oil regularly, even if the mileage driven remains low.
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