benz_addict

My 55 and 430 engines are developing creamy oil caps, oil turning into a thick tan color what's happening? Head gasket gone bad?

Just like this BUT NOT AS BAD: http://img16.imageshack.us/i/pict0019h.jpg/

dacls63amg

Wow, now I have seen everything. That gunk looks nothing like oil. How often do you change the oil?

Jakpro1

Wow this is weird. I just went through the exact same thing. Not as bad as yours but enough to make me think I had toasted a head gasket. After checking it all over, we came to the conclusion it was winter condensation from short drives. I drive it in the winter for a few miles at a pop and the engine is not getting hot enough to burn off the condensation. Quite common in our winter climates. NOT saying this is your case but so far appears to be mine and I can sleep at night again. Keep me posted.

BenzoBoi

Wow....I have never seen that either...

Yacht Master

That is a condition that can happen during winter months when a car is used for short trips and the engine never gets to full operating temp. The paste is condensation (water) that is mixed with the oil, now since the engine only makes short trips the condensation never has a chance to be evaporated out of the engine. A good highway trip of 200 miles should help to "boil" the water out, then an oil change would be a good idea.

EDIT Jakpro1 types faster than I do.

bnzuovr

I don't think its anything to worry about at my shop i see cars like that all the time if its your head gasket and coolant was mixing in your engine block you would be running low on coolant question is have you had to add a signifigant amount of coolant? If not its probably just moisture/condesation build up from the oil & engine heating up i would highly doubt both have head gasket problems also could be do to climate changes hope that helps. But correct me if im wrong guys?:

bnzuovr

LOL dammit i was typing while u beat me to it Yacht Master lol and i did'nt even finish reading jackpro1 post lol so 3 of us agree on condensation can i get a thumbs up

nanayaw6

The beauty of MBworld. Lots of knowledge from years of experience.
Thank you guys!

220S

Do a Google search for "creamy" "oil" "cap" "color" and you'll get 20 pages of just about every car forum in the universe with this same question. And the same answer. Condensation in very cold weather.

dacls63amg

I thought its from coolant and oil mixing together? I could be wrong idk.

220S

The owner's manual for my Porsche describes it.

Water vapor can occur in the sump in cold weather and a froth may be visible on the oil cap. This is normal.

930chas

Ugggh, either way that stuff looks nasty! Glad it is nothing serious, op.

slownrusty

It is very easy to pressurize your cooling system through your radiator and see if you get any bubbles in your overflow bottle, that would be the true way to test a head gasket is "suspect".

Yasin

loungn14

Thats definately water vapor in the system. We see that with 90% of the benz's and bmws at the shop during the winter months.

Nothing to worry about.

TruTaing

Wow, im glad im not the only one who just went through this... Jackpro's post is exactly what I learned about it. I was told to just keep an eye on it, but nothing to really worry about.

blackbenzz

Ding ding ding!!! WINNAR!!!
It looks similar when this happens but there are other signs. Check oil dipstick and oil filter. If you see this stuff in thos eplaces then you probably have a problem.

MB_Forever

That's what I was thinking initially.....

Busta Riles

We see tons of this issue where we are...not really an issue, but it happens. My stomach dropped when my tech showed me my oil cap looking like that a few years back.

Good quick responses guys!