Help...Coffee Colour in Oil

[dwj100uni]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone could diagnose a problem i have got....

I went to fill up my oil as it was flashing low on the computer display and under the filler cap and around the top was some thick brown gunk. It was a coffee colour, and as i have already said, its thick.

Spoke to one of my friends who is a mechanic and he said that it may be that the aftermarket breather valve may be blocked or pipe damaged.

There is no white in my coolant.

Was just wondering what else it could be before i change the pipe, has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks and help appreciated,

David

 

[Griff]

What Clio? Age?

 

[dwj100uni]

Its a Mk2 Ph 2, 2002.

Sorry...........lol

 

[Griff]

I could be wrong but it could be water/moisture getting in!??!

 

[dwj100uni]

Yea, that was what i was thinkin, but does that mean the head gasket is gone??

 

[Fred@BTM]

1.2 16v?????

 

[dwj100uni]

1.2 8v!

 

[ianlowry]

Don't claim to know anything about engines, but if head gasket had gone wouldn't you be experiencing oil leaking first etc? Head gasket went on my last mk2, after it was fixed and the oil changed at next service it was frothy/coffee like - needed to be flushed through a couple of times.

 

[bmh.01]

I get this to a degree but its not that thick and there isn't much of it and its only under the filler cap. According to serveral things i've read on the net and from a post here which I think edde posted but I can't find it, that basically they all do it and its just a quirk of the D7F engine design.
It effects the D4F because its based on the D7F.
As long was your not loosing coolant and theres nothing in it then I wouldn't worry but keep and eye on it for a while just to make sure.

It worried me when I first saw it but i'm showing no signs of hg failure and i've changed the oil a few times and theres never anything in it.

edit:

Found it:

Mayonaise like material in the oil cap.
This is a common problem on any cars, which only do short journeys, and the 1.2's suffer a lot it should be a worrying sign for an engine but it seems to be a common thing on the 1.2's and not such a great worry.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=108607

 

[Jones]

what sort of journeys are you doing? if they are short and your engine doesnt get to temp then moisture can build up in the crank case causing the above problem, happens to loads of cars this time of year due to the cold weather. go for a long drive and it will prob disappear

 

[bmh.01]

I've put mine down to the cold weather because it gets plenty of long runs (up to 100miles of motorway) and it still gets gunk under the cap. I've only noticed it since its got colder though because it never did it in summer.

 

[dwj100uni]

Thanks guys, thought it was a bit wierd, as its not that old and didnt think it would be that the head g. had gone.

I am not loosing coolant, but will def keep an eye on it in the future!

Thanks again.....

David

 

[BRUN]

clean the cap and see how long it takes to appear again, doesnt sound like anything to worry about though