I've just topped up the oil on my 1998 bmw 528i and their is a yellowy gunk apparent on the filler cap. It still has 3 service lights remaining and is always serviced by a bmw dealer at the right interval.
Does this gunk imply a problem?
thanks
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Prolly too many cold runs in winter.
It's emulsified oil, all you have to do to clear it is take it for a good long blast.
Might be worth changing the oil before and after winter if you do a lot of cold starts/short journeys.
If you're losing a lot of coolant it could be more serious.
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Thanks
Your on to something, I do about 10 miles every week at most, all shortish trips, and once a month or so a 100 mile round trip.
thanks very much
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The emulsified oil is a result of water (combustion condensation) mixing with the oil and the oil never getting hot enough to evaporate it off.
It can also be a sign of a leaking head gasket, but your description of usage sounds as if short runs are the culprit.
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Um, why bother with such a plush car then?
I hope your cylinder bores are OK - the 2.8 beemer engine was a little sensitive to unleaded fuels methinks.
Seriously, I can't see why you are using such a car for such short trips. Don't tell any future purchasers as they should run a mile if they know their onions.
I would say the mota *never* gets up to temp and the condensation simply emuslifies the oil to give the "mayonnaise". It could be something more serious but I doubt it.
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John needs to find out if his M52 engine has Nickasil bore liners or steel bore liners (by 1998 it couod have had either). If it has Nickasi lined bores, his treatment of the car is likely to have landed him in trouble and he needs to get his block compression tested before any goodwill warranty from BMW runs out.
HJ
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Is there a way to tell if a 1998 BMW 523/528 has the new engine, the old engine with Nikasil liners or the old engine with replaced liners?
I'm starting to look for a 523/528 Touring Auto and my price range puts me at that age of car.
Regards,
Robin Tucker
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I checked with BMW GB in Bracknell, they were very helpful, I'd suggest you give them a call.
best of luck!
john
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I have a Skoda Octavia 1.6, I It too has small layer of mayonnaise under the filler cap. Do 75 miles a day so it isn't short distances.
It isn't loosing coolant either, and the mayonnaise doesn't ever seem to accumulate more than 1-2mm in thickness but if I wipe it off it just gathers again.
So, I am ignoring it - until I know what is really wrong.
I run the car on LPG so maybe that has something to do with it too, but I never noticed it in summer.
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John,
Your car needs TLC if you wish to keep reliability at a peak and garage maintenance bills low. I don't use my year old MB on any journey in which I cannot reach full engine operating temperature, ideally with some motorway/dual carriageway constant speed driving for good measure. I get out my push bike and use a back pack to go the two miles into the town irrespective of the weather, it keeps me trim aswell. (I would like to believe)
Long journeys at a constant speed are "ambrosia" for all modern combustion engines. Ask any regular contributor to this site whether he/she would prefer a high milage 3 year old car or a very low milage equivalent, the answer would almost certainly favour the high milage vehicle. Short trips knacker cars expensive units or otherwise. Remember to hose under the heel arches at this time of the year as road salt will nail even galvanised surfaces given time.
Regards
Julian Lindley
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Hello all
thanks for the various responses;
1) I'll book it in for the compression test as it is a nikasil bore lined engine, however it shows no sign of loss of performance and I always use Esso fuel rather than supermarket brands. I am also told by BMW that N. Sea derived petrol is more prone to causing problems but there seems little chance of avoiding that altogether.
2) You're all right, I should get a more appropiate car for shorter runs, I hear diesel is better - my wife has a 320d and I think I'll swap to a 530d when the new 5 series toure is launched.
3) I already walk on shorter journeys hence the infrequent use!
Thanks for all the assistance
john
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Ref - Skoda. My Father had a problem with a Montego many moons ago with mayo and I think (Dave put me right) that nothing was terminally wrong but it was due to a badly rooted crankcase breather pipe or sumfink that caused rapid cooling of the hot oil vapours.
I may very well be wrong of course!
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Guy, you are right re the early Montego. The oil filler cap/pipe was sited right in front of the block and, in cold weather, was a great "mayonaisse maker", almost, sometimes, blocking the rather small bore filler neck. I believe that later models had a modification which kept the filler pipe from getting too cool and this cured the problem.
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30 years ago when I owned a garage I found the only oil that did not emulsify was BP Visco Static, the worst offender was Castol XL. I now travel to work 2 miles in the morning and 2 mile return, the oil I use is Texaco witch has never emulsified yet.
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Peter E
It would make sense for LPG fuelled vehicles to be more prone to mayonnaise since that fuel has a higher ratio of hydrogen to carbon and the combustion product is more water vapour and less CO2.
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The old A series BMC engine used to be prone to this in winter and some owners used to fit a shield in front of the rocker cover or a rad muff to prevent cold air coming through the front grille hitting it.
It was generally believed that this was the cause of mayonnaise inside the rocker cover and I believe it used to cure it.
Alvin
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Alvin, I'm so pleased that someone else is old enough to remember mayonaissing of the A Series rocker covers! The baffle idea certainly cured the problem on my many Morris Minors!
Regarding the BMW Nicasil liner problem, for those who haven't come across this: The cause was too much sulphur in unleaded fuel causing wear at the top of the cylinder bores. The first indication is a sudden and large increase in oil usage plus, usually, poor starting and/or rough-running of the engine. BMW extended their warrantee to 100,000 miles for this engine, subject to full servicing by a bona fide garage (i.e. BMW agent or other garage subject to their approval). BMW replace the engine with a steel-lined version and then rework the damaged engine if possible ready for a future claim.
The important thing, if you are thinking of buying a 1995-1998 BMW, is to check with BMW that the engine has been rebuilt with steel liners. If not, I would advise negotiating a price low enough to allow for an engine rebuild, probably around two grand for the six-cylinder, more for the V8.
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David W,
I remember a reply from HJ, I believe in his Saturday column, stating that the problem was further exaggerated by folks never getting their engines warm let alone hot. driving the car out of the garage to wash and then returning it being one example.
As I understand it the bores of these BMW series of engines, when anointed in neat sulphur rich unleaded, as a result of the EMU's cold start phase, the Nicasil was eroded from the cylinder bores. I guess this will not be an issue now that low sulphur content fuels are on the forcourt!
Regards
Julian
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A local 'prestige' car dealer's cars (about 2 dozen assorted Mercs, BMWs, Porsches etc) appear every morning on the forecourt and disappear back under cover again every night - a journey of about 40 yards each way. After reading this correspondence, I wouldn't touch one of those with a barge-pole.
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