Oh no! Could this gunk (see pic) be anything else than coolant+oil=new head gasket?

[Blaine]

I was just checking the oil on my 2000 E320 Wagon and it was 1q down (in 2k miles).

Went to add the quart and I found this lovely gunk.

I bought the car 1 year ago and saw some residue around the oil cap but nothing like this.

So now the car has 99k mi (I've put 10k mi on) and I've had to put a new tranny in it....so now am I in for a rebuild and or head gasket?

The only other things I can think of

1 - the car does smoke a bit under full acceleration but is clean at startup and under normal acceleration.

2 - the auto oil level sensor has never worked and I don't know if there is any relationship.

3 - it burns about 1q of 15W50 Mobil 1 every 2k mi.

4 - the dipstick comes out clean and the coolant is clean.

I really don't want to sink a bunch of $$$ in the car but I do love it. I had planned on keeping it for another 50k mi or so (7-10k / year).

Any ideas? Should I get it to a shop ASAP?

Unfortunately I don't have a good mechanic..only the st....dealer.

[hahnvroom]

Your right about the mixture.Is your coolant level low and has it overheated?

[Blaine]

Coolant level is fine and I haven't had to add any in the last year.

No cooling problems either.

[sixto]

There's a recent thread on a similar substance found in the underside of the oil filler cap and it was dismissed as ambient moisture mixing with the oil because of short trips during cold weather. Advice was to go for a long freeway drive to boil off the moisture.

That might be exactly what to not do if coolant is mixing with oil.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

[haasman]

Blaine

The gunk is the result of condensation in the crankcase. There was just a thread about this with pictures within the last week or so.

My guess, you have an oil leak. For the most part, it is quite rare for these engines to burn oil unless either abused or ultra high miles. I am not saying that yours doesn't have a problem, but check the engine carefully. On the old 91 300e I thought for sure with 250k miloes that it was burning oil. It turned out the oil level indicator gasket was leaking.

Haasman

If in doubt, check it out.
Don't fix what you think is wrong: Fix what is broken.

[sixto]

Found it -

Is this common with all 210's???

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

[Blaine]

Wow - just read the thread.

Looks like the same stuff.

I think I am going to drain my oil and have a close look for signs of coolant.

The car does only get driven about once or twice a week. My 190E 2.3 does winter duty.

Still...sure seems like a lot of gunk.

[t walgamuth]

on my 76 volvo with the renault v6 i had a similar thing.

it turned out to be a plugged crankcase ventilator tube.

tom w

[just-n-time]

I once had a truck,(cab over freightliner) and the dipstick would build that type of gunk too.It dose come from condensation and cool conditions,run the lightest oil for better heat control in your oil.those short hops are real killers on any engine, Do check your vents to be sure you do not have a plugged system,(one with out good circulation.)JNT

[joseph c]

I would see the same thing in the audi 5 cylindar engine and found that the case being,#1 the car is only driven on ocasional basis, #2 the trips are very short( 10 miles or less) #3 always present during colder weather. this being said, wipe the emusification out of the filler cap area, change the oill and take it on a week end drive, warm the engine up over a 30 of 40 mile drive, then see if it is coming back. what you are seeing is just condensation that has mixed with the oil, it will not go away until the oil has come to a 150 to 180 degree range where it willthen vaporize the water and exit through the pcv system. hope this helps.
Joe

[Hirnbeiss]

What also condenses in the oil in winter is fuel, which you will notice from the smell upon changing.
In fact, this buildup of condensation can cause the oil level to actually increase. This is, however, as my German repair manual tells me, "no reason to rejoice". The best cure is as stated, drive till warm, and change the oil.

[RLGDiesel]

It is NOT unusual for the M112s to burn oil in between changes...there was a class action lawsuit for excessive oil consumption and sluge buildup in these engines after following FSS recommendations with mineral oil. This is probably the moisture condensation issue, but I might recommend taking the vehicle to the dealer...mention the consumption, gunk, and the class action lawsuit and see what they saw. FYI: I believe your engine is guaranteed until 150,000 miles or 10 years as a part of the suit.

This is one of those threads where it is very frustrating that the poster has not filled out their location in the profile. If you are paranoid about someone finding you and stealing your car, then at LEAST post your state, province, or section of your country. Including which country might also be helpful.

The reason I would like to know where you are is so that I know the climate in which this is happening. In very cold weather if a vehicle is not driven regularly for a period of time long enough to heat up the oil and boil out the moisture, it will look like this.

Under such conditions the oil should be changed more frequently, at least in the Winter time.

Now, for all I know, you are in Australia and it's the middle of the Summer which would indicate something else. But how can we know?

[t walgamuth]

i second this.

folks seem to be a little to worried about things.

tom w

[moonshine]

Not purty