2001 vx commodore

375

Asked by Reece Jul 15, 2012 at 03:43 AM about the Holden Commodore

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

hey guys i have just noticed a milky substance under my oil filler cap but not on the dipstick what has caused this and hw do u fix it

7 Answers

565

Do you not drive the car frequently or only take short trips? If so, it could just be condensation mixed with the oil that has not evaporated because the engine doesn't reach full operating temp for long. Used to get the same thing in my pickup when at my old address/job. travel time was about 5-8 minutes

1 people found this helpful.
375

the car gets driven daily nd is at full operating temp every time if it makes any difference just b4 xmas i hd 2 replace the thermostat water pump nd radiator

565

Clean the cap with some carb cleaner, change the oil and filter and keep an eye on it. Tiny amounts of coolant may have gotten/ be getting into the oil. Might not be evident when checking the level on the stick. Look at the oil in the sunlight when you change it. You replaced all those cooling system components. Were you overheating/ running hot beforehand? Either could have caused a head gasket failure to one degree or another, that would also account for coolant in the oil. That would be the extreme. Wouldn't sweat it if the oil remains "normal" or you don't have that "sweet" smell or white smoke from the exhaust. Good luck

3 people found this helpful.
375

it over heated nd i found out the thermostat waz gne then 2 days later the radiator went so while i waz getting the radiator dne i replaced the water pump as well

45

If your head gasket goes it normally blows water into the oil and your dipstick looks like coffee sludge. If you have badly overheated and warped the head then you will pressurise your cooling system and expansion tank becomes a kettle! If it was the uk and damp all the time I would suspect a blocked engine breather. Is it very humid out there? You could just have some coolant/water contamination. Flush out the oil and keep an eye on it.

565

Hey JARVIS, while i respect your opinion, did you read my 2 answers? I am a 26 year veteran in the automotive repair and collision restoration industry.I have worked on the American Holden based Pontiac G8 and GTO since their intro. I have multiple certifications from various entities inc. GM, Dupont, 3M , Chief, Bear, Hunter, ASE etc. I will never claim to be an expert simply because you learn something new everyday. I simply know what I do through personal,. practical experience. EG: recently repaired/ refinished a 2007 honda CR-V for the third time. The vehicle was involved in a front end hit that destroyed the radiator. After repairs were completed and the car was returned to the owner , we got the car back because of a "hot ' condition. The vehicle had gone almost 1100 mi after the repairs before the problem occured. Initially, one white puff of smoke from the exhaust prompted me to check the oil for coolant contamination. The oil was relatively clean and apparently free of h2o. Two certified techs in our sevice dept verified this. After two road tests and no conclusive results, the car was sent to Honda for an evaluation. Upon it's arrival, lots of white smoke was coming from the exhaust and the oil looked like the coffee sludge so familiar to us all when a headgasket blows. The assumption is, the customer let the engine run for a few minutes after the collision resulting in an overheating situation. The morale of the story is that every automotive problem, although similar to others, may be different. Not all symptoms lead to the same diagnosis. I don't think anyone, despite their experience, can accurately diagnose every problem w/o the vehicle in front of them. It's certainly more difficult to do over the internet. I am simply passing on my experiences. Hope it helps some one. Please, go back and read my original answers. now read your own

2 people found this helpful.
45

Wow 24Bics ! Sorry to offer an opinion! Perhaps your the person who can fathom out the SRS warning light problem on my Chevy SS Lumina?

2 people found this helpful.

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