Hello everyone , im new to the forum... well i need help..i have white substance in the oil cap ..i have a 2000 Dodge Durango... well i have noticed that my durango wasnt getting hot when i turn on the heat as earlier in the year(during summer and fall time) ( i live in illinois, now it's winter time) so on checking the antifreeze coolant level, i found out that the shop that previously replaced my thermostat had filled it with water... i hadnt known this and the weathers have been pretty cold at night... so i added some antifreeze.. then i checked the oil deepstick and it was clean, and when i went to add a quart of oil, i noticed a white milky like substance in the oil cap area and in where u add the oil... usually when i see that alot of times that means cracked heads... but upon lookin at some of the forums and searching, some ppl say that it may be condesation, and that it can from not allowing your truck to reach a good operating temperature ( as i have done at some times at work leaving to go home)but im not sure... im going to change the oil and run some motor flush in it and see if its reocurring... do anyone have any help or advice to give me that can help me out... any advice will be appreciated.. the truck doesnt overheat, i dont see any white smoke, whether its cracked heads , head gaskets, or just codensation, i dont know, (this is the first time that we have had this truck in this weather as well, it was previously my uncle's down in tennessee)... thanks and God Bless u

 

chances are it is normal and from making alot of short trips, there is a TSB on the 4.7 for this which puts a baffle in the oil fill neck to catch this (we call it 'snot') instead of dropping it back into the crankcase. the only way to stop it from happening is to use the exact same oil and make longer trips with it giving all the moisture a chance to boil out (sitting idling longer before driving it wont make a difference except increasing wear on the engine (gas engines dont like idling, and in modern times dont need to be warmed up to drive correctly) and wasting gas).


so the short answer is that its not an issue as long as you keep the oil topped off, and wipe it out before adding any more oil to the crankcase.



on a side note i will move this the first generation section where it belongs and will get more views.

EDIT: it would also help if we knew which engine you have in your truck.

 

the milky color is definitely water in your oil, just to be safe id have someone reputable look at it and see if the head gaskets are blown.

 

Probably sludge.

These engines are known for having sludge problems and low life spans. It is probably close to blowing up by now. Damn 4.7ls.

IndyD

...or it could be nothing but emuslfied snot serviced and 'fixed' by the TSB available here by performing a simple forum search.

 

I like the small format Indy....LMAO

 

lmao INDY, i hope he reads your post as it was intended

 

Well thanks, Indy! You just upped the search count for sludge/Durango! ;D LOL!!!! Loved the small format as well!

 

it's 5.9L engine.. it seems to run normal though.. i may just have to change the oil frequently ... i'm keeping an eye on it... i hope that it isnt cracked heads...

 

Do a good flush on the crank case with some SeaFoam or engine flush. Drain and install some good Fully Synthetic oil.