water in the oil? Leaking head gasket?

[jvillerauder]

I'm trying to help my mother who"s been helping my grandmother through her fight with cancer. The problem I'm trying to figure out is this the other day she took her 2005 Ford Expedition to a shop to have her oil changed. When they took off the oil cap on the valve cover of her 5.4L they noticed a creamy tan colored substance on the cap and in the tube. At that point they wouldn't go any further since they assumed it's probably a leaking head gasket. After i inspected it myself I can see what they are talking about as it definitely doesn't look right. I was wondering if there are any other ways I can check to see if that is definitely the problem. With my mother's financial situation resources are limited and anything I can do to help her save money would be appreciated. Also how much would replacing the head gasket run at a shop ? How hard is it to replace and is this a common problem with this engine ? I have always received good information from this site and it definitely has saved me a lot of money which I greatly appreciate. If anybody can help with these questions I appreciate any and all help. Thanks. Btw her Expedition has not thrown any check engine codes and seems to run fine.

[Blackened300a]

Your best bet would be a pressure test. That will tell you for sure what the problem is.

[fastblackmerc]

Is the coolant level low?

I second the pressure test.

There is a dye that can be added to the water. You can see if it shows up in the oil.

If there are no leaks she needs to drive the car more to get it heated up to get rid of all the moisture.

My daughters 2005 Mazda RX8 has this all the time. A known issue. No known fix other than driving it.

[Blackened300a]

I'm recalling a little of this on the underside of my cam cover in the MM. I would imagine letting the car sit for long periods of time would have caused the moisture.

[jvillerauder]

ok. I'll check it out. Thanks again.

[sailsmen]

"Blotter Spot Test
One test that has gained renewed attention is the blotter spot test. It first appeared on the lubrication scene as a field test dating to about 1880. It reemerged in studies conducted by Shell Oil in the 1950s and now again it seems to be catching the attention of even the most sophisticated oil labs. Because of its simplicity, the test is easily conducted in the field, although time is required for the results to fully develop.

The test is based on the established procedure of paper chromatography and involves placing a couple of drops of used oil on common blotter paper (available from lab supply catalogs), or even the back of a business card. Let the drops soak into the paper for a couple of hours. If a dark or brownish stain is left in the center after the oil absorbs outward, then this could be disrupted dispersancy and soot coagulation, a common consequence of glycol contamination. A black sticky paste with a well-defined (sharp edge) periphery is cause for serious concern. Very often a soot ring develops around a yellow/brown center when glycol is present. Figure 5 shows this unique pattern on blotters developed from used diesel crankcase oil that was thermally aged in the presence of varying concentrations of glycol and water."
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/193/oil-glycol

I know of cars that were driven for several years with leaking head gaskets. Glycol reduces the oil lub properties resulting in bearing damage. These cars ran with water and no glycol, obviously in the Deep South.

If you have no money to fix, change the oil regularly and make sure it does not run out of water.

[ctrlraven]

Dye added to the coolant and compression test would be a good start.

[hwy73]

Dye added to the coolant and compression test would be a good start.

And even before this, looking at what appears on the end of the dipstick might be a clue as to condensation vs. contamination. At any rate, I wouldn't take what the "oil change place" says as the final word on something like this.

[Mike M]

Just drive the vehicle more, not unusual to get a little "****" in those areas.

[ctrlraven]

And even before this, looking at what appears on the end of the dipstick might be a clue as to condensation vs. contamination. At any rate, I wouldn't take what the "oil change place" says as the final word on something like this.
And that is very true, I'd also suggest doing an oil change first, drive it for a little bit and see if the stuff returns. If it does then you know something is going on.

[prchrman]

Check coolant if no issue with loss or contamination you do not have an issue.

[rauder88]

I have seen these tan build-ups on quite a few cars here at the dealer. 99% of the time it happens because the vehicle is driven for short trips on a regular basis. This doesn't allow the condensation in the crankcase to burn off. If it were coolant in the oil I would expect the color of the build-up to be more of a grey in color. The oil would also not be black, like normal used oil. If it were mine and the coolant level was ok, I would change the oil, clean off the tan crap and check it in a couple of weeks.

[RF Overlord]

When they took off the oil cap on the valve cover of her 5.4L they noticed a creamy tan colored substance on the cap and in the tube. At that point they wouldn't go any further since they assumed it's probably a leaking head gasket. Btw her Expedition has not thrown any check engine codes and seems to run fine.Find another shop, as that one is either crooked or incompetent.

That substance you found under the 710 cap is jokingly referred to as "mayonnaise" and is very common on cars that are only driven short trips, or have a bad thermostat (stuck open), and don't get proper oil changes. It's perfectly normal and highly doubtful the motor has a bad head gasket. Clean the stuff off, change the oil, and make sure the car gets properly warmed up once a week or so and you won't have this problem.

Oh yeah...check the PCV valve, too.

[EMAS]

As others have said check the coolant level and if it is OK get the oil changed at your local Ford dealer and then instruct here to get it out on the freeway and drive it for at least 20-30min after it has reached normal operating temp preferably at least once a month if not once a week. Some oils are more prone to this than others, I've seen lots of cars that run Amsoil with that problem and back in the day Penzoil and Quaker state were known for that.

[TFB]

Oh yeah...check the PCV valve, too.
Absolutely, also be sure it's vacuum line is in good condition and not plugged/collapsed... PCV system failure is probably the most common cause there is for the golden mayonnaise under the 710 cap... But as others have stated, there are some conditions that cause the build up and it's considered normal...

If the oil looks like the scum under the cap, then you likely have a more serious problem...

[jvillerauder]

I changed the oil and used Ford 5w20 synthetic blend and motorcraft oil filter. The oil looked fine and she does drive very short trips at the most 5 minutes to work and maybe occasionally to the grocery store. The coolant looked fine and was at the proper level. We will keep and eye on everything and she plans to go on a nice trip Saturday so that should help either with the moisture or expose the problem. After reading everybody's replies both her and I feel that it's probably not the head gasket but she will keep an eye on things just in case. I just want to say thanks for everybody's help and information. My mother and I greatly appreciate it all. Thank you.

[RF Overlord]

That's what this site is all about!

[Dragcity]

There you have it. Your tell tale sign is that when you drained the oil, you did not get 3 gallons of glop pouring all over the sides of your catch basin.....

That white goo (I call it white lithium like) will likely take a while to clear up. My Wife's Sable used to do that too. takes several oil changes and changed driving habits to clear it out. Just keep wiping it out of the filler cap as it forms.

Motor on dude. I mean Mami...

[fastblackmerc]

I changed the oil and used Ford 5w20 synthetic blend and motorcraft oil filter. The oil looked fine and she does drive very short trips at the most 5 minutes to work and maybe occasionally to the grocery store. The coolant looked fine and was at the proper level. We will keep and eye on everything and she plans to go on a nice trip Saturday so that should help either with the moisture or expose the problem. After reading everybody's replies both her and I feel that it's probably not the head gasket but she will keep an eye on things just in case. I just want to say thanks for everybody's help and information. My mother and I greatly appreciate it all. Thank you.

Glad it was nothing serious.

You also wan to keep tabs on the exhaust system and battery since she does short trips.

If the exhaust system get hot enough to get rid of the condensation it will rust our quicker.

If you don't drive far enough to recharge the battery after starting the car it will wear out quicker.