damnit

[offrovering]

well decided to check oil this morning. pull the dipstick, clean it off, push it back in, pull it out...there are some traces of whitish color.....

I am going to go out and take some pictures and post it, I havent seen milky/creamy oil before so I will ask for some input here. I am crossing my fingers this isnt a head gasket issue.

coolant appears to be at cold mark. hasnt overheated, dont know what else to say, it has about 94k on the clock.

(blarg)

 

[jeepkj02]

It sounds like a blown head gasket. I'm sure someone will chime in and help out more.

 

[offrovering]

son of a bitch, looks worse in a picture. here you go, blown head gasket?

this is supposed to happen to my land rover, not the jeep

be nice, I am pissed already

Here is another, just to confirm I am toast

 

[JeepJeepster]

Sounds like its over. Give it to me now before it gets out of hand. Just step back, and give me the keys.

If the coolant isnt low then its fine. Change the oil if youre really worried about it.

Dont use cheap oil either. Mobil is one of the best and you can get it at walmart. DOO it.

edit: Looks like its that sludge that everyone gets in the oil filler tube. Take the oil filler cover off and see if its in there too. Been taking alot of short trips? What kinda oil are you using?

edit#2: Go to Blackstone labs website. They will send you a free sample kit and you can send your oil off and they will analyze it. I think its around $20. You could give them a call to see how long it usually takes if youre in a hurry.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Figured I would post another post and not edit more.

One thing, CALM DOWN! If the oil isnt over filled and the coolant isnt low, then its not a blown head gasket. It could just be sludge built up in the dip stick tube which also builds up in the oil filler neck. When you pull the stick out it gets all over it.

 

[jeepkj02]

Give it a dose or two of seafoam to clean up the engine.

 

[chirokj]

i actually just saw something similar in mine right after an oil change. used mobil 1 15w50

 

[Corwyyn]

Sounds like its over. Give it to me now before it gets out of hand. Just step back, and give me the keys.

Hey, I'll give ya $20 for it and I'll come pick it up Yeah like Blake said it looks like just some condensation. If it was a blown head gasket it would look more like you put your dipstick in a chocolate milkshake (been there, done that, used the t-shirt as a shop rag ).

 

[hyde]

That looks nasty! igghhhh
and scary.

 

[offrovering]

ok thanks, i will remain calm. for the time being anyhow. wife is due with our first within the next couple days...don't need jeep issues.

I used castrol oil (5w30?) on the last change, never had full synth in it, most I have done is semi, should I be switching to full synth at this point?

coolant doesnt look to be disappearing, and oil isnt overflowing, it was right where it should be, everything runs fine, except for my evap leak I can't stop. I may send a sample in to blackstone, never done that.

sorry about exploding, just don't need issues. I am not savvy on the jeep and history of them so I have no clue what/when to expect from the thing. so I should stop reading the gasket replacement procedure in the manual

 

[offrovering]

That looks nasty! igghhhh
and scary.

it tasted alright, wasnt bad

 

[JC]

I agree, it looks like some water in the oil. I'd be willing to bet it's just condensation. But if you want to be sure, go have your cooling system pressure tested. If the gasket is blown, the cooling system will loose pressure during the test. I assume it's not overheating?

 

[2003KJ]

Blown head gasket, I highly doubt it.

If you're not losing coolant, and/or your coolant isn't turning brown, you've got nothing to worry about.

I agree that it looks like plain ole sludge (although still a bad thing) to me. If you do a lot of short distance trips where the engine either doesn't warm up all the way, or doesn't get warmed up all the way for long, this is the result.

Get you some Seafoam or some Marvil Mystery oil and follow the instructions on how to add it. Seafoam I believe you'll want to add it to the oil a few hundred miles before changing it, where as marvil is used on a fresh oil change (and if you buy the 1 quart version, it will replace one quart of oil....so that'd be 4 quarts oil, 1 quart marvil). The instructions are on the back of each product, and both work very well.

 

[offrovering]

not overheating, at least that is what I am being told by my wife.

does long distance drive, doesnt do any short drives, so I can't see it being from that.

added qt of mystery with last change, used it in place of 1 qt regular.

Maybe I will do some seafoam before next change. I can only imagine how sludged this thing is. How are these engines with sludge?

 

[jeepkj02]

Castrol and Pennzoil are known for sludging up an engine. Would not recommend them. Use Mobil 1 Synthetic with a Napa gold filter. Even Mobil Clean 5000 or 7500 is better than Castrol. Valvoline is also a good brand.

 

[tan's2002kjlimited]

If you've blown a head gasket you'll be belching smoke (lots) from the tailpipe.

 

[offrovering]

Castrol and Pennzoil are known for sludging up an engine. Would not recommend them. Use Mobil 1 Synthetic with a Napa gold filter. Even Mobil Clean 5000 or 7500 is better than Castrol. Valvoline is also a good brand.

ok, I will take note of that. I am used to using castrol in my land rover, havent had sludge issues with it. I will make the switch to valvoline, not sure I will go full synthetic, are others making this switch at high mileage?

 

[jeepkj02]

I started using a full synthetic at 65K, 13K miles later no problems. Although, I did use a synthetic blend for 2 oil changes then began using a full synthetic.

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=101

AMSOIL is a good oil too....

 

[JeepJeepster]

Valvoline SYN is $$. My brother uses it and its getting close to $6 per quart. I buy the 5 quart jug of Mobil One at Walmart for $21 and PureOne Purolator filter at Advance Auto for $6. Never had any problems with the slurry.

Sludge doesnt seem a be a problem at all with the 3.7L unless you dont change the oil. Guy over on Jeepforum had been getting his Libertys oil changed at a quick Lube and it seems like they were not changing his oil at all. Ended up destroying the engine.

 

[Corwyyn]

Guy over on Jeepforum had been getting his Libertys oil changed at a quick Lube and it seems like they were not changing his oil at all. Ended up destroying the engine.

And that is why I go thru the trouble of doing it myself. Even with having to haul the oil to someplace that will recycle it at least I know it was done and the skill level of the person who did it