Hi Gents,

I went to add oil to my 1987 944S this morning and when I unscrewed the cap, I saw something very disturbing- yellow gunk like eggnog, and also a sort of rust-colored substance like mud or silt.

Now I'm really scared. A few more details:
1. The oil on the dipstick looked fine
2. The car is running great
3. The oil cap was on properly tight

I'll definitely have a mechanic look at it, but could you please give me an idea of what the problem may be? Do you think the engine could be on its last legs or is it just in need of a new head gasket, for example?

Many thanks for your advice.

 

Could just be condensation. Get the engine cracking hot (make sure the oil hot too, not just the water, might take 40 minutes of driving) and then change the oil. See if the sludge comes back after that.

It's important to get the oil hot enough to boil off the water that gets in it. If you drive in town, do a lot of short trips, etc. you can get a lot of condensation buildup in your oil.

-Joel.

 

Don't panic, it is most likely Not the head gasket.

 

Thanks guys, I sure hope you're right. Another thing I should have mentioned is that I live in a very wet, rainy, humid climate, and the car is unfortunately kept outside, so I would think that supports your argument. It's weird that it's never happened before.

 

Yep, wet rainy humid climate = condensation on the oil filler cap, same with cold weather.
Perfectly normal, and it does take on kind of a rust color, with a terrible smell.

 

How long had it been sitting? When I stored my old BMW 2002 I would look under the filler cap in the Spring and the top of the engine would be white with condensation. Change the oil and see what happens. Are you loosing coolant?