Excessive condensation in crankcase 996

[chicagoporsche]

Hi everyone-

I live in Chicagom and store my car in a garage (unheated) during the winter month. I try and drive it at least once or twice a week for a few long hauls down to the city (20 miles each way). Tonight I noticed that the oil filler cap has water droplets in it and the neck of the oil filler tube is coated with a brown residue which I am assuming is rust. I have no coolant leaks because the coolant level remains constant so I am assuming that the cold weather is causing this? Does the 3.4 engine have a PCV valve could that be the issue? Is this normal? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Jim

98 Boxster

99 Boxster

00 Boxster S

99 996 (Current)

[wwest]

HOT air can hold an inordinately higher level of water vapor than can cold air. When you park the car the crankcase is full of HOT, and therefore quite possibly very HUMID air. If the humidity at the time is fairly high then the air in the crankcase doesn't have to cool very much at all before the water vapor begins to condense out of it and onto any nearby surface.

Here in the Seattle area the filler tube in my 78 often looks like the crankcase is filled with coffee w/cream.

Edited December 8, 2004 by wwest

[Hroussard]

You really want to "boil off" the water in the crankcase if you can. That means driving it for some considerable time, maybe at least 1/2 hour with a HOT engine. This is something that will prevent to forming of rust inside your engine.

This "boiling-off" is a requirement for reciprocing engines for aircraft in order to keep the engine in good shape for instance and merely starting the engine and run it for a few minutes to "circulate the oil" does not do the trick. Now, Lycoming and Continental engines are flat -4 of flat -6 cylinder engines and I would not be surprised that this would make sense for our flat sixes too.

HarryR

C2 1999 + Beech

[frenchy]

Bonanza V35?

Palo Alto or San Carlos?

[Hroussard]

Sierra / Hayward

check www.myplaneonline.com . Look for 1975 Sierra

HarryRoussard