Well got a surprise when checking my oil today

[mikebook87]

Well let me start. Some of you on here are aware that I replaced the head and head-gasket on my 2003 Cavalier. Today I filled up like any ordinary payday but every couple of weeks I check the oil.

Well I pulled out the dipstick and seen a white murky residue on the dipstick tube. Immediately I new right away what it was. Coolant of course. So I pop open the oil cap and that cap was caked in white coolant in oil. I was really upset about this to be honest. I’ve been driving it for 6 months without an issue.

See I’m shocked about this because I have no overheating, no loss in power, no low coolant light, and no burning coolant smell. I’ve done two oil changes since having the car on the road and I was thinking perhaps it might be left over residue from doing the head work but not sure. The last oil change which was at least a month ago the oil was in fact black but no milky white too it.

I’m just wondering if I’m looking for trouble again or if I’m going to be okay. Every now and then the car drops RPMs a few times and steadies out which would be the IAC valve. I know that is giving issues but today after finding the coolant in oil it seemed to do it worse.

I’m waiting for the car to cool down to check the coolant and see what I get there. I’m just hoping it isn’t a major problem.

Topic

[mikebook87]

So I check the coolant. Nothing. Coolant level was where it was supposed to be. So I decided to check the oil filter. I checked that out and once again nothing. Just brown oil. No looks of coolant what so ever. I open up the oil cap and look and I can of course see milky look. This would bring me my new question.

Do any of the coolant chambers on my 2.2 Ecotec flow through the valve cover? If they do flow through I’m wondering if its a failed valve cover gasket. That seems like a possibility if those chambers do.

[twiggy]

Maybe its from coolant left from when you had a bad head gasket that was hiding while you changed it.

[hondaguy453]

I agree with twiggy ^^. Maybe you just need to flush your cooling system, not just drain and refill so you can get all that crap outta there. Was that your first time checking the oil since you had replaced your HG?

[R.G.Young,Jr]

From what you describe, you don’t have a blown head gasket, more that likely it is condensation that is form inside the engine when and engine is driven for short periods of time and cools down fairly quickly. most of the time if this is the case, the white residue will look like emulsifed fat.(in severe cases) this can be taken care of by using an engine flush with butlyselasolve in it. this will flush any anyfreese that may have been left over from the headgasket problem as well as clean the inside of the engine. then ckeck your thermostat to be sure it is working properly. be sure to follow directions on the cleaner,if you do, you should not have any problem.
Keep posting and Good luck

[college man]

here is something else to look at.

http://www.justanswer.com/chevy/14iyi-2003-chevy-cavalier-oil-no-motor-oil-coolant.html

[mikebook87]

Well I think htwr hit on the spot.

Most of my driving is very short driving. Typical drive day is going to work which is only 5 minutes away and it would cool down then I would leave that job go home for maybe an hour or so and go to the second job. Everytime this is happening of course the car is going to cool down quickly.

I have a hose that comes from the valve cover into the intake that is ummmm broken. Not severely broken but is broken and will have to replace the top part of my intake to fix the hose. This specific hose I think its supposed to help compared to the post that College Man put up from justanswer. I’ve been driving all day today and it has cleared up a bit and I think I should get on the free way for a bit and see if I can blow all that out.

So all in all I was getting worried about that because it scared me to death. However I looked through some of pictures of the coolant getting in my oil before doing the head and this milky look is nothing like the coolant look. This is more a peanut butter look.

I do have to get the IAC Valve fixed because it drives me nuts when the car acts like it wants to stall.

[Author]

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