Why is there a creamy sludge (looks just like oil & water mixed-on dipstick or oil fill cap) where the EGR Valve gets bolted on?
Asked by KG85 Oct 11, 2013 at 12:47 AM about the 1996 Chevrolet Beretta FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
When I replaced my EGR Valve I
found a sludgy liquid (looks just like
what you would see on your oil
cap/dipstick when water and oil mix)
on the bottom of the old EGR Valve
and down in the holes. Is this
normal? If not, what would cause
this. 1996 Chevy Beretta, 3.1 liter.
7 Answers
usually the dipstick and oil fillcap can come from improper ventilation or an engine not running warm enough to dissapate the condensation in the crankcase. the egr brings greater concern such as a headgasket or cracked head. are you having to add coolant on a regular basis ?
No. We've had the car about a year and haven't had to add any.
not having to add coolant eases the mind a bit. if you don't have a temperature gauge so to tell if the engine isn't getting quite up to temperature, i would replace the thermostat. this isn't normal for these cars to condensate like this but if you are in an extremely high humidity climate, it's possible, especially if you only drive short distances.
just re-read the question. duh ! not loosing coolant must mean not getting hot enough to have this at the egr.
Has temp gauge, normal temps. Doesn't get hot at all. Had been very humid this summer. The car mostly runs around town. So yes on short distances.
steel, humidity, oil residue, probably ok, but worth watching.
