Coolant in the oil?

craigmakes3 · 12-06-2015, 12:10 PM

Just went to see a '03 carrera for sale locally. Pristine condition, drove very well, engine quiet, smooth, and fast. Last thing I checked was the oil filler cap and....mayo! I am looking to get into a 996, so I am not as familiar with problems beyond the seal and bearing issues. Clearly something is wrong here, but is there a minor problem that could cause this mixing, or is it an outright disaster?

Thanks

ltusler · 12-06-2015, 02:01 PM

Could just be from short test drives.

Bludemon · 02:14 PM

I've seen his before in cars that only do very short trips and do not get up to full operating temp. It should just be a mixture of water vapor and oil residue. If I was buying this car I would get the car nice and warm and do a oil change in the 1st few days. This condition should go away.

Does it smell like coolant?

Is the coolant in overflow bottle milky?

JFP in PA · 12-06-2015, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigmakes3

Just went to see a '03 carrera for sale locally. Pristine condition, drove very well, engine quiet, smooth, and fast. Last thing I checked was the oil filler cap and....mayo! I am looking to get into a 996, so I am not as familiar with problems beyond the seal and bearing issues. Clearly something is wrong here, but is there a minor problem that could cause this mixing, or is it an outright disaster?

Thanks

It is not uncommon to see condensate on the oil fill caps on one of these cars, particularly if it has not been run very much or for very long. I would not be concerned unless the "mayo" also appears in the sump or oil filter.

craigmakes3 · 12-06-2015, 02:14 PM

the car has been sitting for months.......

cdrik915 · cdrik915's Garage

Hi,

Check your oil/water exchanger.

Expensive part but it can be replaced easily.

eric523 · 12-08-2015, 08:03 PM

could be simple as explained above but it could also be an indication of a failed head gasket, cracked cylinder head or failed heat exchanger. In my experience, the failed heat exchanger is less common than a cracked cylinder head or failed head gasket. Unfortunately, the cars don't like being overheated.

I would try and run the car as long as possible before purchasing and see if it starts to overheat. This would be an indication of a larger problem. You may also see some white smoke burning off from the exhaust. If it overheats or you see oil in the coolant tank, probably best to walk away or budget for a costly engine repair.

Unfortunately, some sellers can flush oil and coolant and sell the car with no immediately apparent issues.

craigmakes3 · 12-09-2015, 03:30 PM

Cannot check the overflow bottle, it was just replaced! I will try for another, lengthier test drive, perhaps to the PPI and see what comes of it. A cylinder pressure test would find cracked head or failed head gasket wouldn't it? Would also indicate bore scoring?

FPB111 · 12-10-2015, 06:14 AM

As JFP says, "Mayonnaise" under the cap is normal if you take short drives during the colder weather.
If you have ever driven air-cooled Beatles year around where there is cold weather you would be very familiar with this. The long metal bug oil filler tube would sometimes fill with more than a cup of it.
Every time I checked there was no oil in the water??

tonythetarga · 12-10-2015, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigmakes3

Cannot check the overflow bottle, it was just replaced! I will try for another, lengthier test drive, perhaps to the PPI and see what comes of it. A cylinder pressure test would find cracked head or failed head gasket wouldn't it? Would also indicate bore scoring?

I think you'd need a borescope to see cylinder scoring. You can buy an attachment for one for your iphone
http://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Wifi-Endoscope-Inspection-Camera/dp/B0157YTC7A