Oil cap question? - United Bimmer Community

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 08:13 AM

so i was just doing some checking of random stuff today iny my car.....god it's cold outside btw
but i noticed under my oil cap. like it's got like a white...layer.....on it that u can like rub off with ur finger. and i remember people saying "milky" oil is sign that a head gasket is leaking. but also i remember them referring to it as "Cholocate" or yellowish milk. it def wasnt chocolate or yellish color. so.....is the white stuff normal.
it's more like a white layer, that u can jsut rub off.
I mean keep in mind. i just had it at a mechanic and he never saw a head gasket leak like 3 weeks ago. and it's not losing coolant. Altho my coolant level is lower than it normally is in the morning. but.....thats normal since it's so damn cold. but it's not losing any more than that. btw i use synthetic max life. dont know if that helps?

**Dudesky** · 12-05-2006, 08:30 AM

What does it smell like?

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 08:31 AM

what do u mean? it smelt like normal oil? is there a certain smell to it?

**Dudesky** · 12-05-2006, 08:34 AM

I'm saying that if the white stuff is coolant, it may faintly smell like it, and you might distinguish it over the oil smell?

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 08:44 AM

true. but i checked pelican parts. and the picture they have for a head gasket leak.....yeah definetly nothing like that, thats like yellow. this was just like a layer of very very fine. like whitish. i could rub it off. and nothing smelt abnormal not to mention im not losing coolant? so....... i was just curious

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 12:34 PM

Ok got some pics. weirdly the white stuff went away after i drove? maybe it just looks like that since it was like 25 degrees outside. but this si what it's like after I drove (altho i dont know if u have a headgasket leak if the milky stuff will be under the cap after u drive)

but tell me if it looks normal to u
Plus gonna add some shots of my new paintjob :-D
excuse the crappy quality. and the little specs are pieces of metal that have just kinda came off the oil cap since it's old.

and yes I know it's a crappy pic. but i mean maybe u can decipher if it's the "milky color" thats the headgasket leak

btw this is after driving like 30 min. does the milky oil cap appear even after u drive if waters in your oil?
thx

**celsdogg** · 12-05-2006, 12:58 PM

its blurry, but it looks fine to me. smells fishy tho. jk.

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 01:25 PM

lol aha.

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 01:27 PM

anyone know if the dreaded "choco milky shit" on the cap is also there after u drive the car. that'd def tell me if I was ok. since it obviously looks fine now. I guess cause it was cold? maybe the thin film of oil was like frozen or something gay like that?

**Dudesky** · 12-05-2006, 01:32 PM

I dunno dude. I no chemist, but I think the cap looks fine. Mine looks pretty much like that too. As for the whitish stuff, probably nothing major, like some deposits or a little moisture. Unless you're losing power, oil or coolant, I wouldn't sweat it.

**RSF5** · 12-05-2006, 02:17 PM

^^^ yeah, if you aren't having problems then its probably just moisture mixed out of the oil.

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 02:54 PM

true dat.! thx guys!

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 02:57 PM

it was kinda weird i was checking coolant for oil (no sign of it so thats good)
and when i turned the cap it hissed like to let air out I guess. and the coolant level like rose ALOT. ? any ideas why? kinda weird eh?

**Mercenary(FH)** · 12-05-2006, 02:58 PM

i mean not like a complete shitload but enough for me to notice definetly

**RSF5** · 12-05-2006, 03:08 PM

The air you heard hiss out was pressurizing the system. You let it out, dropped the pressure and boom more coolant in the tank instead of pressured into the system.