Porsche 996 oil and coolant

[Gullwing]

Hi all, 

 

First of all I apologize if I do anything wrong since I only just created this account in order to ask this community a question. 

 

We own a Porsche 996 Targa 2002 and as we all know the 996 is prone to engine problems such as IMS and oil and coolant mixture.

Today when I was checking if the engine still had enough oil and coolant and decided they needed a fillup I saw something that I did not really like. 

 

I've uploaded two pictures one of how the coolant looks and another picture of where you add the oil.

Is the yellowish stuff you see ok or is this the first sign of the oil and coolant mixture? 

 

The car seems to run fine and never had any problems with engine temperature, hope you guys can help me out on this one! 

 

With kind regards,

 

A somewhat nervous 996 owner. 

 

[Ahsai]

Relax. They look normal to me. The "mayo" in the oil filler tube ia condensation that can be "burned off" if you take longer drives and get the engine up to temperature.

 

Drain a cup of coolant out and see if it looks clear. It looks clear in your photo.

[Orient Express]

How many miles (Km's) do you have on your 996?  The coolant should replaced every 100,000 miles as it just gets gunky over time.  The stuff in your oil filler may just be moisture that accumulates in the oil over time, especially if the car is mainly driven short distances without it getting a chance to warm up.  

[JFP in PA]

I really wouldn't let the coolant go that long.  We check coolant on every car that passes through the shop for pH, freeze point, clarity, and couple other items; generally, 50K miles or 5-6 years seems to be the going limit for most cars.

[Gullwing]

Thanks for the replies.

I will drain some of the coolant to check if it is clear or not. 

 

The car has driven almost 108.000 km's and usually drives relatively short trips but generally enough for the engine temperature gauge to reach the normal temperature. 

I will also check when the coolant was last replaced and if it is overdue will have that done, thanks again. 

[Ahsai]

I should add that just the engine is warmed up is not sufficient to get rid of the "mayo", especially if you live in a humid place and drive your car mainly on highways.

You need the engine to fully warmed up and the engine compartment temp high as well (e.g., stop and go traffic).

[xmac]

I had similar symptoms with a light but noticeable oil slick floating and yellow sludge in the coolant reservoir and then emulsion in the oil filler hose and cap. I replaced my air/oil separator (AOS) and after that, no emulsion and no oil slick anymore - and I check it regularly. 

 

Coolant runs through the head of the oil separator. Another location where coolant and oil run in close proximity is the heat exchanger adjacent to the starter. Some coolant/oil heat exchangers (all-metal) have been reported to fail too but less of a risk. I did not cut my AOS open to prove there was seepage, but I probably should have.

 

[911 dreamer]

I also had the mayo in the filler neck, a few longer trips and red lines later, it's all gone!