This was after an 800 mile trip from Alabama to Texas. Nothing crazy, might of opened her up once or twice getting back on the freeway.

Is this normal?? It looks like dark chocolate milk!!

By the way, the car has 10K on the clock, and the oil on the dipstick looks fine. It's a little dark, but the oil life meter says 40% so it's to be expected.

Anyways, let me know something on this. Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

After 800 miles, car had about 2900 miles on her when I installed the catch can.



After about another 3K miles. This came out last week.

 

Yea, but yours looks more like oil. Mine looks like Nestle's.

 

Did you dispose the oil on your sidewalk?

 

It looks to me like condensation in the oil from not getting the motor sufficiently hot enough to burn off the moisture. Change your oil and filter for sure. This is why I don't start my car during the winter time and allow it to idle...I prefer to drive it if possible, getting everything lubricated and hot enough to prevent the condensation. You have a beautiful car, btw.

 

No.

Not hot enough? Hell, I drove it 800 miles in 11 hours!! Again, the actual oil on the dipstick doesn't look like this.. When I start the car, I never warm it up, I just drive it easy until it comes to temperature (194 coolant temp on the DIC). And thanks for the compliment!!

 

If the oil gets water in it then it'll turn into a thick white milky mixture, your obviously doesn't have any water in it but it still looks nasty and abnormal.

Change your oil and filter, as long as the oil in the crankcase doesn't look like whats in the catch can I'd say your alright.

 

I don't understand how the dipstick oil can look fine, but the catch can looks like this.. Where exactly does the catch can get its "oil" from?

Is it possible I have a leaky head gasket? The car runs PERFECTLY--just got 27 mpg on the trip back..

 

Any internal moisture is going to get pulled into the motor through the PCV system, seems logical that it hits the catch can and the catch can is cooler then it is condensing out any moisture that normally would go into the intake and be burned. You could always do an oil analysis to verify there is no water in the oil. I doubt its a head gasket or anything serious. When it is real cold here, my cars will get something similar on the bottom of the oil filler (not the Vette, but the BMW will).

 

I think it's possible some of the moisture and other substances generated as by-products of combustion that go in the cc with the blowby remain suspended in the oil vapor and get pulled out of the cc via the PCV line. Some of it condenses along with the oil and precipitates out of the vapors creating the sludge you're seeing in your can. With my setup, I was recently running a catch can all the way at the front of the engine bay next to the intake. I just swapped to a new catch can attached to the pass. head so we'll see if that changes the nature of the captured oil.

 

Well, it's not a mint Z16--but it'll do.. LOL Sorry, just noticed your car.

These are both very plausible responses and make total sense to me. But again, the part I don't get, is that nobody else is experiencing it but me!

I'm gonna seafoam the hell out of it and obviously change the oil and see what happens..

 

I'm not experiencing it because my car is in storage. But when the weather drops, I will need to keep an eye on the others especially the BMW.

 

As others have said, I think it's water condensation from the can being cooler. Where is the can mounted?
My can is mounted where it stays pretty warm, but I get the same thing in cold weather.

 

I think you guys are right. The catch can is an Elite Engineering catch can, and is installed in the prescribed spot (as per their web page) 2 weeks ago.

I think the contrast between an underhood temperature at cold start and a rapidly rising temperature (post-warmup) causes the condensation in the catch can. I guess I'll have to wait until summer to see if I'm right??

Thanks guys.

 

Great Pictures Mark! These Cans really work!

Check out our website for more information about our Catch Cans:
http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/Catch_Can.html

 

... the catch can does run cooler, especially when going down the road and there is fresh air going through the engine compartment.

The cool can condenses oil vapors, and all other blow-by vapors including water and combustion products. That's why it looks so nasty.

Better in the can than in the manifold.

 

id check yr intake too, its probably loaded with oil

 

I have the exact same color/consistancy oil in my EE catch can. We came to the conclusion that it was just water vapor being condensed in the catch can. If you let that sludge sit for a little while it will seperate and you can tell the water from the oil.

 

I seafoamed it, so should be all good now.

 

Do you have the new mounting brackets yet ...... if so I am ready to order !!!!!