Bro, I work for GM, I’m a supervisor here and drive a 00’ ford expo, and this video was a life saver! Thanks man! I’ll keep checking you out as I build this truck into a beast!
Thank you very much for clarifying the differences. I have been told to worry when the oil cap gets a bit of milk on it and when the exhaust is blowing white smoke in cold weather conditions. In every head gasket symptoms video, they also warn about this without comparing it to a vehicle that just has normal cold weather symptoms. Finally someone who looks at the twofold story about head gaskets!
Ran across this video trying to diagnose my issue thinking I have a blown head gasket. The comparison on these make me think a second time living in the Northeast part of the US. I have a VW and have to say this case covers all makes of vehicles - not just your Ford. Thanks so much for posting as I just need to keep a close eye on this for any future potential issues 👍
Thanks Neighbor for the neat check. I use my 5 gas analyzer and check for hydrocarbons at either filler neck or coolant bottle. But of course that water pump internal leak into the crankcase would not show. Excellent information.
You saved my pockets. My qx4 has coffee under the cap and thought it was a blown head gasket. I never thought that cold weather can affect oil like that. Thanks a bunch man.
Moisture on the filler cap has been a real money makers for disreputable repair shops for half a century. I am glad to see you shine some light on the issue. Thanks.
I never knew all these tricks til now. I thought for years I had a head gasket issue but now I know for certain it's more than likely perfectly fine. You seriously saved me some bucks and a for-sure headache! Thank you!
Thank you for clearing that up. My 4.6 had this happen in the winter. My Jeep 4.7 also had this going on until I revised the PCV system per a TSB they had, I also installed a catch can and have zero pudding on my oil cap now.
Can't thank you enough..... Really appreciate this video, I was really panicking, but couldn't understand why I had a small amount of mess under oil cap, but according to dipstick oil colour was fine. Thank you again, much love from the UK 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 =🥇 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎊🎊🎊
Good stuff man! I remember when I was in my early 20's, I had a hot rod '78 Cutlass with a Goodwrench 350 that had the milky cap. I freaked out! Back then I couldn't afford the PARTS for a rebuild, let alone another crate! That's when I learned about condensation in engines from my dad, and other experienced guys. What a relief that was! It's no wonder, too - later on, I found that my Mr. Gasket chrome thermostat housing was made of pot metal, and reacted with the coolant and different metals in the system, and basically became a sacrificial anode. The gasket surface had been completely eaten away! Coolant was just flowing around the t-stat like it wasn't even there! I always wondered why my heat never worked good, and the temp never got above 140°F. On top of that, I lived in suburban Worcester, MA at the time, where everything is literally, "2 miles down the road" - very few long trips. There were even trails of milky oil mixed with good oil on the dipstick, along with rust and condensation towards the top of the dipstick. What a difference after installing a new housing and 195° t-stat! Felt like the heat was melting my face. 😂
Interesting stuff this is. I was selling my car today and was confident enough that everything was perfect. NO water leaks, no white smoke or any signs of failure. Today the person who comes to view my car inspected the oil cap. I was shocked to find the amount of condenstation found. I checked the dip stick oil and coolant level which i never topped up for 2 years...trying to figure HOW!? Its impossible....Glad to have found this video which debunks the myth out there. Im debating whether to call them back and say your husband misdiagnosed my vehicle. Vehicle only has done 4000miles in a year and short trips to work 15minutes. 100% condenstation.
I’m so glad I. Came across your channel I thought watching other channels that my engine was toast but I realized it was my short drives to work causing the condensation on the cap alone !!!!! Thank you thank you thank you !!!!!
I took my 98 Trans Am to the dealer for an oil change because it was free. They told me and try to convince me my head gasket was blown. That was 10yrs ago and knew he was lying.
Great video, same in in the UK on my volvo V70 2009. Been using alot more recently for sort trips to work, especially during lockdown in order to protect myself from bumping into people during the early hours of the morning or extreme late night shifts I do on the railway. Checked my oil filler cap today and almost sh## myself thinking, bye bye volvo. Oil is OK, water expansion tank ok. Your a life and money saver. Thank you.
I used a bottle of Steel Seal to fix my head gasket, drained the coolant, removed the thermostat, flushed the cooling system really good, Then use a radiator cleaner to clean the cooling system , Make sure to flush out all the cleaner 100%, When engine is 100% cold add steel seal with distilled water, turn heater on high & let idle for 30 mins with the radiator cap off........Let it cool for 1 hour the let idle again for 30 mins with the radiator cap on...........next morning let it idle for another 30 mins then removed all water from the system to let the steel seal cure for 24 hours, Replace the thermostat, fill with coolant and your good to go. Mine has been running perfect for 70k miles now as i use the car for uber & lyft, Only cost me about $120 total.
My Dad’s old and only drives 3 or 4 times a week to the supermarket a mile away. Whenever I visit I always check his oil and coolant levels so his car has less chance of failing. Every time there is a little bit of sludge in his oil filler cap and I tell him not to worry and at least try driving over 25 mph now and then. It must be like driving behind Mr Magoo.
Truly funny . " driving behind Mr. Magoo " You old enough to remember Mr. Magoo says your Dad is up there in years . One question , does he wear his hat when he drives .
thank you so much... I just replaced my thermostat, and after filling and trying to bleed the air, I decided to do a oil change.... I almost cried, when I removed the oil cap, there was this caramel like substance on the cap. I said to myself, I just blown the head gasket while trying to bleed it. This caramel substance simply came from the fact my thermostat was stuck open, and the engine wasn't able to reach its normal temperature, the arrow was coming just above the C mark, and normally it should be at mid level betweek the C and H mark.... NOW I KNOW the engine was not warm enough to clear the humidity caused by the condensation in the block. I also do short distance with my truck as well. Thanks again.
That's exactly how the oil cap looked on the Expedition 5.4L I ended up buying. Early in the test drive I pulled the cap and saw "Oh no, white gunk, blown head gasket!". Pulled the dipstick and wiped it on a white towel, oil looks fine, nothing wrong with it. Continued the test drive and after another 10 minutes, when it was warmed up, pulled the oil cap again, no white gunk this time. And I've never seen it since in the month I've owned it. It just had the condensation buildup from sitting on that used lot for what turned out to be FIVE MONTHS. Changed the oil and had no visible water or issues. Has been great so far. I'm working through all the '5.4L tips' on this great channel .
Again, you have answered a serious concern I have had! If your spying on me for episode ideas please continue. I have fixed 4 major issues on my f150 with your videos. You are the truck whisper!
Thank you for this video. I about crapped my pants when I did an oil change on my F150 this morning when I pulled my oil cap and had some gunk on it. This has helped put me at ease a bit. I live in ND where it’s been extremely cold and I only have a 10 minute commute every day so I’m thinking that’s gotta be it.
When I used to drive 1/2 mile to and from work during the winter. I pulled my oil cap to perform an oil change and the entire cap was filled with chocolate milk pudding. I was in a hectic panic for about an hour until I learned about the condensation settling at the highest point.
Great video, I can definitely vouch for seeing the buildup on the oil cap when there are no issues. I see that with my F-150 Ecoboost, and it definitely increases during the winter months.
-16 in WI my wife been taking the csr to work bout 5 miles away.. I checked the oil it was low so i went to grab a quart to fill it up and saw the pudding cap.. immediate fear.. watched this video collected my thoughts reanalyzed the situation... the Ford is fine!
This channel has saved me thousands. I have a 2000 Ford F150 5.4L that has this cream color on my cap, but dipstick shows normal. I've had two mechanics tell me blown head gasket. I live in a northern climate. I do have a cracked (plastic) upper intake manifold which leaks, is common and the repair is posted on a demo video here on this channel. I still need to know for sure if I have a blown head gasket or cracked gasket. No affordable local repair guys do pressure tests. No equipment. They only focus on the quick repair stuff, more profitable.
Drain the engine oil, send some off to a lab (I recommend Blackstone), they charge $25 to analyze the oil and tell you if it has coolant in it. They also analyze it for excessive fuel dilution and wear metals. Most labs will send you a collection bottle to use for the sample.
@@brianleeper5737 - Thanks Brian. I forgot about them. Will definitely order the kit today. Gas consumption at idle seems to be highly excessive. Long story on why I have to let sit running idle. No idea what is causing it.
I bought the head gasket kit and everything to work on my Tacoma. You probably just saved me a ton of time and $$. I only have that cream color junk on the cap. No low coolant, dip stick looks like plain normal oil. This is a great informative video.
That's what I have on my 5-4 and with a clean dipstick I thought the head was leaking, I have only been making short trips in Washington State, good video
Michael Robertson I just noticed this on my 2006 5.4 with 60k. Oil dipstick is clean and coolant reservoir is right where it should be. Maybe I should change the pvc valve and drive it more often.
Well that makes me feel a little better. I just noticed the cap sludge today (colder than usual out) but I have the same coolant level and my dipstick is clean
To check for a blown head gasket take off the radiator cap and put a balloon (or anything that will stretch over the radiator filler neck and will expand with pressure), then unplug your coil and turn the engine over. If the balloon quickly inflates/deflates then you have a bad head gasket. What you are seeing is the gasses leaking out of the combustion chamber past the head gaskets and into the coolant system and expanding the balloon.
I just watched this. I have a mini cooper r57. Live in the UK. We had some very cold weather here the other week. I have only used my car for short trips. Check engine light came on. Checked it with an odp 2. Reading said it was inlet sensor. So I swapped with the outlet to check. While taking out the inlet sensor saw some creamy gunk. Checked the oil cap. Same creamy gunk. However, no loss of coolant. Looks clear inside the engine. Hopefully it's what you mentioned in your video.
Anthony Lee I have chocolate in my coolant...flushed it with 50 gallons of water...it looked clean ...next day more oil...I didn’t start the motor at all. I flushed it so I coul pout blue devil, and wanted to make sure it clean.
My old 57 Chevy had the heavy pudding under the oil fill cap. Turned out that the thermostat had stuck open, and the engine was not getting up to proper temperatures. It was winter time in Pennsylvania.
I just bought a 99 f150 the buy said it had a blown head gasket and sure enough it wasn't the case. It just needed a radiator and a good ol fashion tune up. Bought the truck for $400, lol. I asked the guy again about why he thought the head gasket was bad and he said the oil was milky. It runs just fine and I was surprised the timing chain wasn't making the noise that happens when the guides go bad
What? If you have oil on a cooling system and it's not from the engine it needs to come from somewhere, like the transmission. If it was a "radiator" that's the only way
Thank you, I was starting to get worried my head gasket was going! But I live in the northeast and my drive to my normal job is only 20 minutes, when I drive to my other job, it’s non existent on the dip stick and oil cap! So made me feel a whole lot better!!
good information, I always thought that a milky oil cap meant a blown gasket,crack on the block or head. now I know what to look for thanks to you. good video very informative.
So true! I just bought a used F150 from Missouri, sight-unseen, and freaked out when I saw a bit of pudding under the oil cap. It was nothing at all--the truck is just fine.
Thank you for this video. I saw the pudding under my cap this morning and assumed the worst, but, yes, my trips have been short lately due to home isolating (10-min drives to grocery store in cold weather). No pudding elsewhere.,,,BIG RELIEF. Thank you!!!!
Wow.....This has been quite the education because in my amateur mechanic mind if I see ANY milky build up on an oil cap I am not walking, I'm running away from that car....
Great explanation with comparison on 2 different cars/ engines. Very appreciated. This explanation make me feel better and hope that my engine does not have an head gasket leak...I will come back with more comments after i will see a mechanic for my 08jetta mk5 2.0t
Funny you posted this cause my sisters boyfriend did this exact test Saturday night when we was in the garage trying to figure out why the car my nephew and niece in-law got is having an overheating issue.(they got it super cheap cause the woman didn't want to mess with it.) He tried to tell them it was the head gasket till I pulled the dipstick lol. Of course I find out the overheating didn't start till they did a flush and fill till after I tried draining the radiator, I say try cause I doubt enough came out to fill a coffe cup up. Sounds like it wasn't filled correctly but have to change the water pump (leaking at the weephole) before going any further. No since in vacuuming the system down just to have to drain it again when the pump decides it's had enough. Thanks for the tips and vids, found your channel when I was having TB issues on my 2010 2.5 and was searching for a solution.
I tried to explain this to my buddy a while back and he was having none of it. I guess if he wants to not drive his car because of a non existent problem that’s his call lol
THANKS YOU have helped my decision to strip down engine or not in england atm it is very cold and with short trip could be a great pointer to misdiagnosis ....thanks again
Lady just turned me down. On replacing her Ford Edge water pump..Told her $750.00 labor plus parts. Which was Water pump. Time Chain. Guides and Variable cam gears... She said that is too much and would just wait. I told her. You wait till 2 gallons of anti freeze gets in your oil. Your walking and spending $6,000.00 for new engine! As is was sucking antifreeze out of the recovery tank. At gallon a week!
@@FordTechMakuloco I know its cheap. But I can drop the engine just a little and get my hands in there with my lift...I warned her. And yes I changed her oil. It's what she come in for. First thing I asked. Are you putting anti freeze in it... As the oil change was a dead give away...
@@FordTechMakuloco yup I seen this on a 2006 Ford F150 5.4 triton but customer is having steering issues kept driving and afterwards his power steering pump failed.. but original issue was steering it was hard to steer but pump was fine.. any thoughts on this
THANKS FOR MAKING THIS AWESOME VIDEO!! I have the Chevy 3.4L engine that is known for head gasket and intake gaskets when using GM DexKill I had normal condensation with no real signs of coolant entering the crank case. Your explanation of normal condensation was very helpful, I was really worried at first, but I’m not loosing coolant and my oil is nice n clean … very valuable info!! Thanks
I used to it too. 1999 BMW overheating, white smoke out tail pipe, and clicking sound on one cylinder. I used this Bars Head Seal and no more overheating, white smoke or clicking sound! I will try to come back to let everyone know how long it worked, but one week going strong.
I am a 55 year old women no one had time to help me figure this out and yes there are shady mechanics out there especialy when they see a women coming. Thanks for clearing up that the cap looking lide that is not a positive sign cause sometimes I dont run the car long enough for the condensation. Thanks again
I had to 1990 Ford F-150 a few years ago and I had the gunk on the oil cap every time I checked it if you don't see it on the dip stick don't worry about it
I also had this same thing happen to me in my 01 F150 4.6l, due to worn gaskets around my intake manifold. Once I was able to replace those, no more pudding on the oil cap.
I'm sure I speak for many on here when I say you cannot believe how much I appreciate how thorough you are in all you vids.. I can do most work on my 04 F150 but my problem is when I need a lift, special tools or just the time and space. Is there someone here in SOCAL San Diego area you would recommend for me? I had a good guy but he moved his shop far away from me.
This video helped alot! The only difference with my Astra at the moment is that the coolant level did seem lower? I will keep an eye on it and stop with the short distance driving as I HAVE been doing that alot recently
Not a ford man here but I’m damn glad I watched this video, just looked at the cap on my daughters hhr and it looked just like that but dipstick was clean , I was pretty bummed until I watched this , thanks!
The first time I saw oil cap pudding it was on my son's Jetta, which had a bad coolant hose flange that leaked externally. It was as bad as you show here on the oil cap, but not on the dipstick. There was no direct coolant contamination of oil, and the problem disappeared when I fixed the external coolant leak. I think trapped air in the cooling system caused mild overheating, forming steam that condensed after short trips.
I thought we had a blown head gasket in my Jeep Liberty due to seeing that sludge under the oil cap. Brought it to my mechanic and they said the same thing....condensation due to cold weather and short trips. That little Liberty lasted for quite a few years after that never losing a drop of coolant.
Noticed this in my GMC the other day. I'll do the other checks you mentioned. 🍻 Also it is currently the coldest time of year. It's has stayed like 15°f below freezing this last week.
I have a 2000 ford F150 5.4L that I have oil in my antifreeze reservoir what does this mean blown head gasket or cracked head. You do amazing videos keep up the good work I’ll watch them all.
Thank you so much man, i’ll tell ya, you always learn something new everyday. Just the other morning I was doing my basic fluids maintenance when I noticed the same condensation on my oil cap. It’s been like 15 20 degrees here in NY. I got concerned, I checked my coolant level, dipstick level and color and just looked around and under for any major leaks. I have a 4.6 liter GT with 250k and when I saw the discoloration on the cap I said to myself that was it lol. Turns out to be just this, condensation. Nothing abnormal. This video did me justice. Thanks again for the information 👍🏼
Another way to check for coolant in the crank case .. After vehicle has sat nit running for a day or two... Go underneath with a cup or something, loosen the engine oil drain plug and catch what first comes out... If its there Coolant will start coming out around the threads before any oil comes out because it will separate and coolant will go to the bottom....it may be difficult to detect though if it's a very small amount.... But if you back out plug and carefully let out a little oil and all it is is oil, then the coolant may be going elsewhere....
@@FordTechMakuloco Good to know man. I appreciate what you do. Really helpful videos. Im always doing my own repairs and your videos are the only manual I need when it comes to my f250.
This is why I live in SoCal. It seldom gets lower than 50F ;) "The more you know, the better off you are." You gave me more stuffs to look for and include with inspections. Thanx much!
Very useful video! You've put my mind as ease with my 2002 VW Transporter. A little bit of mayo on the cap but the oil on the dip stick is nice and black (oil change coming soon) Cheers!!
Thank you for addressing this! I remember trying to sell a F-150 Harley Davidson around 8 years ago and the potential buyer pulled off the cap and saw this, and ran away! I knew it had no issues but he wouldn't believe me and I tried to explain to him it's built up condensation. This does not only happen in cold weather climates, I live in socal.
I had the coolant under the cap. Also had a leak around oil filter. Ford 4.6l V8 has a gasket between the engine block and oil filter housing. It went bad. Coolant and oil flows through this housing. Stupid design. Changed the gasket and no more problems.
Good info.. subscribed. Just replaced my radiator in my 1999 Ford Expedition. Now I will be working on the heater flow probably the blender motor. I think I have to pull the dash.
Another noteable difference will be, the coolant in the oil will be a brownish chocolate milk substance / PCV or short trip condensation will be just plain old milk ( white) or whiitish yellow
Years ago I bought a car really really cheap because they thought it was blown. I asked if it was using coolant and they said no. The cap was like you showed. They said the oil wasn't changed for 20.000 miles. I flushed it and it ended up a good car.
Take a teaspoon of water from the radiator & put a few drops straight onto the cars exhaust when it is hot & running, if the water quickly evaporates & doesn't leave any oily residue & a dipstick check reveals clean looking oil then you can be pretty sure all is well. also run the car with the radiator cap off, no bubbles, no troubles! That's my DIY easy home test. No equipment necessary! Worst case scenario, Bar's Leaks Head Gasket Fix & an oil change may do the trick, my mate tried it & 2 years later, car runs great & no signs of blown head gasket.
Water is a by product of combustion, engine oil needs to run at 220-240 degrees to evaporate the moisture. Good reason to drive at least 15 miles or run motor 20-30 minutes, or change the oil more frequently as noted in service , owners manual.
My bmw was using coolant. No sludge in the crank case oil, but I had cold start misfires, finally took the head off and found cylinders 3 and 4 both had small hairline cracks between the coolant jacket right to the valve seat.
so question on that, 1.coolant overflow is empty 2. radiator is also very low/empty 3. oil cap has milk 4. Oil dipstick is just black 5. Bubbly noises from radiator
I see this all the time here in New Brunswick Canada it gets really cold here in the winter and yes if I would’ve change a head gasket every time I saw this I would be rich. Short trip and a bad thermostat is a common cause I find that cars with long filler neck are the worst.
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Bro, I work for GM, I’m a supervisor here and drive a 00’ ford expo, and this video was a life saver! Thanks man! I’ll keep checking you out as I build this truck into a beast!
Thank you very much for clarifying the differences. I have been told to worry when the oil cap gets a bit of milk on it and when the exhaust is blowing white smoke in cold weather conditions. In every head gasket symptoms video, they also warn about this without comparing it to a vehicle that just has normal cold weather symptoms. Finally someone who looks at the twofold story about head gaskets!
so how you fix the problem?
Us bank
Ran across this video trying to diagnose my issue thinking I have a blown head gasket. The comparison on these make me think a second time living in the Northeast part of the US. I have a VW and have to say this case covers all makes of vehicles - not just your Ford. Thanks so much for posting as I just need to keep a close eye on this for any future potential issues 👍
Thanks Neighbor for the neat check. I use my 5 gas analyzer and check for hydrocarbons at either filler neck or coolant bottle. But of course that water pump internal leak into the crankcase would not show. Excellent information.
You saved my pockets. My qx4 has coffee under the cap and thought it was a blown head gasket. I never thought that cold weather can affect oil like that. Thanks a bunch man.
Moisture on the filler cap has been a real money makers for disreputable repair shops for half a century. I am glad to see you shine some light on the issue. Thanks.
I never knew all these tricks til now. I thought for years I had a head gasket issue but now I know for certain it's more than likely perfectly fine. You seriously saved me some bucks and a for-sure headache! Thank you!
Thank you for clearing that up. My 4.6 had this happen in the winter. My Jeep 4.7 also had this going on until I revised the PCV system per a TSB they had, I also installed a catch can and have zero pudding on my oil cap now.
Can't thank you enough..... Really appreciate this video, I was really panicking, but couldn't understand why I had a small amount of mess under oil cap, but according to dipstick oil colour was fine. Thank you again, much love from the UK 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 =🥇 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎊🎊🎊
Good stuff man! I remember when I was in my early 20's, I had a hot rod '78 Cutlass with a Goodwrench 350 that had the milky cap. I freaked out! Back then I couldn't afford the PARTS for a rebuild, let alone another crate! That's when I learned about condensation in engines from my dad, and other experienced guys. What a relief that was!
It's no wonder, too - later on, I found that my Mr. Gasket chrome thermostat housing was made of pot metal, and reacted with the coolant and different metals in the system, and basically became a sacrificial anode. The gasket surface had been completely eaten away! Coolant was just flowing around the t-stat like it wasn't even there! I always wondered why my heat never worked good, and the temp never got above 140°F. On top of that, I lived in suburban Worcester, MA at the time, where everything is literally, "2 miles down the road" - very few long trips. There were even trails of milky oil mixed with good oil on the dipstick, along with rust and condensation towards the top of the dipstick. What a difference after installing a new housing and 195° t-stat! Felt like the heat was melting my face. 😂
Watching your video's is like being in college again. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Interesting stuff this is. I was selling my car today and was confident enough that everything was perfect. NO water leaks, no white smoke or any signs of failure. Today the person who comes to view my car inspected the oil cap. I was shocked to find the amount of condenstation found. I checked the dip stick oil and coolant level which i never topped up for 2 years...trying to figure HOW!? Its impossible....Glad to have found this video which debunks the myth out there. Im debating whether to call them back and say your husband misdiagnosed my vehicle. Vehicle only has done 4000miles in a year and short trips to work 15minutes. 100% condenstation.
I’m so glad I. Came across your channel
I thought watching other channels that my engine was toast but I realized it was my short drives to work causing the condensation on the cap alone !!!!! Thank you thank you thank you !!!!!
I took my 98 Trans Am to the dealer for an oil change because it was free. They told me and try to convince me my head gasket was blown. That was 10yrs ago and knew he was lying.
Lol. There is no such thing as "free". There is always a catch.
To be fair he may have actually thought that. And didn’t do the actual tests to prove it since it was a look over.
Most dealers are not Mechanics there just fitters.
Over priced with no skill
Most dealerships do that
You're a lifesaver man!! I've been going crazy thinking my truck is dying on me.
Bryce Reigle lmao same here
basically, avoid short trips.. plan your trips, avoid traffic jams. Keep fluids changed on schedule or sooner..
Me too I just use my truck to go to work and back a few minutes from my house, I had the same symptoms as the expedition in the video
Great video, same in in the UK on my volvo V70 2009. Been using alot more recently for sort trips to work, especially during lockdown in order to protect myself from bumping into people during the early hours of the morning or extreme late night shifts I do on the railway. Checked my oil filler cap today and almost sh## myself thinking, bye bye volvo. Oil is OK, water expansion tank ok. Your a life and money saver. Thank you.
same bro I was kinda of freaking out
I used a bottle of Steel Seal to fix my head gasket, drained the coolant, removed the thermostat, flushed the cooling system really good, Then use a radiator cleaner to clean the cooling system , Make sure to flush out all the cleaner 100%, When engine is 100% cold add steel seal with distilled water, turn heater on high & let idle for 30 mins with the radiator cap off........Let it cool for 1 hour the let idle again for 30 mins with the radiator cap on...........next morning let it idle for another 30 mins then removed all water from the system to let the steel seal cure for 24 hours, Replace the thermostat, fill with coolant and your good to go. Mine has been running perfect for 70k miles now as i use the car for uber & lyft, Only cost me about $120 total.
My Dad’s old and only drives 3 or 4 times a week to the supermarket a mile away. Whenever I visit I always check his oil and coolant levels so his car has less chance of failing. Every time there is a little bit of sludge in his oil filler cap and I tell him not to worry and at least try driving over 25 mph now and then. It must be like driving behind Mr Magoo.
Truly funny . " driving behind Mr. Magoo " You old enough to remember Mr. Magoo says your Dad is up there in years . One question , does he wear his hat when he drives .
By George McGoo
thank you so much... I just replaced my thermostat, and after filling and trying to bleed the air, I decided to do a oil change.... I almost cried, when I removed the oil cap, there was this caramel like substance on the cap. I said to myself, I just blown the head gasket while trying to bleed it. This caramel substance simply came from the fact my thermostat was stuck open, and the engine wasn't able to reach its normal temperature, the arrow was coming just above the C mark, and normally it should be at mid level betweek the C and H mark.... NOW I KNOW the engine was not warm enough to clear the humidity caused by the condensation in the block. I also do short distance with my truck as well. Thanks again.
That's exactly how the oil cap looked on the Expedition 5.4L I ended up buying. Early in the test drive I pulled the cap and saw "Oh no, white gunk, blown head gasket!". Pulled the dipstick and wiped it on a white towel, oil looks fine, nothing wrong with it.
Continued the test drive and after another 10 minutes, when it was warmed up, pulled the oil cap again, no white gunk this time. And I've never seen it since in the month I've owned it.
It just had the condensation buildup from sitting on that used lot for what turned out to be FIVE MONTHS. Changed the oil and had no visible water or issues. Has been great so far. I'm working through all the '5.4L tips' on this great channel .
Very informative. I see this a lot myself, and most of the time, it's just condensation.
Again, you have answered a serious concern I have had! If your spying on me for episode ideas please continue. I have fixed 4 major issues on my f150 with your videos. You are the truck whisper!
Lol
Thank you for this video. I about crapped my pants when I did an oil change on my F150 this morning when I pulled my oil cap and had some gunk on it. This has helped put me at ease a bit. I live in ND where it’s been extremely cold and I only have a 10 minute commute every day so I’m thinking that’s gotta be it.
When I used to drive 1/2 mile to and from work during the winter. I pulled my oil cap to perform an oil change and the entire cap was filled with chocolate milk pudding. I was in a hectic panic for about an hour until I learned about the condensation settling at the highest point.
Great video, I can definitely vouch for seeing the buildup on the oil cap when there are no issues. I see that with my F-150 Ecoboost, and it definitely increases during the winter months.
I have a ecoboost 228,000 miles, never seen this on mine.
-16 in WI my wife been taking the csr to work bout 5 miles away.. I checked the oil it was low so i went to grab a quart to fill it up and saw the pudding cap.. immediate fear.. watched this video collected my thoughts reanalyzed the situation... the Ford is fine!
Saved Feelings and Pockets when I saw that gunk in the cap of my 2015 Ecoboost Explorer Sport. Thank You!!!
Can't help but love this guy.
This channel has saved me thousands. I have a 2000 Ford F150 5.4L that has this cream color on my cap, but dipstick shows normal. I've had two mechanics tell me blown head gasket. I live in a northern climate. I do have a cracked (plastic) upper intake manifold which leaks, is common and the repair is posted on a demo video here on this channel. I still need to know for sure if I have a blown head gasket or cracked gasket. No affordable local repair guys do pressure tests. No equipment. They only focus on the quick repair stuff, more profitable.
Drain the engine oil, send some off to a lab (I recommend Blackstone), they charge $25 to analyze the oil and tell you if it has coolant in it. They also analyze it for excessive fuel dilution and wear metals. Most labs will send you a collection bottle to use for the sample.
@@brianleeper5737 - Thanks Brian. I forgot about them. Will definitely order the kit today. Gas consumption at idle seems to be highly excessive. Long story on why I have to let sit running idle. No idea what is causing it.
I bought the head gasket kit and everything to work on my Tacoma. You probably just saved me a ton of time and $$.
I only have that cream color junk on the cap. No low coolant, dip stick looks like plain normal oil. This is a great informative video.
Honest techs are hard to find. Keep up the good job. Thank you.
That's what I have on my 5-4 and with a clean dipstick I thought the head was leaking, I have only been making short trips in Washington State, good video
Michael Robertson I just noticed this on my 2006 5.4 with 60k. Oil dipstick is clean and coolant reservoir is right where it should be. Maybe I should change the pvc valve and drive it more often.
Well that makes me feel a little better. I just noticed the cap sludge today (colder than usual out) but I have the same coolant level and my dipstick is clean
To check for a blown head gasket take off the radiator cap and put a balloon (or anything that will stretch over the radiator filler neck and will expand with pressure), then unplug your coil and turn the engine over. If the balloon quickly inflates/deflates then you have a bad head gasket. What you are seeing is the gasses leaking out of the combustion chamber past the head gaskets and into the coolant system and expanding the balloon.
I just watched this. I have a mini cooper r57. Live in the UK. We had some very cold weather here the other week. I have only used my car for short trips. Check engine light came on. Checked it with an odp 2. Reading said it was inlet sensor. So I swapped with the outlet to check. While taking out the inlet sensor saw some creamy gunk. Checked the oil cap. Same creamy gunk. However, no loss of coolant. Looks clear inside the engine. Hopefully it's what you mentioned in your video.
Great video. Very helpful. On the bad engine, can you smell the antifreeze in the exhaust gas when you start up the car?
Chocolate milk in the crank case is not where it belongs.
Thanks Ford Whisperer
Anthony Lee I have chocolate in my coolant...flushed it with 50 gallons of water...it looked clean ...next day more oil...I didn’t start the motor at all. I flushed it so I coul pout blue devil, and wanted to make sure it clean.
So happy to watch this
Dip stick is clean and my drive is 4 miles there and back everyday
Saw the sludge and about lost it! Thank you!!
I am SOOO glad you made this video! I had every right to believe my gasket (03 Explorer 4.0) was leaking.
Good video. This helped ease my mind about this exact pudding in the cap issue on my car. Its on the cap not in the oil or in the valves.
My old 57 Chevy had the heavy pudding under the oil fill cap. Turned out that the thermostat had stuck open, and the engine was not getting up to proper temperatures. It was winter time in Pennsylvania.
I just bought a 99 f150 the buy said it had a blown head gasket and sure enough it wasn't the case. It just needed a radiator and a good ol fashion tune up. Bought the truck for $400, lol. I asked the guy again about why he thought the head gasket was bad and he said the oil was milky. It runs just fine and I was surprised the timing chain wasn't making the noise that happens when the guides go bad
What? If you have oil on a cooling system and it's not from the engine it needs to come from somewhere, like the transmission. If it was a "radiator" that's the only way
Thank you, I was starting to get worried my head gasket was going! But I live in the northeast and my drive to my normal job is only 20 minutes, when I drive to my other job, it’s non existent on the dip stick and oil cap! So made me feel a whole lot better!!
good information, I always thought that a milky oil cap meant a blown gasket,crack on the block or head. now I know what to look for thanks to you. good video very informative.
Thanks dude!! I've seen the same thing on my cap but nothing on the stick
So true! I just bought a used F150 from Missouri, sight-unseen, and freaked out when I saw a bit of pudding under the oil cap. It was nothing at all--the truck is just fine.
Great camera work...and answering all the questions with blown head gasket.
Thank you for this video. I saw the pudding under my cap this morning and assumed the worst, but, yes, my trips have been short lately due to home isolating (10-min drives to grocery store in cold weather). No pudding elsewhere.,,,BIG RELIEF. Thank you!!!!
Wow.....This has been quite the education because in my amateur mechanic mind if I see ANY milky build up on an oil cap I am not walking, I'm running away from that car....
Excellent presentation, thanks matey. Everyone checking out a used car over ?three years old should know these points to make an informed purchase.
Im late to this party as they say, but the way you explained this and show this made me subscribe. Thank you.
Great explanation with comparison on 2 different cars/ engines. Very appreciated. This explanation make me feel better and hope that my engine does not have an head gasket leak...I will come back with more comments after i will see a mechanic for my 08jetta mk5 2.0t
Funny you posted this cause my sisters boyfriend did this exact test Saturday night when we was in the garage trying to figure out why the car my nephew and niece in-law got is having an overheating issue.(they got it super cheap cause the woman didn't want to mess with it.) He tried to tell them it was the head gasket till I pulled the dipstick lol. Of course I find out the overheating didn't start till they did a flush and fill till after I tried draining the radiator, I say try cause I doubt enough came out to fill a coffe cup up. Sounds like it wasn't filled correctly but have to change the water pump (leaking at the weephole) before going any further. No since in vacuuming the system down just to have to drain it again when the pump decides it's had enough. Thanks for the tips and vids, found your channel when I was having TB issues on my 2010 2.5 and was searching for a solution.
Watching this video help me out a lot. I have a 07 F150 5.4. Oil cap buildup in the top. Thank you
I tried to explain this to my buddy a while back and he was having none of it. I guess if he wants to not drive his car because of a non existent problem that’s his call lol
THANKS YOU have helped my decision to strip down engine or not in england atm it is very cold and with short trip could be a great pointer to misdiagnosis ....thanks again
You sir, are the best, most informative Ford tech out there!!! Thank you.
Lady just turned me down. On replacing her Ford Edge water pump..Told her $750.00 labor plus parts. Which was Water pump. Time Chain. Guides and Variable cam gears... She said that is too much and would just wait. I told her. You wait till 2 gallons of anti freeze gets in your oil. Your walking and spending $6,000.00 for new engine! As is was sucking antifreeze out of the recovery tank. At gallon a week!
Did you at least change her oil?
Wow that’s cheap, she should of jumped on it.
@@FordTechMakuloco I know its cheap. But I can drop the engine just a little and get my hands in there with my lift...I warned her.
And yes I changed her oil. It's what she come in for. First thing I asked. Are you putting anti freeze in it... As the oil change was a dead give away...
@@FordTechMakuloco yup I seen this on a 2006 Ford F150 5.4 triton but customer is having steering issues kept driving and afterwards his power steering pump failed.. but original issue was steering it was hard to steer but pump was fine.. any thoughts on this
Cars and trucks are expensive ..more so than old school.All these designs
.variable valve timing..nothings cheap anymore
.
I have watched many of your videos. You are very credible. Thank you.
THANKS FOR MAKING THIS AWESOME VIDEO!! I have the Chevy 3.4L engine that is known for head gasket and intake gaskets when using GM DexKill I had normal condensation with no real signs of coolant entering the crank case. Your explanation of normal condensation was very helpful, I was really worried at first, but I’m not loosing coolant and my oil is nice n clean … very valuable info!! Thanks
I used to it too. 1999 BMW overheating, white smoke out tail pipe, and clicking sound on one cylinder. I used this Bars Head Seal and no more overheating, white smoke or clicking sound! I will try to come back to let everyone know how long it worked, but one week going strong.
How long did it last
I am a 55 year old women no one had time to help me figure this out and yes there are shady mechanics out there especialy when they see a women coming. Thanks for clearing up that the cap looking lide that is not a positive sign cause sometimes I dont run the car long enough for the condensation. Thanks again
Really great video. Good explanation camera shots and no crappy music in the background
I had to 1990 Ford F-150 a few years ago and I had the gunk on the oil cap every time I checked it if you don't see it on the dip stick don't worry about it
I also had this same thing happen to me in my 01 F150 4.6l, due to worn gaskets around my intake manifold. Once I was able to replace those, no more pudding on the oil cap.
“Pudding” i like this guy!
I'm sure I speak for many on here when I say you cannot believe how much I appreciate how thorough you are in all you vids..
I can do most work on my 04 F150 but my problem is when I need a lift, special tools or just the time and space.
Is there someone here in SOCAL San Diego area you would recommend for me? I had a good guy but he moved his shop far away from me.
Exactly In my F150 5.4 had that oil cap issues
When I used to use RESTORE oil
So I stop adding RESTORE to my oil changes
And problem solved
This video helped alot! The only difference with my Astra at the moment is that the coolant level did seem lower? I will keep an eye on it and stop with the short distance driving as I HAVE been doing that alot recently
Not a ford man here but I’m damn glad I watched this video, just looked at the cap on my daughters hhr and it looked just like that but dipstick was clean , I was pretty bummed until I watched this , thanks!
The first time I saw oil cap pudding it was on my son's Jetta, which had a bad coolant hose flange that leaked externally. It was as bad as you show here on the oil cap, but not on the dipstick. There was no direct coolant contamination of oil, and the problem disappeared when I fixed the external coolant leak. I think trapped air in the cooling system caused mild overheating, forming steam that condensed after short trips.
I thought we had a blown head gasket in my Jeep Liberty due to seeing that sludge under the oil cap. Brought it to my mechanic and they said the same thing....condensation due to cold weather and short trips. That little Liberty lasted for quite a few years after that never losing a drop of coolant.
Awesomely clear explanation on that issue. Thanks for the vid brother.
👍🏼🇨🇦
Noticed this in my GMC the other day. I'll do the other checks you mentioned. 🍻
Also it is currently the coldest time of year. It's has stayed like 15°f below freezing this last week.
I just did a water pump and yes, the water came out of the pump fell in the timing chain and got in the motor oil absolutely right thanks
Thanks so much for this! Currently in a debate on if I have a blown head gasket, will check these signs tomorrow!
I have a 2000 ford F150 5.4L that I have oil in my antifreeze reservoir what does this mean blown head gasket or cracked head. You do amazing videos keep up the good work I’ll watch them all.
Nice vid. Short and to the point. Great comparison
Great video and great comparison!
Thank you so much man, i’ll tell ya, you always learn something new everyday. Just the other morning I was doing my basic fluids maintenance when I noticed the same condensation on my oil cap. It’s been like 15 20 degrees here in NY. I got concerned, I checked my coolant level, dipstick level and color and just looked around and under for any major leaks. I have a 4.6 liter GT with 250k and when I saw the discoloration on the cap I said to myself that was it lol. Turns out to be just this, condensation. Nothing abnormal. This video did me justice. Thanks again for the information 👍🏼
put a lighter to the oil on the dipstick, If it spits, it has coolant in it
Spits?
@@everydayvacaytaj like when cooking something fatty, the grease spits up. so will antifreeze when a lighter is put to an oil on a dipstick
That’s not always! Sometimes it leaks exhaust in the coolant
@@parrisestatessouthernhomec3246 yeah, but talking about the dip stick!.... Dip stick!
Another way to check for coolant in the crank case .. After vehicle has sat nit running for a day or two... Go underneath with a cup or something, loosen the engine oil drain plug and catch what first comes out... If its there Coolant will start coming out around the threads before any oil comes out because it will separate and coolant will go to the bottom....it may be difficult to detect though if it's a very small amount.... But if you back out plug and carefully let out a little oil and all it is is oil, then the coolant may be going elsewhere....
You literally calmed my nerves with this video lol
I know my engines good🤣
04 crown victoria LX
170k quiet as a rock!
What a relief! I kept seeing this on my f250 oil cap. But the coolant always good. I think it's s ford thing i never seen it on any other car.
Chrysler is bad for this too.
@@FordTechMakuloco Good to know man. I appreciate what you do. Really helpful videos. Im always doing my own repairs and your videos are the only manual I need when it comes to my f250.
This is why I live in SoCal. It seldom gets lower than 50F ;)
"The more you know, the better off you are."
You gave me more stuffs to look for and include with inspections. Thanx much!
Very useful video! You've put my mind as ease with my 2002 VW Transporter. A little bit of mayo on the cap but the oil on the dip stick is nice and black (oil change coming soon) Cheers!!
Thank you for addressing this! I remember trying to sell a F-150 Harley Davidson around 8 years ago and the potential buyer pulled off the cap and saw this, and ran away! I knew it had no issues but he wouldn't believe me and I tried to explain to him it's built up condensation. This does not only happen in cold weather climates, I live in socal.
I had the coolant under the cap. Also had a leak around oil filter.
Ford 4.6l V8 has a gasket between the engine block and oil filter housing. It went bad. Coolant and oil flows through this housing. Stupid design.
Changed the gasket and no more problems.
Good info.. subscribed. Just replaced my radiator in my 1999 Ford Expedition. Now I will be working on the heater flow probably the blender motor. I think I have to pull the dash.
Another noteable difference will be, the coolant in the oil will be a brownish chocolate milk substance / PCV or short trip condensation will be just plain old milk ( white) or whiitish yellow
Thanks. I can now verify that my car does NOT have a had gasket issue thanks to your video.
Had an issue with the coolant system on my 79 F150 pickup. It was the pump. Original pump on it. Easy fix.
Years ago I bought a car really really cheap because they thought it was blown. I asked if it was using coolant and they said no. The cap was like you showed. They said the oil wasn't changed for 20.000 miles. I flushed it and it ended up a good car.
Take a teaspoon of water from the radiator & put a few drops straight onto the cars exhaust when it is hot & running, if the water quickly evaporates & doesn't leave any oily residue & a dipstick check reveals clean looking oil then you can be pretty sure all is well. also run the car with the radiator cap off, no bubbles, no troubles! That's my DIY easy home test. No equipment necessary! Worst case scenario, Bar's Leaks Head Gasket Fix & an oil change may do the trick, my mate tried it & 2 years later, car runs great & no signs of blown head gasket.
Wow thank you bro this was very informative and saved me a expensive trip to the shop.
Coming from a Chevy Guy, this vid was great and to the point! Good job!
Water is a by product of combustion, engine oil needs to run at 220-240 degrees to evaporate the moisture. Good reason to drive at least 15 miles or run motor 20-30 minutes, or change the oil more frequently as noted in service , owners manual.
This Will probably help me sleep tonight at night thank you 😂
My bmw was using coolant. No sludge in the crank case oil, but I had cold start misfires, finally took the head off and found cylinders 3 and 4 both had small hairline cracks between the coolant jacket right to the valve seat.
so question on that,
1.coolant overflow is empty
2. radiator is also very low/empty
3. oil cap has milk
4. Oil dipstick is just black
5. Bubbly noises from radiator
Awesome video, i only drive 2 miles to and from work, i didnt think this affected my car. Thanks for the vid.
I see this all the time here in New Brunswick Canada it gets really cold here in the winter and yes if I would’ve change a head gasket every time I saw this I would be rich. Short trip and a bad thermostat is a common cause I find that cars with long filler neck are the worst.