Help, bubbles in my oil!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Alameda Ca
Help, bubbles in my oil!
I checked my oil today and found the oil on the dipstick completely filled with bubbles. Checked it several more times and it was the same. can this be caused by too much oil pressure? Mine runs between 60-65 psi normally. I'm pretty worried on this one, please give any advice you can! Is this caused by cavitation? If so, how do i fix it??
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
60-65 psi is very high. I believe my guage shows 35-40 after the oil is hot. Is the oil level normal? What is the color of the oil? A head gasket leak could cause this, but often, the hot combustion gases cause coolant temps to rise. Hows the coolant temp during normal driving?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Alameda Ca
I know it's high for oil pressure, I put in a shimmed LS4 pump and it think it may have been a tad too much. Supposedly it pumps 30-40% more flow also.
As far as temps, they've been normal, nevery above 190 for normal driving. aeration happens right after startup. New oil, looks perfectly fine after the air goes away. Best i can think is the oil level is a tad high and the crankshaft is causing it to whip up. I'll update tomorrow when i drain some out.
As far as temps, they've been normal, nevery above 190 for normal driving. aeration happens right after startup. New oil, looks perfectly fine after the air goes away. Best i can think is the oil level is a tad high and the crankshaft is causing it to whip up. I'll update tomorrow when i drain some out.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
New Mobile1 has bubbles too...?????
I saw some bubbles in the NEW oil that I was pouring into my engine. I did my car's oil/filter change today, and noticed that when I opened a bottle of Mobile1 10/30, it had some bubbles in it. The oil was 2 yrs old sitting in the garage. Any ideas on this one...
sorry don't mean to steal your thread.. but this bubble thingy is bothering me too..
sorry don't mean to steal your thread.. but this bubble thingy is bothering me too..
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 3
From: Rehoboth MA . . . NRA Life Member
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Oil when it's hot can have this condition. I wouldn't worry too much about the oil pressure just yet. GM must be having the oil pressure sensors for these cars hand made in some hut in Vietnam by someone being paid $0.15 an hour. Folks are always having problems with them.
Some things to check,
Head Gasket - If you've blown a head gasket water may be leaking into your oil. Here's some things to look for;
Do some good old fashioned diagnosis before jumping to conclusions, bubbles in hot oil are pretty common.
Some things to check,
Head Gasket - If you've blown a head gasket water may be leaking into your oil. Here's some things to look for;
- Does your oil level seem unusually full and getting fuller?
- Does your oil have a milky appearance or does the color look pretty normal?
- Are you loosing coolant and can't seem to find the leak?
- Do you see water vapor, steam, coming out your exhaust?
- Does a compression check show a low cylinder, or cylinders?
Do some good old fashioned diagnosis before jumping to conclusions, bubbles in hot oil are pretty common.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Alameda Ca
From what i can tell, the oil I put in (5-30 mobil 1) was fine, no bubbles or anything when i first poured it in. The aeration of it occurs a few seconds after start up, so it's not a heat related thing. Thankfully, no water in my oil, so that takes out the blown head gasket. I'm hoping it's the level and not the pump putting out too much volume at too high of a pressure. From what i can tell, the oil pressure sender is working correctly. I've got 70 psi at startup, 30 at idle once warmed up, and around 60-65 once on the freeway.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
Originally Posted by SFengineer
From what i can tell, the oil I put in (5-30 mobil 1) was fine, no bubbles or anything when i first poured it in. The aeration of it occurs a few seconds after start up, so it's not a heat related thing. Thankfully, no water in my oil, so that takes out the blown head gasket. I'm hoping it's the level and not the pump putting out too much volume at too high of a pressure. From what i can tell, the oil pressure sender is working correctly. I've got 70 psi at startup, 30 at idle once warmed up, and around 60-65 once on the freeway.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,820
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I run a quart over all the time since I track and autocross my car. I do not have any cavitation problems caused by the crank getting into the oil or any bubbles in the oil.
Bill
Bill
