In your unprofessional opinion...

[redline380]

What am I dealing with here? I got two guess. Oil cooler, and excessive moisture buildup. I've noticed this before, but both times the engine has been cold. I also put a check valve on the end of my crankcase dump upon recommendation from another member. First, I plan on running the engine tomorrow and checking the oil while still warm. If the booger is still on there, guess I'll be dealing with coolant. Unless of course the check valve has something to do with it.

[Bruch]

That was on your dipstick? I have seen that in the top end breather tubes on my 2.8 for a long time, with no significant problem other than blow by from 200k plus miles. Never on the dipstick, though.

I think I would make sure the engine is getting hot enough for enough time on a regular basis to eliminate simple condensation.

[redline380]

Yes, off the dipstick and no, the car normally runs about 30 minutes daily, on residential streets. Hardly ever sees oil temp above 150 degrees.

[Nate01A4]

I had the same problem. It was because of too much moisture. I think these engines have trouble letting the moisture out especially in cold climate. I reatatched the hose on the back of the valve cover that goes to the pancake valve and the moisture problem went away. I just put a catch can in line to keep the moisture from going to the intake.

[redline380]

I had the same problem. It was because of too much moisture. I think these engines have trouble letting the moisture out especially in cold climate. I reatatched the hose on the back of the valve cover that goes to the pancake valve and the moisture problem went away. I just put a catch can in line to keep the moisture from going to the intake.

So you are saying you needed some vacuum to draw the moisture out? I have no pcv system, just the tube.

Hopefully this is the last winter I run this car. I'm looking to pick up a beater this summer and park the a4 during the winter

[Nate01A4]

thats what ive notice with mine. especially I also only drive about 20 minutes to get to work so it would nevr realy get hot. durring the summer I never had a problem. They sell cheap vacuume pumps I was thinking to stick one in there and see if it would help. but thats next winter my ride is still down!

[Bruch]

Some food for thought. Back in the old days of V8s, pre-ECUs, one way to keep a decent vacuum in the crankcase without routing the fumes back into the intake manifold was this:

Drill a 3/4" hole in the collector of each header, weld in a piece of 3/4" pipe about 4" long, at a 45 degree angle. This pipe would draw vacuum being in the exhaust stream-Venturi effect I think it's called. You put a check valve on it, and ran a hose up to each valve cover.

Maybe you could route a line from the top of your catch can like that? Maybe someone has tried that, not sure how it would work with forced induction.

[Nate01A4]

this is the pump I was going to try. I was thinking to just run a toggle switch at first and if it worked then maybe connect it to a thermo switch so that it would only run when needed. I dont know. I just thought its cheap enough to try. http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-50Kpa...item27d7b45615

[catbed]

Seems like moisture build up if you don't get it over 150*. Get that bitch's oil temp up to 212* at least to vaporize it.

[redline380]

Some food for thought. Back in the old days of V8s, pre-ECUs, one way to keep a decent vacuum in the crankcase without routing the fumes back into the intake manifold was this:

Drill a 3/4" hole in the collector of each header, weld in a piece of 3/4" pipe about 4" long, at a 45 degree angle. This pipe would draw vacuum being in the exhaust stream-Venturi effect I think it's called. You put a check valve on it, and ran a hose up to each valve cover.

Maybe you could route a line from the top of your catch can like that? Maybe someone has tried that, not sure how it would work with forced induction.

I do not have a catch can, just a dump tube. But I like your idea, and it has been done before. That way the exhuast just burns all the junk up

[redline380]

Seems like moisture build up if you don't get it over 150*. Get that bitch's oil temp up to 212* at least to vaporize it.

I'd say at least once or twice a week it gets that high. Hopefully it warms up soon so it will get that hot on my drive to school

[Drifter420]

It's because you don't drive it hot enough it's moisture in the oil to much city driving not enough long drives I'd change oil go for long few hour drive and change it again (just me)

[Avant Nate]

Blown head gasket or cracked block. One of the two.

[Seerlah]

Professional opinion, someone took a sh*t in your engine though the oil fill access. Find out who did it, and pay back the favor by taking a dump in his engine. Fair is fair!

[redline380]

Blown head gasket or cracked block. One of the two.

Slippery slope my friend. No, the enigne was rebuilt 7k ago


I drove around a bunch today. Checked the oil right after it shut off, and there was no goo on the stick. Just checked it after an hour or two of cooling down and this is what I found. I am kinda torn and don't want to assume it is an oil cooler, especially since there is no obvious oil in the resevoir.

[Drifter420]

Coolant will overfill the oil

[redline380]

Coolant will overfill the oil

Oil level is dandy. Disregard what the stick looks like

[Avant Nate]

Slippery slope my friend. ]

I was just kidding, forgot to use sarcasm font.

[redline380]

I was just kidding, forgot to use sarcasm font.

Figured you were. Thats why I said you were on a slippery slope. I think I remember only one confirmed bad head gasket on the forums. And we did have a brutal winter up here temperature-wise, but I dont run straight water.

[thenj3]

To me that looks like moisture. My catch can always looked similar during the winter. I wouldn't be worried. It appears very runny where if it was coolant mixing you have a more solid substance. Does it have any type of coolant smell at all?

[redline380]

To me that looks like moisture. My catch can always looked similar during the winter. I wouldn't be worried. It appears very runny where if it was coolant mixing you have a more solid substance. Does it have any type of coolant smell at all?

Not much of a smell, and like I said no oil in the coolant and the coolant level has stayed the same. I think it is just moisture too.

I went out to check again a half hour ago and there were only small streaks on the dipstick, which leads me to believe it isn't very much, whatever it is. I think i'll go check my turbo for shaft play just incase