Sure could use some reassurance here.

I backed my 8 out of the garage and did the fog light rewire. I started the engine a couple of times to make sure I did the for light rewire job right. I waited about 10 to 15 minutes and checked the oil level. I pulled the dip stick out, wiped it, re-inserted and pulled it out again. The dip stick had white foam with the oil all over it. I did the procedure again with similar results. The bottom bent end of the dip stick had a drop of foaming looking oil on it as well. The oil smelled like it had gasoline in it. The outside air temp was around 54 degrees.

The 8 has about 1500 miles on it. Oil level was 1/2 quart low. The car had been driving 24 hours earlier.

I would suspect if I were getting water into the oil the oil level would rise.

I'm hoping this condition is caused by cool temperature and no warm up.

Can anyone out there help?

Yup - there's quite a few threads about this. It's common enough, especially for short trip usage - basically, it's condensation within the engine that isn't getting burned off (engine not getting hot enough for long enough). Browse around, or search for 'oil' threads, you'll see them.

Regards,
Gordon

Yep, had the same thing happen to me. Caused by "not hot enough, not long enough" (no, that that thing....)

Take it for a good ride once a week or so; it'll be fine.

same thing here too... just take it out and run the piss out of it for a while <shrug>

Thanks for the reassuring replies. I just hated to think that something major might have been ailing my beloved RX8.

I'll take the advice and literally run the p*** out it. (After the ice storm that's expected to hit today.)

:D

The theory about condensation is probably true (and happens with other vehicles too) but I've also noticed this phenomenon and it only happened after an oil change and a 25 minute drive on the highway. You would have thought that the engine had plenty of time to warm up and the oil was brand new.

It appears that the Renesis is susceptible to water condensation, maybe due to a cold spot near the dipstick. I'm not so sure warming it up will get rid of the milky oil in the winter time.

In any case, it appears to be common. Only time will tell if it causes problems long term (e.g. corrosion).

Dont get too attached to the 'short trips' theory. I commute over 20 miles to work and rarely do a trip of less than 5 miles. I have had this white residue since day 1. Havent heard anything to say it is a problem, but what is mysterious is than some owners in the UK get it, others have never seen it.
And dont get too alarmed if your whole dipstick is covered in it, it may be that you dragged it through the build-up at the rim. Wipe it all off, from the stick and the tube, and do it again, 2 or 3 times if necesssary. If its still in the oil, I think you do have a problem.

JH

i checked my oil and the same thing here, after driving highway for 20 minutes as well.

UK RX-8 - 1500 miles

Burnt about 1.5ltrs of oil so far - but on my latest check have Creamy white foam on the shaft of the dipstick - Oil itself looks clean (slightly darker than new) but i'm worried by the foam.

Level is at (or about) the high mark.

Looks as if it *could* be water ingress at the rubber dipstick seal but there seems to be a bit much foam for that.

Had the lid off the coolant tank - there appears to be a slight oily film ontop in there too

Dealer says 'bring it in' (no-brainer)

Anyone else seen anything like this - or able to offer re-assuring words.

Thanks in advance

Oh yeah, lots of us have this frothy, cappucino-like foam also. In many cases, it seems to have first occurred when air temps fell below 50 deg. F or so. (it didn't happen to me last summer) I'd say do a search on "foam" or "froth". Probably condensation.

Some say it is normal, but in my case, the froth is making it difficult for me to check my oil level, and I'm not about to change my oil every damn time it happens; that would mean daily oil changes! My coolant level hasn't gone down, so I think i'm ok there.

Phew- that's a bit of a releif - its certainly cold(ish) here (about -3c at night and only about 4c daytime - (don't know what that is in F)

I'll probably drop it by the dealer anyway - they're only a mile down the road - it's shame they don't appear to have the knowlege that's available via this forum

Thanks

I did original post. Thanks to all who responded.

This does seem to be a "common" occurance. There's another Tech Garage thread "Oil & water mixed".

I wonder if synthetic oil does the same thing.

It seems to me if there is condensation (water) in the oil it would lead to problems in time. I have a hard time accepting an oil and water mixture in an engine and it be a normal thing.

Nickax see "milky looking oil - help" in Tech Garage.

Seems to be real "common"!

can u define the term "MILKY" please?

On the "water in oil" theory, I put small sections of cardboard in front of my oil coolers to alleviate the problem. I did this when the average ambient temp was LESS than 50 degrees. Although my stick is still loaded w/ junk the engine warms up much quicker and revs in the cooler weather like it is summer outside.

Thanks for all your info on the site.

Charles

I forgot to ask, "What is the fog light re-wire?".

Thx.

Mine has done this too lately in the cooler temps.

Charles R. I believe this will take you to the rewire -http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11737&highlight=fog+light

"Milky" refers to the oil looking a white color and somewhat foamy.

Originally posted by Efini 8
can u define the term "MILKY" please?
It looks like capuccino froth all the way up the dipstick. Put the dipstick in and out a few times, wiping it each time, and that will get rid of it from the dipstick tube and then you can read the oil level. The oil itself looks fine.

I just saw this today for the first time and was pretty worried until I read this thread. Might get the dealer to take a look at it anyway but looks like it can wait until after the holidays.

I do fairly short trips and it has gone cold here (around freezing) so I guess I fit the pattern.

No it is not what the trash minded would think! Here are some pics of the deposits that I found on my dipstick yesterday and today.

http://images5.fotki.com/v56/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_3113-vi.jpg

http://images5.fotki.com/v56/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_3110-vi.jpg

http://images5.fotki.com/v56/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_3112-vi.jpg

I think it is just condensation because it does not smell like fuel or antifreeze.

If you do a search for "milky dipstick" you'll find several other topics on this subject already. I believe it is just condensation and not cause for alarm.

True.

But I had not seen any pics of the stuff yet so I posted some for others to see.

ummm.. I think some tetracycline will clear that right up.....


Seriously, thanks for the pics. The (paint? anodization?) on the dipstick is still a mystery too. I wonder if it was used to reduce this "condensation" tendency?

Originally posted by Rotary Nut
[B]Here are some pics of the deposits that I found on my dipstick yesterday and today.

Here's mine. It's so bad that I can't check the oil level. I'm concerned it smells a bit gasy, but am not sure.

Me to wife: Does this smell bad to you, honey?
Wife to me: F&%* that &%$^ car!

Megareds pics looks like an oil/water emulsion. I'm not sure how the water source can be condensation unless you don't insert the dipstick all the way in. I'm having a hard time believing that anybody on this board would be that sloppy. Megared, I wonder if you would get an answer from NA Mazda if you emailed those pics to them?

For those interested, see these threads...

Foamy/Milky Oil No. 1 (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14694)

Foamy/Milky Oil No. 2 (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14980)

Foamy/Milky Oil No. 3 (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16906)

I have been told by my master technician who was told by the Mazda Technical hotline, that the condensation on the dipstick and the oil being that color is NORMAL with the vehicle. The exact reasoning and cause of it I dont know.

I also have the condensation in the oil. My dealer said they called Mazda engineering and was told that it is "normal" and will not cause damage to the engine. I still plan to change the oil regularly in the cold months. It has been barely above freezing during the day the last 2 weeks.

I notice that when I get the car out on a highway cruise for an hour or so, the stuff gradually goes away.

A friend suggested blocking off the oil coloer in the cold months. Anyone try that?

It's called "lung mustard" :p:

Yes, long drives will clear out the water condensation and the white stuff. My 85 RX-7 never gets this because my commute is 40 miles one way. Cars that are only driven short distances will see this in the oil

EDIT - And do NOT block your oil cooler. That's bad advise IMO.

I still get it in my oil......in the beginning I had it looked at to be sure....said not to worry about it! So I won't worry...weird though. 3200 miles and running good so far!

Anyone on here have a mechanical understanding of where this water comes from? (I'm assuming byproduct of combustion). But how does the water get into the crankcase? Just curious.

If it ever happens to me, I'll take a sample to work and have the percent water analyzed. It won't hurt to have a feel for just how much water is present. So far, my oil is water-free and to be honest, I hope to hell it stays that way.....

Originally posted by FirstSpin
Anyone on here have a mechanical understanding of where this water comes from? (I'm assuming byproduct of combustion). But how does the water get into the crankcase? Just curious.

If it ever happens to me, I'll take a sample to work and have the percent water analyzed. It won't hurt to have a feel for just how much water is present. So far, my oil is water-free and to be honest, I hope to hell it stays that way.....

That would be wonderful..I can not figure out how water gets into a sealed system..

This forum is just awesome. I was checking my oil today (just <4,000 miles) and noticed that the oil was a light brown color and was very frothy. I panicked and filed a mental note to get an oil change ASAP but after reading this thread I guess I have no cause for alarm, other than the fact that the consistency of the oil made it impossible to check the oil level.

Folks, we have a very bizarre automobile. This and spinning the tires at 8,500 rpm are the two weirdest ownership experiences I've had with the baby.

I too had that crap on the dip stick. I changed my oil this weekend and although there was copius amounts on the stick there was no indication of it in the oil whatsoever! I rechecked the oil level today and the amount present was next to nothing so I'm not going to worry about it.

When I check my oil, I find some creamy "mayonaisse" on the dipstick and filler cap too.
I reported this to my local dealer who passed the issue to Mazda technical. Their response is that it is due to condensation in the oil as the engine doesnt get hot enough to evaporate it. As these are the furthest points from the heat, this happens. They say they are not concerned about it but going back to the old days when this stuff meant your gaskets were in bad shape, I am a bit concerned that when the car is eventually sold, then a potential buyer would be put off.
It still isnt clearing and they are sending the issue back to Mazda again. They think its the weather. Does anyone from the hotter climates get this problem too?

Mike

Mine only started when the temp went below 50....but will water cause long term problems with the seals or the inside of the chamber?

Condensation implies that there's water vapor available to condense. Where's the water vapor coming from? I'm assuming the crankcase is similar enough to piston-crancases, in that it's a sealed chamber with 3 points of potential exposure to the environment; a fill-cap, a dipstick, and a drain-bolt. That being the case, why doesn't this "condensation" occur in oil that lubricates conventional engines?

It's obvious that water is generated when gasoline in burned but in a piston engine that water would presumably be a part of the exhaust. Does the rotary allow some of that "steam" to seep past the seals and thus wind up in the oil reservoir? It makes no sense to me. Another thing that's strange is that the one member found this froth on the dipstick yet found none in the oil when he drained the pan. Emuslified water in oil is heavier than oil itself. The difference in density being slight, it would probably exist as a relatively even dispersion all throughout the oil. If separation were to occur though, the emulsion would sink, NOT float. Therefore, you'd think the member would have seen the stuff at the bottom of the oil pan.

The fact that it's foamy and it floats almost suggests that it's gas-cut. This would essentially mean that it's been sheared in the presence of a gas (during combustion?) and has somehow managed to hang onto that gas and form a foam. Of the two, this one would seem the most innocuous given that water in the oil will change its rheological and lubricating properties.

Has anyone collected enough of this stuff to get a good look at it? Even if it's an oil and water emulsion, it should break (separate into 2 distinct phases) given time. It would be interesting to know if anyone has actually ever SEEN the water (after it separates from the oil) or if the the conclusion that this phenomenon is caused by water is merely an assumption.

i just checked my oil and had this white stuff. I never had it before, but since i got the new oil pan it just now showed up. Is it possible the new oil pan is partly responsible?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FirstSpin
[B]Condensation implies that there's water vapor available to condense. Where's the water vapor coming from? I'm assuming the crankcase is similar enough to piston-crancases, in that it's a sealed chamber with 3 points of potential exposure to the environment; a fill-cap, a dipstick, and a drain-bolt. That being the case, why doesn't this "condensation" occur in oil that lubricates conventional engines?

It's obvious that water is generated when gasoline in burned but in a piston engine that water would presumably be a part of the exhaust. Does the rotary allow some of that "steam" to seep past the seals and thus wind up in the oil reservoir? It makes no sense to me. Another thing that's strange is that the one member found this froth on the dipstick yet found none in the oil when he drained the pan. Emuslified water in oil is heavier than oil itself. The difference in density being slight, it would probably exist as a relatively even dispersion all throughout the oil. If separation were to occur though, the emulsion would sink, NOT float. Therefore, you'd think the member would have seen the stuff at the bottom of the oil pan.

The fact that it's foamy and it floats almost suggests that it's gas-cut. This would essentially mean that it's been sheared in the presence of a gas (during combustion?) and has somehow managed to hang onto that gas and form a foam. Of the two, this one would seem the most innocuous given that water in the oil will change its rheological and lubricating properties.

Has anyone collected enough of this stuff to get a good look at it? Even if it's an oil and water emulsion, it should break (separate into 2 distinct phases) given time. It would be interesting to know if anyone has actually ever SEEN the water (after it separates from the oil) or if the the conclusion that this phenomenon"



Wow, good post..I have never ssen it seperate, but I will see if I can try to get an answer. The car is going in for an oil change now, maybe I can look at the old stuff..

yah this happened to me too, it was dang cold out in the NJ/PA area. i was running low on oil, the light was doing the blinky blink, so i went to a service station and changed the oil.. the froth boggled me for a second, id been driving for about 2 hours before..

i got an oil change and haven't checked it since, but from what this seems, its probably still doing it.

Mine does the same thing. I am not certain that it is water either. I have the distinct smell of fuel in the oil. I changed my oil originally at 2100 miles but decided that I will go off of the owners manual at 7500 for future changes unless I am going to auto x it or something. This is the first time I have seen more than just a little bit on the stick (the whole stick was covered just like the 2nd pic in the thread). I have 6k miles now. My guess is that it has to do with the apex seals and the lubricating oil. If the pressures were enough some of the mixture may be able to make it back in.

I know that in my other cars this would mean a blown head gasket and the whole oil would come out looking like this if you were driving on it. Not just around the dipstick. Very puzzling.

Checked oil today....had lots of condensation.......had the car since November. Did anyone in the warmer climates have this? I won't worry about it though! Nice technical comments Klegg & Firstspin!

If you look closely, you can actually see some distinct water droplets on the upper part of the dipstick. I noticed taht today.

It does boil away if you get it on the highway, so I'm not concerned that it is antifreeze/water. Anyway, my coolant level has not droped a bit.

I noticed the same thing this past weekend here in Dallas. Although we are further south than some of you it has been cold (40's daytime--20's night time) for us. It doesn't seem to affect the performance and I did not note any fuel smell to it.

Originally posted by FirstSpin
Condensation implies that there's water vapor available to condense. Where's the water vapor coming from? I'm assuming the crankcase is similar enough to piston-crancases, in that it's a sealed chamber with 3 points of potential exposure to the environment; a fill-cap, a dipstick, and a drain-bolt. That being the case, why doesn't this "condensation" occur in oil that lubricates conventional engines?

That's a pretty big assumption (sealed chamber) - and a wrong one. It is just the same as piston crankcases, in that it's ventilated. In olden days, crankcases were ventilated to atmosphere, and were the source of much pollution. Nowadays (ie for the past 30 years!), crankcases are vented back to the intake system so emissions (oil vapours) are passed through the combustion chambers. Think about the heating that takes place in the crank from cold to full operating temperature - if it were sealed, you'd be varying between positive crankcase pressure (as the air heated up) to vacuum (as the air in the crankcase cooled down). Either of those would drastically affect operations, in the form of internal resistance to the rotating assemblies and in oil combustion from oil being forced past the rings/seals.

So - the crankcase is vented, and air does get pulled into it - after you turn your engine off and as it cools. That air contains a certain humidity level, which results in condensation. The reason it produces foam that is concentrated in the dipstick is probably due to the air circulation patterns within the crankcase caused by the rotating assemblies. BUT, it does happen with piston engines as well, and that's the main reason that short trips qualify for inclusion in the severe duty maintenance cycles with increased oil change intervals. In both piston and rotary engines, a long trip which lets oil temperatures stabilize at full operating temperature (above water's boiling temperature) will result in the water condensation getting turned to vapour, which gets cycled through the PCV valve to the intake and burned off.

Some condensation will always result from shutting down a hot engine - the issue is that if you make a long run the next time the engine runs, the condensation burns off right away. If you make a series of short runs where the engine never gets fully hot for a while, then the condensation doesn't burn off completely, and more accumulates at each cooldown. Again, this is the same for piston and rotary engines - it just seems that something about the rotary crankcase design results in it showing up as foam around the dipstick.

Regards,
Gordon

Wow, thanks GORD..

Dang, Gord knows his stuff. Well Gord, maybe you can help me out. The body shop flooded my car and it was serviced at a dealership. Anyways, they swapped out the plugs for the "hot" ones, and changed the oil. I've noticed the milky white stuff on my dipstick, but I can smell gasoline in it. The smell is pretty noticeable. Is this normal or should I change my oil? I've only put about 700 miles on the car with the current oil in it. The service tech advised me that that oil change wouldn't be covered under warranty. He also told me that if there was a contaminate in the oil (ie, gas), that the ECU would throw a CEL. So what do you think?

Greeting from Scotland!

Well my velocity red RX8 has developed the fault from day one. At first I thought it was grease on the dip stick when it was new.

The Mayo became more apparrent at 500 miles. The car has not lost any coolant. And has now only covered 650 miles.

I can however comment that the mayo in my engine is not just foam, it also has jelly like salad cream deposits.

I have never had to add to the oil. So the car is running on factory supplied oil.

The problem seems to have manifeted when the temperatures dropped below zero.

The vehicle is driven for a minimium of 20 mins to work. It only takes 5 mins to reach temperature. So for 15mins the car is running at normal temperature.

I have opened a bun fight with Mazda UK on this issue. They confidently stated verbally, that water in the oil does not matter. I beg to differ as this will make the oil become acidic. Further it will change the ability of the oil to convey heat. In addition the water content will support oxidisation. Further the Oil mix will expand at a differrent rate from normal oil.

The oil and water mix will have a different viscosity. So lubrication has to be effected on start up. I expect that my engine will suffer more wear at this time than one with normal oil.

I note that the mazda runs on a comparatively 'runny' oil compared to ordinary combustion engines, not custard.

I would expect this custard to clog components of the engine. I am unclear of the size of the jets on the rotars for instance. Or even of the delivery system.

I have today, asked them for written proof that Mazda have verified this on an actual engine, and aren't shooting from the hip as I suspect.

I do not accept the argument of the engine being unsuitable for short runs. This was never a condition of sale of the vehicle. Infact I can't recall any car of this nature in the uk.

If this is Mazda's official line then sadly the RX8 is unsuitable for road use in a colder climate. I would expect a full refund, or atleast a modification to preheat the oil. (I seem to recall the VW Golf Mrk2 GTis having this facility?!!).

I can say I have never experienced this on any car that I have owned over the last 15 years.

On the positive side if it is infact okay to have mayo oil, then just think how much you can save by topping up with good ole tap water instead of oil.:cool:

Cummon Mazda pull your socks up on this issue, stop hidding behind the call centre girl, talk to us guys, we wont bite much!

I don't really care what is causing the mayo, the problem is unacceptible. I expect Mazda to acknowledge and rectify the problem, otherwise refund my car in full. I have other issues with my car. This mayo problem was the final straw. Shame as the Rx8 is a fabulous design, and drive.

I found the foamy stuff this weekend, took near 10 minutes to figure out (I think) that I needed to add 1/2 litre of oil.

I really don't care about the foam (that's a Mazda probelm if anything comes of it), I just care it is so hard to tell what the oil level is.

After all the car runs perfectly well.

Just noticed the foamy stuff on my dipstick today.
In most cars it is usualy an indicator of a cracked head but it seems that alot of people here are experiencing it. I'm still going to alert the dealer.

The original poster indicated that the oil had a gas odor to it. Mine has the same. No one addressed that in this thread though.
Anyone else notice the same?

Gas odor in oil usually indicates flooding or super rich running motor.

Any thoughts?

Gary

How do we spell relief.........Synthetic oil

The explanation I keep seeing is that the dip tube ends up being a cold zone which encourages condensation and since there's little flow in this area the water eventually overwhelms the adsorptive abilities of the additives in that small bit of oil. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to install some type of insulation around the dip tube where it is exposed in the engine bay.

Temperature in the UK has gone above 5 degrees centigrade and most of us have noticed that white sludge has totally disappeared. I did also change to Castrol GTX Magnatec semi-synthetic, but I think that's just a coincidence.

Either way, the problem has just disappeared.

well i to have this stuff in my oil im just glad to see it is a common accurance i got real worried for a minute.

best forum out there keep the good threads coming

I just left the gas station where I filled up my 8. I checked the oil, but there was a lot of beige gunk (kinda like grease) all over the dipstick! I've never seen oil do that before and it didn't seem normal to me. I cleaned off the dipstick and put it in two more times and it still had some of the gunk on the dipstick (there was oil on the dipstick too of course). Sorry I don't have a picture, but I want to know if anyone knows what in the world I'm talking about? Have you ever seen this before or guess what it could be? I am a complete non-car expert (computer nerd), so please don't laugh if its something silly. Thanks.

This might help

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=18942&highlight=milk+oil

This might help

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=18942&highlight=milk+oil

Hey thanks expo1. I had done a search, but I didn't really know what to search for. I should have tried milky dipstick or something else more perverted sounding. :) This thread can be closed now, since this topic has been covered.

I should have tried milky dipstick or something else more perverted sounding.

LOL :D

Having just hit winter over here in Germany and not visited the site for a while due to tours in sunnier climes. I found the emusified oil on the dipstick and immeadiatly checked the coolant, but it was fine, so I visited my Mazda dealer in Monchengldbach. Old father time came out and had no idea what was up, I did mention the fact that it could be condensation but he said "nein". After reading the problems you's guys have had it still worries me.
If the oil becomes slighlty emulsified surely that means that integral parts of the engine are coming into contact with water making rust and hot spots, also if the wankle design burns oil then surely emulsified oil is burns the water off into the CAT thus rendering it kapoot!!!. I would be interested to here what anyone else thinks.....It still won't stop me getting another one next year. :confused: and many thanks

Basically, everyone seems to agree that it doesn't hurt the engine at all. Most say that taking it out for a long drive will help get rid of it. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Mine looked bad this time last year (as it does again this year) - i drained the oil last year and it looked fine. All the water and carbonate emulsion seemed to be limited to the dipstick tube.

I did have my low coolant light flicker for about 5 sec last week though... so I'm a bit concerned but not real concerned as the coolant level looks pretty good < shrug>

I've only seen it on the dipstick once. Never again though. If I remember right it was in the summer and really hot out. I had been running the piss out of the car too, so I thought that that may have contributed.

I did a search and didn't find this...

From the CarTalk website:

"A word of caution: Be careful not to overfill your car’s crankcase with oil. If you put in too much oil, the engine’s crankshaft can actually come in contact with the oil. And because the crankshaft is turning at several thousand revolutions per minute, it can quickly whip your oil into a froth — like the steamed milk that sits on the top of a cappuccino. Why is that bad? Well, the oil pump can’t pump froth very well, and as a result, it can’t get oil to the parts of the engine that need lubrication. The result . . . a hefty boat payment to your mechanic."

What do you think?

We don't have crankshafts. Our eccentric shafts aren't covered by the oil pan anyways. No oil comes in direct contact with it other than what is purposely injected into it. Our oil pans are merely reservoirs for oil with no moving parts anywhere inside. This can't happen in a rotary. Don't worry about it. I still wouldn't overfill it though.

Mine does the same thing. Even after driving all day.
A few in and outs for the dip stick and all is good.

Good old RG edumacating us unwashed masses..... :)

Probably the result of bad muffler bearings.

Um, chrome reverse muffler bearings. It could have been the falikan rods too.

Damn it nojooc, who you calling old?!!!

I think I'm the unwashed masses. :eek: I think I smell fine though. :p

Hi Guys I have a question. I now have 1100 mi on my RX8, I checked my oil Yesterday before going on a 300mi trip and saw that there was like a white liquid on my dip stick. I am thinking coolant I checked that and it seems ok. I don't know all that much about the Rotary but conventonally this means there is a problem. Is this normal for the RX8 or should do I need to bring the car in for repair.

Thanks
Greg

Do a search... I think its normal

Search for "Milky Oil". This is basically condensation brought on by short trip driving, especially in cooler weather, where the oil doesn't get hot enough to boil off water vapor in the crankcase. Give it a good run which gets everything up to temperature, then check it.

Damn it nojooc, who you calling old?!!!

Sorry, old(er) :)

frothing usually, apart from the crankshaft, is caused by condensation in the block, or oil that exceeded 250 degrees, or a lack of being at operating temp during several power cycles

Sorry if this is a cold weather issue, and already posted but i have not seen it yet.

I checked my today. Last check was two weeks ago, before it got cold and snowy in chicagoland. I pulled out the dipstick and its covered in a brown foamy/milky like crud. The first few checks it was at the bottom of the dipstick. Then it was only in the middle. Some pictures below. Is this serious? Do i need to get into the dealer? Or should I stop freaking out?

BTW the oil was changed at 5000 miles early october. I now have 8800 miles. And the car is running fine.

Seems there was a thread that this was caused by overfilling the oil...

looks almost like what I'd expect coolant in the oil to look like. I don't think the oil should look like that ever. I'd go to the dealer.

Trevor

looks like water/coolant. I would have the oil analyzed and then take it to the dealer, hey any car can have a problem, anything is possible could be water, maybe a long road trip or change the oil and see if it comes back, assuming it passes a block test and no exhaust gases are detected in the coolant.......

Seems there was a thread that this was caused by overfilling the oil...

When I fill up I bring it up to about 7/8 full. Moisture could be a possibility.

Thanks for the feedback.

I had this last weekend ( emulsufied oil on the dip stick) and had the car in for 16000 km check up a couple of days later, asked about this and was told it was normal , so long as it was just on the dip stick. Somthing to do with condesation in the dipstick tube .

Yea this happened to me last winter and I got all excited, there are several old threads here about it from back then - the dealer and Mazda both said it was 'normal' even though it looks scary :eek: and weird, kinda suckie, but what ta hey - it did stop as soon as the weather warmed up. Does make checking the oil level next to impossible though - and it's none to easy on a warm day.

Guess best to forget it and life will go on - happily - just another no biggie in the end - NTM the warranty will cover should it ever be proven a bad thing.

This normal. It is just water vapor mixed with oil vapor that has condensed on the dipstick. This happens when the car is regularly driven for only short distances in cold weather. It eventualy goes away if the car is driven for a while allowing the heat of the engine to burn off the moisture.

Some have suggested driving a while with the oil filer cap off allowing the water vapor to dissipate.

Very normal for this car

http://www.rx8club.com/search.php?searchid=274515

My GT has 4000Km on it, so I haven't pushed it very hard yet - still breaking it in.

I checked the oil today after filling up, and noticed that the dipstick had what looked like yellow grease on it. It was at the top of the dipstick, and down near the other end in the oil. Is this normal? Doesn't seem like a good thing to me.

I haven't changed the oil yet (only at 4000Km so far). And I haven't had to top it up at all. The oil level is still in the middle of its measuring range.

Any ideas?

It's quite normal, the dipstick tube stays relatively cool, and any vapor in the sump condenses into that 'yellow ice cream' you see.

Sometimes appears inside the filler cap, too.

S

Yup, it happened to me last year, and I expect that it will happen this winter as well. The problem is that the engine oil is unable to heat to operating temperature when the ambient temperature gets to around twenty or below (farenheit) no matter how far you drive. Water is always condensing into your oil, but under normal conditions, it is evaporated off when the oil reaches operating temperature. Since it can't get to that temp when the ambient temp is too low in winter, the water gets beaten into the oil and makes vaseline, which is what the greasy stuff is. It isn't very good, but it is a normal part of this car.

Actually, you will probably notice that in the single digit temps (farenheit), the temp gauge may not even be able to get to its normal position in the center of the operating range.

Haze:

I'm glad you brought up the fact the oil isn't getting hot enough to get rid of moisture in the winter. We have seen too many threads about the "what's the gunk/slime/cappucino/froth/cream/etc. on my dipstick?" question.

I'd like to add, if any of you have the 6-speed with two oil coolers, and put your hand on one of the coolers after a 15 or so mile drive when the temp is below ~30 deg. F, you'll notice the oil coolers are barely warm. (at least compared to a similar drive in the summer)

I'm curious, is this cold temperature, condensation in oil phenomenon as prevalent with RX8's with auto transmission or std. output, 5-speed in other markets, (one oil cooler) or in Australia? (doesn't even their H.O. model have one oil cooler?)

Thanks for all the replies guys. This is the first car I've noticed this yellow gunk in the oil. Mind you, it's the first car I've had with two oil coolers. I guess all the short trips I do doesn't help either.

My last car had a turbo which made things extremely hot in a very short period of time.

Would partially blocking one of the oil coolers help let the oil warm up a bit more? You know, like how the semi-trailers put a cover on their grills in the wintertime?

Covering an oil cooler is a darned good question! I was just thinking that myself, but I think that I might do a little reading in my repair manual about how the oil system works before I try it. Of course, there is also the radiator to contend with.

The most real difference between this car and a standard reciprocating engine, as far as this cooling question goes, really has to do with the lack of engine mass. The primary cooling system in a car is actually the block. The block gets heated and becomes a heat sink both drawing away heat and, when the engine is turned off, retaining heat. It balances the heating and cooling effect in most engines, but the rotary has traded that effect for a very light weight engine with very little mass. Hence it runs warm in summer and cool in winter.

It seems to me that lowering the cooling ability of the engine in winter is probably the right thing to do to make sure that the engine is able to run at its operating temp, which is the best place for an engine to run.

Well, all that said, I am sure that there are people, for whom this is not their first rotary, who will tell me why this is a stupid idea. There may also be some threads on this, so I'm off to do a search.

Oh yeah, short trips are a partial reason that you are getting vaseline in the oil because again you aren't reaching operating temp. Try to take the car on a long drive somewhere, when you are going, and get it really warmed up, and it should be able to evaporate off the water in your system making all right with the world again.

Yes, cover the cooler partially.

The main thing is you are NOT warming up your car long enough.

Comes fromcondensation creating moisture/ water in your oil.

Please cover it up and warm up longer.

Origanally from the coldest place on earth, Minnesota.

Okay, I've put a couple pieces of cardboard in front of the oil coolers to partially block them. They don't look pretty, but this is a functional test.

Funny that I should be seeing this problem, as it hasn't really gotten below freezing around here much. For you folks in really cold areas, you must see this yellow sludge a lot more.

I would NOT cover the oil coolers. As far as I've been able to make out from these threads, the "gunk" is a localized issue that is only happening at the dipstick and maybe the filler neck. The oil inside the engine and sump is hot and is not full of this stuff. The combination of position and lack of "flow" into the dipstick tube is what is resulting in locally cool temperature allowing this to happen. I would not compromise the cooling system just to combat this cosmetic issue. If I had this issue and wanted to try something I'd first try wrapping some type of insulation around the dipstick tube. Something that can take the heat, of course. This might keep the temp high enough to avert the condensation.

I checked my oil yesterday afternoon and noticed that there was a chocolate milk looking substance on the dip stick. The oil level is about 3/4, and when I cleaned and rechecked it, whatever "it" is wiped back onto the dip stick. any ideas as to what this is or could be?

i'm not driving too aggressive lately, only city driving to and from work - no highway. thanks to Hampton Roads, VA weather we've gone from mid 60's to low 20's in the last few days.

I checked my oil yesterday afternoon and noticed that there was a chocolate milk looking substance on the dip stick. The oil level is about 3/4, and when I cleaned and rechecked it, whatever "it" is wiped back onto the dip stick. any ideas as to what this is or could be?

i'm not driving too aggressive lately, only city driving to and from work - no highway. thanks to Hampton Roads, VA weather we've gone from mid 60's to low 20's in the last few days.

Do a search! Many, Many threads discussing this phenomena. The general consensus is that it is basically a bit of emulsified water-oil and nothing to worry about. If you do a lot of short trips, that can exacerbate the problem.

Sounds to me like you are talking about the condensation that collects near the upper end of the dipstick during colder weather/ short drives. If it is condensation, don't worry about it. Do a search and you will notice many people posted the same complaint last winter.

I just went through this recently. Check out
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=47802

hey guys, i had a mazda shop do an oil change on my car about a month ago. i checked the oil today and when i pulled the stick out, it had this gooey yellow stuff all over the stick. does anyone know what this stuff is? perhaps mazda puts something in the oil or am i starting a new plague for car engines? LOL!

ah NM! i found it in the search engine. i was searching it all wrong and i found my answer.

I appreciate the feedback.

WF - thanks for the link.

Saw a website where this was a common thing for RX-7 too. Don't worry. Be happy. :)

Saw a website where this was a common thing for RX-7 too. Don't worry. Be happy. :)

Yep pretty common for rotaries to have some condensation in the oil fill neck.

FYI to all, I know this topic has been discussed many many times, but I thought everyone would like to hear this. I too discovered the mysterious milky substance a few days ago when I checked my oil and was unable to get an accurate level reading. After checking the postings, I was relieved to hear it was semi-normal. A few days later, I mentioned it to the dealership while getting my oil changed. To my surprise, this particular dealership has not seen this issue yet. Perhaps it's because I live in FL and this issue only appears during colder temperatures.

Well, they contacted Mazda and were told to hold my car for 24 hrs. So, away I go in the Camry loaner. Today, I get a call from the dealer informing me that Mazda has come up with a dipstick insulated sleeve to prevent this problem from occurring and apparently I'm one of the first to be getting it.

So, to all that have trouble checking their oil during the winter or just don't like the look of frothy cappuccino in your oil reservoir, I suggest you make a call to your local dealership to get the fix.

Mark W.

interesting. no tsb about this. it'd be nice to have the part number. ill see if i can track it down or get it from someone. i have to stop by my dealer today. thanks Mark.

Oooh Ahhh,..........progress. This is a good thing :) . Great news, Mark.

Gomez.

Just returned from dealership. Unfortunately, they could not give me a part number. But they did tell me it's called a "Countermeasure Dipstick Kit" that was overnighted by the Mazda "Tech Line".

They replaced my entire dipstick drain with a new one that has an insulated sleeve installed on the inside. Will be anxious to check this fix, but we're getting 70 degree temps this week. I guess I'll have to wait for the next cold front.

Looks like this will be an official recall, Mazda told the dealership they will be replacing them on all the 8's.

That's all I have to report at this time, will post again after I've had a chance to test this mod out.

Mark

Don't suppose you could lay your hands on a digital camera, Mark??!!!! As they say....this thread is nothing without pics!!! Well, not really nothing, it's been most enlightening :) .

Gomez.

I hate to say this, but is this a rubber for our dipsticks? Sorry, had to.. :D

thanks for the update mark!

I can't see how this is going to help...every car I have ever had has had this "problem"...perhaps its an issue for the rotary since it wants to inject oil? The water/oil emulsification might clog something up? Anyway, every single car I've had, no exceptions, got this during the winter. I'd usually flush the oil (ATF fluid or GUNK Flush) in the spring. I've heard NOT to do this with a rotary though...might not be so friendly with the rotor or seals??

I'm definitely getting the above referenced insulator, but I really wonder how much it will do to solve the problem. Guess, I'll find out.

Good idea Gomez, not sure why I didn't think of it first. Anyways, here's a closeup of the new mod for the dipstick drain. You can see the blue sleeve inserted into the dipstick drain.

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was given a whole new dipstick drain. Well, as you can see from the looks of the dirt, that was not the case. Not that I care, as long as it fixes the issue.

Hope this helps everyone.

Fellow Wankel-fan,
Mark


http://home.mchsi.com/~mwillman/pics/RX8dip.jpg

Excellent shot Mark, kudos to your cameraman....! I shall wait the obligatory six months required before this shows up Down Under, then I will pester the dealer :) .

Gomez.

Lol. Glad to see they used my idea. Well, sort of :D

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?&p=662313

I think this "fix" is only aimed at reducing or eliminating customer complaints with respect to this goo on the dip stick. I can't see any way it will actually corrected what is argueably a "problem" with water in the oil or in the air within the dip stick tube causing the emulsified-oil mess. It's not something I would go out of my way to have installed.

In fact, I think I would be a bit concerned about having the foam stuff, or whatever it is, inside the tube for fear some of it might make it's way into the oil supply. Seems like a useless and, worst case, potentially harmful modification for such an insignificant "problem".

Let the flames begin. :D

Hey - What year is your car and did they replace your dipstick because I can't see how the little hookey thing on the bottom wouldn't rip that right out of there? Just curious.

I think this "fix" is only aimed at reducing or eliminating customer complaints with respect to this goo on the dip stick. I can't see any way it will actually corrected what is argueably a "problem" with water in the oil or in the air within the dip stick tube causing the emulsified-oil mess. It's not something I would go out of my way to have installed.

In fact, I think I would be a bit concerned about having the foam stuff, or whatever it is, inside the tube for fear some of it might make it's way into the oil supply. Seems like a useless and, worst case, potentially harmful modification for such an insignificant "problem".

Let the flames begin. :D

well not a flame, but I have to agree...thats not a fix for the gunk, thats a fix for user complaints.

Don't worry, be happy. Once it warms up, the gunk will all dissappear.

Precisely my question from above!!!!

Hey - What year is your car and did they replace your dipstick because I can't see how the little hookey thing on the bottom wouldn't rip that right out of there? Just curious.

The new '05 dipstick still has the hookey thing..... :)

that's funny cause when I had my car at the dealer 2 days ago, the service guy said this substance was normal for our cars.

The new '05 dipstick still has the hookey thing..... :)

OK, I just thought that that was what they meant by, removed chamfered tip, but then I am never quite sure what they are talking about in those TSB's.

Any time I have had a question for them they always say its "normal"....I think they are all idiots up there. This car is not like other cars!

I still don't see how this fixes the issue????

Here is the way I understand it.

First, the insulator is only lining the inside of the tube, not completely sealing it. That’s the job of the dipstick while inserted. Second, it lines the entire tube, minus the inch or so from the top. So, the dipstick does not catch on it.

We all agree that the froth is caused by moisture in the dipstick tube. It’s my understanding that the moisture is coming from condensation building up when the tube is warmed from the engine, while also being exposed to outside cold air. The insulator lines the inside of the tube to prevent the condensation from occurring.

And yes, my dipstick was replaced. It does look to be a tad smaller. It still has the hooked tip and they’ve added some raised bumps on the measuring line. Since they’re raised, I don’t know if it’s supposed to aid in reading the oil level or not.

Mark

Ahhh, I see, it goes all the way down to the sump. Simple, but ingenious. Thanks Mark...

Any time I have had a question for them they always say its "normal"....I think they are all idiots up there.


Remember that it was "normal" for an old VW beetle to shoot it's number three intake valve through the valve cover; noone ever said that being normal was a good thing!

That's what I am saying!!!!!!!!!! They blow you off sometime. So how would I go about getting this done without them telling me it is normal????? Whats the right wording for them :D

And yes, my dipstick was replaced. It does look to be a tad smaller. It still has the hooked tip and they’ve added some raised bumps on the measuring line. Since they’re raised, I don’t know if it’s supposed to aid in reading the oil level or not.

Mark

how to read the new dipstick here (http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/01-047-04.htm)

Hmm...says 2005 only.

Hmm...says 2005 only.

RosenthalMazda says it works in a 2004 RX-8 and this 2005 dipstick is the only one available ...... they don't make the 2004 dipstick anymore :D.

so will this be a warranty thing? For an 04?

so will this be a warranty thing? For an 04?

No, it's just an improvement ....... but they only cost ~$13 from Rosenthal Mazda.

OK, well that's not too bad. Thanks!

I find it kinda funny that we're buying oil dipsticks from Mazda. I bet somebody in Mazda corporate is laughing their ass off right now. :p

I find it kinda funny that we're buying oil dipsticks from Mazda. I bet somebody in Mazda corporate is laughing their ass off right now. :p

Yeah, I am too. Other than oneupsmanship, what's to gain? Oh, I forgot, I GOTTA have one because it's there. :D :D :D

I find it kinda funny that we're buying oil dipsticks from Mazda. I bet somebody in Mazda corporate is laughing their ass off right now. :p

I bet they're really rolling on the floor with all the $200+ 2005 fobs being sold to 2004 owners :D.

I bet they're really rolling on the floor with all the $200+ 2005 fobs being sold to 2004 owners :D.

LOL! That's a good one! :)

Last month, I noticed yellow gunk all up and down my dip stick. I had the oild changed and had them flush the oil system. Its back again. The oil itself doesn't look old or dark, but the gunk is back. Anyone else had this problem? What's up with this?

yellow gunk or more of a beige color?

more than likely it's just lube so the dipstick doesnt stick

I know mine is covered in it.....freaked me out at first as I'm sure it did you but AFAIK it's supposed to be there

its neither- that is the foam from the cooler temps in the dipstick tube.
has been heavily discussed.

Yeah, there are at least a hundred threads on this meaningless phenomena. Do a few searches if you really want to know what it is.

FYI folks, I was not charged for the modification and new dipstick.

I went in and reported a milky, frothy substance when checking my oil.

The dealership contacted Mazda, mods shipped overnight, no charge to me, done deal. Mazda even paid for the rental while the part was being shipped.

FYI folks, I was not charged for the modification and new dipstick. I went in and reported a milky, frothy substance when checking my oil.

The dealership contacted Mazda, mods shipped overnight, no charge to me, done deal. Mazda even paid for the rental while the part was being shipped.

Now that's a dealership one could love. :) They didn't HAVE to do that.

FYI folks, I was not charged for the modification and new dipstick.

I went in and reported a milky, frothy substance when checking my oil.

The dealership contacted Mazda, mods shipped overnight, no charge to me, done deal. Mazda even paid for the rental while the part was being shipped.

Good to see someone reporting a positive dealer experience. Although I am sure the dealer gets reimbursed virtually in full for their troubles.

I would say that it is a good thing that they simply dropped a sleeve in the dipstick tube instead of something a little more extensive. Why risk a tech screwing something else up just to modify the dipstick tube? Too much risk for what you are trying to gain IMO.

I checked my oil last night. The oil level was fine, but above the oil level on the dipstick there was sort of a frothy brownish liquid. Im just wondering what this is? Also my car is up in another 1000km for its next oil change, should i tell them to only put around half the oil in?? as some stays in the oil coolers? i dont want another over filled car.

I checked my oil last night. The oil level was fine, but above the oil level on the dipstick there was sort of a frothy brownish liquid. Im just wondering what this is? Also my car is up in another 1000km for its next oil change, should i tell them to only put around half the oil in?? as some stays in the oil coolers? i dont want another over filled car.

Frothy stuff: This is a combination of oil and condensation in an emulsion. It is a relatively common phenomena in cold weather for some of the RX-8 owners. Not a big deal, it's only in the dipstick tube and not something to worry about. Take the time to search for and read the many, many threads in this forum that concern this "problem".

Oil Change: It appears that you are confused. The total oil capacity of the motor/oil lines/cooler(s) is around 7 qts. When the oil is drained from the oil pan, only about 4-5 qts. will run out of the engine. So 4-5 qts. of the new oil is added to replace the oil that was drained from the pan. Therefore, you end up with about 7 qts. with a 60-70% mix of new and old oil respectively. The person changing the oil should base the amount of new oil to add on the readings on the dipstick, not on anything in print that has a finite figure for the number of qts. required for an oil change. In other words, the number of qts. of new oil to be added will vary depending on how oil is drained.


BTW, the amount of oil drained from the pan can vary depending on how the oil is drained. If the car is level when the oil is drained, the amount will be closer to the lower number. If the drivers side of the car is elevated with respect to the passenger side while the oil is draining, the amount will be closer to the higher number. Of course, these numbers are approximate and assume that the filter was drained into the pan before replacement.

THANK GOODNESS for this forum!!! I just returned from a long trip and during my last stop for fuel, I noticed milky crap all over the dipstick. Being a rotary newbie, and piston veteran, I of course thought I had a blown head gasket. But wait....there are no heads on the rotary engine. The car ran fine, but I just knew this was really bad. So....I rushed home, dropped off the wife and kids (can't do THAT in a 350Z, OR a 911!!!) and took my baby STRAIGHT to the dealer. They put me in a POS Honda and told me they would look into the creamy oil issue. When I got home, I logged in here to see if any others have had this issue. I must say "THANK YOU!!!" to all that have posted on this topic. I will be able to sleep tonight! :cool:

awesome thanks for the help. The only reason i ask for the oil cahnge thing, is last time they over filled it...

KartRacer, where did you get your oil changed. I've a feeling mine was overfilled too 'cause when I checked it about 1500kms after the oil change (I usually add a quart every 1500 kms), it still showed full. Mine was done at Scarboro Mazda. Just curious. BTW , I'm getting the frothy substance showing on the dipstick too, just in the last few weeks or so.

the frothy stuff shows up when the outside temps drop.

mazda service people it seems tend to overfill a little bit. some out of a misplaced sense "since it burns oil ill add a little extra so the customer doesnt have to worry soom" and some because they mistakenly put in the "recommended" amount for an oil change instead of measuring the amount needed.

awesome thanks for the help. The only reason i ask for the oil cahnge thing, is last time they over filled it...

Glad to help. There really is no excuse for overfilling. There are few maintenance procedures that are simpler or more straightforward than changing the oil. Drain the oil, remove the filter, reinstall the drain plug and a new filter, add new oil.

Where some go wrong is in adding a set number of gts of oil. Best to first add a qt less than what is specified in the manual, check the dipstick, add a little more, check the dipstick. When the oil is at the upper mark on the dipstick, return the dipstick to the tube, screw the oil filler cap back on, start the car and let it run for a few minutes (with the RX-8, more than a few minutes might be in order :) ). Shut off the car, let it set for 5-10 minutes, check the oil and add more if necessary to bring the level up to the top mark.

Unfortunately, many grease monkeys don't do that. They're rushed, incompetent or just careless--whatever. That's why I change oil and do minor maintenance on all my vehicles myself. You may want to consider doing your own oil changes. It's not difficult. There is an excellent DIY in the Tech Section that walks you through the entire process.

I got my rx8 in november and just barely put in 2k miles on it and I've been noticing when I check the oil that its foaming and the dipstick is covered with it making it impossible for an accurate reading and I've had never changed or added oil .... I'm thinking of changing the oil w/ filter myself.... i know the filter is going to be a k&n perfomance gold but I'm not sure about the oil .... I'm deciding
either castrol gtx or royal purple but also I'm worried about using synthetic....
my biggest concern is that if the foaming put any damge to the engine and how to know if it did.....also does anyone know how to put in bulbs for the fog lights
mines don't work anymore so i need to replace them.

Apparently Mazda has a fix for this - insulated dipstick insert. Look for a fairly recent thread in this very forum (last week or 2). My understanding is the foaming itself is not harmful to the engine and is just happening in the vicinity of the dipstick tube. But if it's bad enough to prevent you from reading the oil level then that's another problem. I think others have resorted to inserting and wiping off the gunk repeatedly until they can read the dispstick. But, take it in and ask for the fix.

There are approximately a million posts on synthetic oil in the RX-8. Use the search, and happy reading :)

when I check the oil that its foaming
It's NOT foaming the oil - what you're seeing is an emulsion of oil and water caused by condensation of water vapour in the cooler dipstick. It's normal, and absolutely no problem. Search the forum for 'dipstick' and you'll find dozens of threads about this - it happens in cold weather, and the emulsion disappears if the engine is hot for a loong drive.

Regards,
Gordon

I think I seen this thread before but I could not find it I checked my oil today and on the dipstick there was a bunch of white stuff it looked like cream or something do you guys know what that is ? :mad:

I think I seen this thread before but I could not find it I checked my oil today and on the dipstick there was a bunch of white stuff it looked like cream or something do you guys know what that is ? :mad:

Yes, we know what it is. Do a search for "dipstick" and read the hundreds of posts regarding this non-problem. It AIN'T a problem. If you really want to know what it is and how it forms, do the search.

MODERATOR: Would you please make a sticky for this "problem". It's frustrating having to respond to this kind of post over and over again. If it's at the top, MAYBE the newbies will read it first.

The problem is people have so many ways to describe it that searches don't return results. So here are some keywords so someone in the future will get a hit:
oil
water
watery
milky
gunk
gunky
white
whiteish
yellow
yellowish
dipstick
foam
foamy
grease
greasy
filler
stuff
condensation
emulsion
emulsify
emulsification
normal

MODERATOR: Would you please make a sticky for this "problem". It's frustrating having to respond to this kind of post over and over again. If it's at the top, MAYBE the newbies will read it first.

ther is a STICKY! currently the 4th one down here (http://www.rx8club.com/forumdisplay.php?f=95)

can anyone link me to the insulated dipstick thread? i searched but this and another thread w/no info were the only two results.

That thread was merged into this one, here is one of the posts with a photo.
http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=671328&postcount=85

Just as a suggestion to any MOD’s when threads are merged can the old thread id# redirect to the new merged one? Many times questions are answered with a direct link to the specific thread. Once it gets merged the old link takes you to a sorry message

The problem is people have so many ways to describe it that searches don't return results. So here are some keywords so someone in the future will get a hit:
oil
water
watery
milky
gunk
gunky
white
whiteish
yellow
yellowish
dipstick
foam
foamy
grease
greasy
filler
stuff
condensation
emulsion
emulsify
emulsification
normal

Good idea....cappuccino, froth, frothy.

Ever since I changed the oil the last time, whenever I check the oil, it appears "foamy". I haven 't put any additives in: put 5w20 in and have added a bit of 10w30 when it was low. (I know you shouldn't mix it, but it isn't synthetic.
Any ideas why it would foam?

Thanks :confused:

i take it you have not searched this topic on here....it is very common to have the foam on the dipstick, don't worry

there is an announcement in brigth red letters at the top of the tech forums here that says "please Read the Sticky threads" if you had done so BEFORE posting this thread you would have found this thread http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=49652 which talks ad nauseum about the foam.

i know this has been a known issue to a majority of us. but just to ease some of you that the problem is only condensation, i've taken a picture to show you that it's not just the RX8. this is a picture of the oil fill on a 330Ci from my work, and trust me, a lot of other BMWs have this too. btw, the picture isn't great quality since it was taken with my camera phone. so the answer is "yes" there is nothing wrong with your 8 :D

http://www.tmobilepictures.com/photos/photo01/c2/74/67b734bf140b.jpg?_rh=fxdz7l1evdatez82wecy7935

ooohhhh i was already reaching for the links and the "close this thread" button :D

good post thanks :)

i might merge this after awhile with the sticky tho..

yea...i didn't know where to put this. do whatever you'd like with it zoom44

You guys are the bomb! I knew to come here first before calling the dealer about the
chocolate milkshake on my dipstick and I totaly accept the condensation theory cause
I was not seeing it in the summer, I live in San Jose, CA and its just recently been
45-50 degrees when I leave for work and I haven't been a good girl lately and let it warm
for 3 minutes like they say . . . Thanks again !

In case you are not aware, there is a new TSB out on the milky stuff that explains the cause of the stuff. A "fix" is offered in the TSB, but in my opinion, the fix may be worse than the "problem". Mazda doesn't consider this phenomena a problem, but they are offering up a kind of rube goldberg solution for those owners who consider it a problem.

Recently discovered a miky substance on my dipstick.. Called my Mazda service and was told Mazda considers this normal.. I was told I didn't need to do anything unless the engine started running rough.. I've got 14k miles, have changed the oil 4 times but have never seen this until recently.. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Immediately after turnng off the engine, before the liquids settle, there is a milky substance and clear droplets of water all the way up the dipstick... Does anyone view this as normal ? I'm not even certain Castrol would stand behind their product mixed with water..

As was mentioned in the other thread, check out this thread:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=49652

Sorry if I didn't paste it as a link...

Link to the new TSB on this. It's a PDF. http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/01-009-05.pdf

ahh that's fo r the links...i have fo rthe first tiem in 30k miles discovered thi sas well on my dipstick:(

I've had the same problem.
So i took it to a mazda garage and they put a new smaller dipstick tube and and dipstick in free of charge and its ok now :cool:

I think it is normal - but it looks even worst when it is cold outside and the little droplets freeze. Looks like coffee ice cream :) I shall ask the dealer for the fix too....

I just posted the same mortification response when I saw my dipstick for the first time last night when I fueled up my new 8 for the first time. Master Tech gave me the same answer as you all.
Would running synthetic possibly change this?

I just posted the same mortification response when I saw my dipstick for the first time last night when I fueled up my new 8 for the first time. Master Tech gave me the same answer as you all.
Would running synthetic possibly change this?
Don't know, but I wouldn't use this non-issue as a reason to use synthetic oil in the engine. There certainly may be valid reasons for using a synthetic, but this ain't one of them in my opinion.

I also had this turn up in my oil. One interesting thing that kind of makes sense (I guess) is that it has only shown up during the really cold months. I carried mine to the dealer for a look and he expressed no reason for concern. I love this car, but it does make me a bit nervous when I see this stuff on the stick. Everyone seems to think this is OK, all the way from the Mazda techs on down..... So I'm just gonna keep on enjoying the ride.

Well, the Mystery is solved and thankfully before I panicked too much. I’ve had the car for two weeks now and on the weekend my brother-in-law and I were poking around under the hood when we noticed the foamy brown oil on the dip-stick. He is a mechanic and we both quickly feared the worst, like coolant mixing with the oil.

Well a few minutes on this site eased my mind. Turns out it is condensation being whipped up by blow back gases in the engine. I even found the Mazda Service advisory, which i brought with me this week when presenting the issue to the Mazda dealer. Was a good thing I had it with me, as the dealer was not aware of the problem. After a few minutes educating the service advisor, he ordered the insulating sleeve an new dipstick as prescribed in the advisory.

I had some other concerns as well. Moisture in the tail-lamp assembly. After some discussion Mazda agreed to replace them both, second problem solved.

My third concern was with regard to the rusting brake rotor hubs. All four rotors are showing rust on the hub, where the wheels bolt to the brakes. I don’t think this is very impressive, when you consider how open to view the brakes are. This issue required more perseverence on my part as the service advisor dismissed my concerns as being normal. My request to discuss the issue with the service manager proved to be more fruitful. We did the pre-requisite dancing and ritual debating, with his position being it’s normal and mine being on a car where Mazda spent this much effort to detail, does this unsightly rust strike you as the look they were going for. He initially agreed to have them cleaned and repainted, but eventually I was able to move him to agree to replace all four rotors. I just hope this is not a re-occurring problem.

I guess I’m still getting used to the quirky new vehicle.

Well, the Mystery is solved and thankfully before I panicked too much. I’ve had the car for two weeks now and on the weekend my brother-in-law and I were poking around under the hood when we noticed the foamy brown oil on the dip-stick. He is a mechanic and we both quickly feared the worst, like coolant mixing with the oil.

Well a few minutes on this site eased my mind. Turns out it is condensation being whipped up by blow back gases in the engine. I even found the Mazda Service advisory, which i brought with me this week when presenting the issue to the Mazda dealer. Was a good thing I had it with me, as the dealer was not aware of the problem. After a few minutes educating the service advisor, he ordered the insulating sleeve an new dipstick as prescribed in the advisory.

I had some other concerns as well. Moisture in the tail-lamp assembly. After some discussion Mazda agreed to replace them both, second problem solved.

My third concern was with regard to the rusting brake rotor hubs. All four rotors are showing rust on the hub, where the wheels bolt to the brakes. I don’t think this is very impressive, when you consider how open to view the brakes are. This issue required more perseverence on my part as the service advisor dismissed my concerns as being normal. My request to discuss the issue with the service manager proved to be more fruitful. We did the pre-requisite dancing and ritual debating, with his position being it’s normal and mine being on a car where Mazda spent this much effort to detail, does this unsightly rust strike you as the look they were going for. He initially agreed to have them cleaned and repainted, but eventually I was able to move him to agree to replace all four rotors. I just hope this is not a re-occurring problem.

I guess I’m still getting used to the quirky new vehicle.

<<SNIPPED>> My third concern was with regard to the rusting brake rotor hubs. All four rotors are showing rust on the hub, where the wheels bolt to the brakes. I don’t think this is very impressive, when you consider how open to view the brakes are. This issue required more perseverence on my part as the service advisor dismissed my concerns as being normal. My request to discuss the issue with the service manager proved to be more fruitful. We did the pre-requisite dancing and ritual debating, with his position being it’s normal and mine being on a car where Mazda spent this much effort to detail, does this unsightly rust strike you as the look they were going for. He initially agreed to have them cleaned and repainted, but eventually I was able to move him to agree to replace all four rotors. I just hope this is not a re-occurring problem.

I guess I’m still getting used to the quirky new vehicle.
Sounds like you are one persistent dude. :) Good on ya!

Unfortunately, the new rotors will likely rust just like the originals since they will come from the same source I suspect. You may have been better served by letting them paint the originals with a decent high-temp paint. That's what I plan to do with mine come summer.

21700 miles engine light came on. drove the last 2 miles to home and pulled into garage. noticed and odd aroma, wasn't sure if it was car or something else in garage.....the smell soon went away. let car sit for about 15 minutes and checked the oil.

off-white froth along the dipstick and what appears to be random small droplets along the upper part of stick. wiped it and checked again, same thing.

is it water? what little knowledge i have of things tells me its water, this is the first time i've sen this on the 8.

nearest dealer is 45 miles away.

oosik

sorry no digicam for pics

Does it look greasy, like Crisco? If so, that's normal - there's even a TSB out on it - do a search. It's caused by blowby gasses with moisture in them condensing on the dipstick. Go for an hour drive and look again - it will be gone.

Not to panic ...

I have a 2004 - same thing happened to me - there is a TSB on it.

Mazda told me it is nothing - some moisture gets into the dipstick holder (not inside the engine) - and they have a special sleeve that sits around the dipstick to prevent any moisture getting in there (which is what causes the milky substance)

I go in next week to get mine fixed.

<sigh>

It's not an emergency.

It's not a problem.

It's just benign condensation.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=49652

How can you have over 300 posts here and not have seen this discussed to death already?:confused:

If it's nothing to worry about, then why are you getting it fixed?

<sigh>

It's not an emergency.

It's not a problem.

It's just benign condensation.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=49652

How can you have over 300 posts here and not have seen this discussed to death already?:confused:



that 300 posts since 2003 which compared to some ppl aint' much, besides i havne't been on the boards in eons, you can check my last few posts, haven't even lurked.

Does it look greasy, like Crisco? If so, that's normal - there's even a TSB out on it - do a search. It's caused by blowby gasses with moisture in them condensing on the dipstick. Go for an hour drive and look again - it will be gone.

Not to panic ...

kind of greasy but not think like crisco, but has a similar color. but seeing as tho ppl have seen it before i won't panic as much.

sorry to me it was an emergency.....BUT, why the check engine light????

Because there is something else wrong.....

yup - unrelated issues ... also CEL's don't necessarily mean anything. It tells you that something anomalous was noticed by the engine computer. If it goes out and stays out, chances are it was a transient issue and doesn't mean anything. It could be anything from a loose gas cap, to some bad gas, to water in the gas being pulled through the engine and burned (which changes the O2 content of the exhaust, which triggers the CEL), etc. If it comes on and stays on, that's when to visit the dealer. If it comes on and then goes out and stays out after cycling the key, chances are it was a transient.

In my business (IT), our tech support guys have a sign on the wall that says "if it only happened once, it never happened at all ..."

Also, don't feel bad ... I posted a similar thread a couple of months ago ... called "Crisco on my dipstick" ... at least the topic name was funny.

Stew

Make sure your service guy is smarter than the average bear. Otherwise they will read the TSB and swear that the dipstick will fit because the TSB says vehicles built after Aug 04 need the new dipstick and not previous builds. DUH, the thing barely fits in there now and you want it to fit after you shove a sleeve in the tube? My service manager used to be a salesman...I think I need a new service dept. :rolleyes:

have you heard of a Creampie? ;)

Here is the link to the TSB in case someone needs it.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-009-05-1450.pdf

Yay. Another thread to merge. READ THE STICKIES!!!!

Thank God we are all out here together. I had the same problem on my beloved 8 appear about 1 month ago. When I brought it in for an oil change yesterday, the dealrer stated that it was just condensation and to take it out for a long drive - anyone have a spare room in California :-)

Happy Rotarying!

Hmm mine had light brown foamy stuff on the dipstick.

Guys and girl,

Not to be rude, but there are several existing threads where this has been discussed almost to death. As for a cure, there is a TSB out to replace the dipstick with a new, graduated dipstick, and to replace the tube with a new insulated one to prevent the condensation. If this issue bothers you, run it down to your dealer and ask them to perform the TSB with the new 'stick and tube.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-009-05-1450.pdf

HTH,
Bill

Edit: I haven't had the tube or stick replaced in mine (yet), but it is covered under warranty.

Well Rotario don't be rude then because these folks have revived this thread from 12-12-03 and last I checked it is more than a couple months old and the last post before today was last month... none of today's posters was asking for your or anyone else's assistance they were just putting in their $0.02

Well Rotario don't be rude then because these folks have revived this thread from 12-12-03 and last I checked it is more than a couple months old and the last post before today was last month... none of today's posters was asking for your or anyone else's assistance they were just putting in their $0.02
Well, then please forgive me for trying to help. I'll abstain in the future.

:(:mad:

Bill

hey rx 8 drivers ,I got the white stuff on the dip stick,called the dealer and they said its a common thing with the rotary,however thier is a new dip stick assembly that corrects the condensation problem . They are ordering it for me and said its a covered item under the warrenty. When I get it I will let you know if the white stuff disapears.

hey rx 8 drivers ,I got the white stuff on the dip stick,called the dealer and they said its a common thing with the rotary,however thier is a new dip stick assembly that corrects the condensation problem . They are ordering it for me and said its a covered item under the warrenty. When I get it I will let you know if the white stuff disapears.
Been discussed before. Just a foam insert into the dipstick tube. IMO, the cure could be worse than the problem. Like pieces of the foam getting chipped off and falling into the oil pan. The white gunk is an emulsion of condensation and oil and it has been noted on the RX cars for years. It is only a cosmetic problem and it disappears when the car if fully warmed up. So get the "fix" if you like, but don't worry about it in the meantime.

however thier is a new dip stick assembly that corrects the condensation problem . They are ordering it for me and said its a covered item under the warrenty. When I get it I will let you know if the white stuff disapears. You know it’s getting colder when the Milky Dipstick posts begin to show up.:)

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-009-05-1450.pdf Contrary to what you dealer told you there is no ‘ correction’ for this issue. If you would look at the TSB Mazda issued for this ‘problem’

All this ‘fix’ does is hide the gunk from your view, it’s still in the motor. I for one like to ovoid having my 8 at the dealership for things that are not critical. In this case all they are going to do is install a tube that scraped the gunk off the dipstick and back into the motor.

Did a search and found this thread. The only thing I noticed is that the foam on my dipstick isnt showing up white. It looks brownish. My oil was changed only 1200 miles ago so I shouldnt need an oil change. It was changed at the dealer suppossedly with the recomended 5w-20. It was about 37 degrees today. Was just curious if the brown color was the same thing, or if trhis means I should be worried.

Did a search and found this thread. The only thing I noticed is that the foam on my dipstick isnt showing up white. It looks brownish. My oil was changed only 1200 miles ago so I shouldnt need an oil change. It was changed at the dealer suppossedly with the recomended 5w-20. It was about 37 degrees today. Was just curious if the brown color was the same thing, or if trhis means I should be worried.
Not to worry. Only about half of the oil in the car is changed during an oil change due to the amount of old oil that remains in the oil coolers and oil cooler lines. Just change the oil regularly--like every 3K miles--and you will be OK. BTW, the color of the oil will be brown/black almost immediately after the first time the car is operated following an oil change. It's ugly, but not much you can do about it in a practical sense.

As you probably read, there is a "fix" for this issue, but IMO the fix could be worse than the issue itself. The issue is really just a cosmetic thing and has no detrimental effect on the engine, so my advice is to not bother with the so-called fix.

Thanks. I wont worry about the 'fix' then. I appreciate the help.

Not trying to be funny, but i am pretty dxxm funny.

Yep. Same 1500 miles. Almost had a heart attack when I checked the oil. Jumped in to check the board immed. Whew! Probably cold climate related. Am in Colorado. Does any not have this issue? Why not?? Oil type, drving style. Climate???

Cold climate causes this. To save you a post in the summer the fan runs long after shut done on very hot days.

Don't know if this had been posted before, but here is the service order on the milky white substance issue...
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-009-05-1450.pdf

-hS

A PCV system has been added to the 2006 models as an attempt to stop this issue.

I took my 8 in for the well known new dipstick, tube insert update. While in the shop, the dealer called and said they had received a rather large, complicated kit of parts, but no instructions. They would search for a new TSB and get back. I emailed a link to the TSB list and the well known 5 page dipstick and tube instructions. They called later and said that the kit they received is a new fix for the milky oil / blow by issue. The parts kit is redily available but the TSB to match has not been released.

Any Mazda insider out there that can provide an ETA for the TSB??

I wouldn’t let the dealership practice a new TSB on my 8. Especially for a non-issue like this. As stated many times in this thread the seasonal gunk on the dipstick has zero effect on the car. I have gone through three “ seasons of the gunk “ and 64,000 miles later all is still well with my 8.

its probably the parts from the 2006 models PCV system. i havent actually gotten to look into i tyet but was thinking of doing a DIY for it once i sorted teh parts out. ill look into the TSB and get back to you. itll save me some typing if they do one- and you all know about my typing;)

its probably the parts from the 2006 models PCV system. i havent actually gotten to look into i tyet but was thinking of doing a DIY for it once i sorted teh parts out. ill look into the TSB and get back to you. itll save me some typing if they do one- and you all know about my typing;)

I took my 8 in for the recall and they still have the 'dip stick' parts kit and are waiting for a TSB to show up so they can install it for me (see my last post, above). Any news on an ETA for the TSB to upgrade the PCV system??

Yes it looks like the 2006 PCV system.

Here is the TSB: http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-050-06-1664.pdf

Would this be sufficient for a forced induction vehicle or is the oil catch can a better option?

Hello All
I've read through just about the entire thread about this strange phenomon of frothy looking oil on the dipstick. Just observed this for the first time, after driving for about 1 hour at highway speeds with outside temps about 25 degrees F. Stopped for about 20 mins and then checked the oil. Found froth at the top and the bottom of dipstick, even after checking several times and wiping the dipstick off. Oil was changed about 500 miles ago but at a less than reliable dealer. Car has about 25,000 miles. You guys seem to think this isn't a problem. I did have the coolant light flash a bit last week, added coolant. Also noticed rouger idle and less power than previously. From what I could see oil level was OK. Haven't started using 2 cycle synthetic oil in gas yet, but per this list will shortly. Still no cause for concern / action?
Thanks much!

If you are concerned, take it in to the dealer and complain about it. After reading that the TSB was in, I took my 8 in between Christmas and New Years and had the evap system installed (free). I can't say if it has helped because the salt trucks started running the day after I got it back, so I put the RX away for the winter. You've got a 2004, why not get a 2006 evap!

Found froth at the top and the bottom of dipstick, even after checking several times and wiping the dipstick off. You guys seem to think this isn't a problem. I did have the coolant light flash a bit last week, added coolant. Also noticed rouger idle and less power than previously. Still no cause for concern / action?
Thanks much!
Concern? Yes! Your description suggests a more serious problem, so see your dealer ASAP.

If you have frothy oil--that is, the oil "itself" is frothy--that is definetly a concern. The white stuff that has been discussed ad nauseum in the forum and is covered in the sticky is a white frothy mass at the top of the dipstick and/or the oil filler cap/tube. This is caused by a bit of condensation mixed with oil and air. This is a fairly common thing with other cars as well in the cold weather and is not a concern. If the oil at "the bottom of the dipstick" is frothy, that is not what the sticky discussion is about.

Concern? Yes! Your description suggests a more serious problem, so see your dealer ASAP.

If you have frothy oil--that is, the oil "itself" is frothy--that is definetly a concern. The white stuff that has been discussed ad nauseum in the forum and is covered in the sticky is a white frothy mass at the top of the dipstick and/or the oil filler cap/tube. This is caused by a bit of condensation mixed with oil and air. This is a fairly common thing with other cars as well in the cold weather and is not a concern. If the oil at "the bottom of the dipstick" is frothy, that is not what the sticky discussion is about.

unless he keeps scraping through it when hes putting the dipstick in...i just got this for the first time too...below 30 here and short trips a lot

My questions is how do I read the damn dipstick? I get up to operating temp for a while and the crap is still there, wipe it and comes back everytime I put the stick in to read it.

:spank: don't worry bout it .it is just the condisation in the tube that happens in the cold temps.when the temps are in the 60's plus it all go's away...at lease for me in the three years of flying with my 8! :ylsuper:

I completely understand that. My question is in these cold months how am I supposed to read if my oil level is low or not? There's too much crap to read the level.

I have the same problem like there is a water and oil sticking on the dip stick,like a sludge looking like.. the dealer said that normaland i said that not good for the engine..i'm still have resolve the prolem with the dearlership..i guest we both have the same problem

I backed my 8 out of the garage and did the fog light rewire. I started the engine a couple of times to make sure I did the for light rewire job right. I waited about 10 to 15 minutes and checked the oil level. I pulled the dip stick out, wiped it, re-inserted and pulled it out again. The dip stick had white foam with the oil all over it. I did the procedure again with similar results. The bottom bent end of the dip stick had a drop of foaming looking oil on it as well. The oil smelled like it had gasoline in it. The outside air temp was around 54 degrees.

The 8 has about 1500 miles on it. Oil level was 1/2 quart low. The car had been driving 24 hours earlier.

I would suspect if I were getting water into the oil the oil level would rise.

I'm hoping this condition is caused by cool temperature and no warm up.

Can anyone out there help?[/QUOTE]

I went to the dealer to get the fix done so I could actually read the oil level, its been a couple days now, but when I check the oil at the dealer it seemed fine, a couple hours later when I pulled over for gas (been driving for bout 20 min) the milky crap was back. I can't read the dipstick even after the so called "fix". maybe I will just keep taking it in, and get a new 8 out of it :o

I have it too, just noticed when I checked my oil freaked out read all this and still freaking out. Mine is ALL up and down the dipstick, so I'm taking it in at 3:00 today we'll see. Hopefully they don't castrate me for my intake.

I have it too, just noticed when I checked my oil freaked out read all this and still freaking out. Mine is ALL up and down the dipstick, so I'm taking it in at 3:00 today we'll see. Hopefully they don't castrate me for my intake.

Why would you, or anyone else be "freaking out"?

Many of us, myself included, still have the original dipstick and deal with this every winter...60K later, original engine and everything is fine.

Geez louise you guys cracked me up with those posts... Shinka you will be the first to get a new 8 because of the foam on the dipstick. It is harmless as long as you can see if oil needs to be added.

Try checking the oil when it is cold and don't freak out, it can cause the oil to fly off the dipstick and then you would add oil when it isn't needed.

I don't think warranty covers over filling the oil and wrecking the engine. ;)

Freaking out because until I read this I had no clue, in piston engine it's usually a sign of somthing bigger. The other reason I'm worried is cause I can't check my oil, can't see anything but the frothy goop. Thirdly everyone states that they mostly only see it on the top near the grommet, mine is ALL over the frickin thing.

Here's the question I pose. How many people are seeing this that are copletely stock vs. those who have mods. (intake/exhast) etc?

Freaking out because until I read this I had no clue, in piston engine it's usually a sign of somthing bigger. The other reason I'm worried is cause I can't check my oil, can't see anything but the frothy goop. Thirdly everyone states that they mostly only see it on the top near the grommet, mine is ALL over the frickin thing.

Here's the question I pose. How many people are seeing this that are copletely stock vs. those who have mods. (intake/exhast) etc?

Yes, you can check the oil. It goes all the way down my dipstick also. Wipe off the dipstick, put it back in to get the level...that's all it takes.

Had it when the car was completely OEM, have it now that it isn't. No difference.

I'm trying to be helpful here, worry about other things, like warming up the engine properly, redlining, etc...

why Freak out ? because you guys are morons.

You will find water everywhere, even in your gas tank, its just that you dont *see* it doesnt mean its not there.

Get over it. Its harmless.

When it's chilly here, like today, (-33*C) I can get brown foamy ICE at the top of the dipstick......


S

why Freak out ? because you guys are morons.

You will find water everywhere, even in your gas tank, its just that you dont *see* it doesnt mean its not there.

Get over it. Its harmless.

Because I've had the car for two months didn't know it was 'normal'. Uneducated on the matter, so I guess it makes me a moron to want to make sure my car is working correctly. Stupid me I guess next time I see somthing strange I'll just ignore it like you!

Oh yeah also the stealership wants to void my warranty due to my aem intake and greddy exhaust...man they are a bunch of fXXks.

When I was completely stock I had foam when it was cold.

When I did intake and exhaust there was no change.

:cool:

Yes it looks like the 2006 PCV system.

Here is the TSB: http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-050-06-1664.pdf
option?

This works. The earlier system with the tube did not. However I did have a problem in that the mechanic hooked things up wrong. Threw two CELs. Had to take it back and have it done again.

Because I've had the car for two months didn't know it was 'normal'. Uneducated on the matter, so I guess it makes me a moron to want to make sure my car is working correctly. Stupid me I guess next time I see somthing strange I'll just ignore it like you!

Oh yeah also the stealership wants to void my warranty due to my aem intake and greddy exhaust...man they are a bunch of fXXks.

Sorry my bad, I dont really mean that. (moron thing)

stealership are the fuxking morons.

They cant void you anything unless they can proof that the *aftermarket parts name here* is the cause of failure, and the cause of failure is something that can hold in court, not *because the tech said so*

I understand their point, they dont want to deal with *unknowns*. and they should not responsible for the end user's own action. my friend had a Sienna, bought in I think 2002 or something, I drove it when he got it for couple hundred miles, it was pulling strong and stuff. after a year, I drove it again and I was like wtf is going on? The engine feels like its about to blow up or something, CEL was on of course. after further discussion I found out that he(his father to be exact), NEVER change the oil, yep, the oil in the engine is STILL the same oil came out from the factory, and that was like what 30 or 35K miles already. I asked him have you guys ever changed the engine oil ? he was what? you have to change engine oil ? LOL , I took him to the oil change place, when they drain the oil, the guy was like wtf the oil is pitch dark and looks like water. they sold the car after maybe 2 months cuz I told them you guys fucked it up bad, its better to trade it in. and CHANGE the oil next time every 3-5 K miles or so. they did, got an odyssey. This story has nothing to do with aftermarket parts, but if he took his Sienna back to the dealership, they still have to fix it, they have no idea what the user did.

but most dealership wants to give people shit just because they want *easy money* instead of *have to check everything else*

^^No worries, I'm not butthurt over it.

They stupid thing about them wanting to void my warranty is that I have the AEM intake which is the exact same thing as the Mazdaspeed intake. And that's what they wanted to void the warranty for. WTF.

Just joining the club i have it here too, 30min + trips. Everything is working fine and like you all have said its not hurting anything so w/e.

Well, Last Monday, I put my 05 MT in to have the warranty work done to replace the condesation in the tail light and the milky stuff on the dipstick bofore I kit 5ok miles. I thought I would get a :banghead: dipstick sleeve installed, but instead I got the new ventilation kit installation (Bulletin 01-050/06 issued 11/21/2006). Two days ago, I smelled a strange odor in the car that I thought was the cars ahead of me and yesterday, my engine light CEL came on for the first time. The new ventilation kit involves disconnecting the battery, removing the extension manifold, installing a modified oil filler pipe and EVAP/fuel line bracket to the extension manifold, replacing the gaskets on the extension manifold, and installing a new PCV hose to he engine. There was a guy on this thread last week that said he had this done and got two CELs. I dropped my 8 at the dealer this morning and the first thing the service guy said was the Dipstick procedure does not involve the electrical system. But the Service Bulletin makes it clear it does involve the battery and three solenoids. Does anybody know of this happening to them after getting this warranty work done. I kind of wish I did not request it now.

^^No worries, I'm not butthurt over it.

They stupid thing about them wanting to void my warranty is that I have the AEM intake which is the exact same thing as the Mazdaspeed intake. And that's what they wanted to void the warranty for. WTF.

Welcome to the world of *stupid fuxking dumbasses loaded dealership*

Its funny that last time when my clutch bracket broke, they said it has something to do with the clutch. What a freaking joke. and Mazda Tech line said this is a *one time* repair only. I guess if it breaks again while still under warranty and they refuse to fix it. I will have my friend's father to go after their asses. Its good to know some lawyers who will do stuff for you for free ya know :)

Well, Last Monday, I put my 05 MT in to have the warranty work done to replace the condesation in the tail light and the milky stuff on the dipstick bofore I kit 5ok miles. I thought I would get a :banghead: dipstick sleeve installed, but instead I got the new ventilation kit installation (Bulletin 01-050/06 issued 11/21/2006). Two days ago, I smelled a strange odor in the car that I thought was the cars ahead of me and yesterday, my engine light CEL came on for the first time. The new ventilation kit involves disconnecting the battery, removing the extension manifold, installing a modified oil filler pipe and EVAP/fuel line bracket to the extension manifold, replacing the gaskets on the extension manifold, and installing a new PCV hose to he engine. There was a guy on this thread last week that said he had this done and got two CELs. I dropped my 8 at the dealer this morning and the first thing the service guy said was the Dipstick procedure does not involve the electrical system. But the Service Bulletin makes it clear it does involve the battery and three solenoids. Does anybody know of this happening to them after getting this warranty work done. I kind of wish I did not request it now.

Thats probably one of the reasons why when I had the SSV CEL, I refuse to go back to the dealership for the fix. Hell they were trying to blame it on my K&N Intake, what a bunch of dumbasses. if they can blame it on K&N for something totally not related, why would I trust them to be able to replace the solenoid ?

I know it's just not moving well, after a couple of *open close open close open close* on highway the CEL never came back.

This Milky thing is completely harmless, people just being paranoid, now you wish you did not request it ? I think you should wish that they did not *fuxked* your car up when they were trying to install the thing. u know, cut some wrong wires, u know, short something, u know .... most dealerships are running by bunch of idiots.

Thanks for the support. I'll just have to see if they fix it. Bob

Thanks for the support. I'll just have to see if they fix it. Bob

Good luck man ! :)

let us know how it goes.

Well, Last Monday, I put my 05 MT in to have the warranty work done to replace the condesation in the tail light and the milky stuff on the dipstick bofore I kit 5ok miles. I thought I would get a :banghead: dipstick sleeve installed, but instead I got the new ventilation kit installation (Bulletin 01-050/06 issued 11/21/2006). Two days ago, I smelled a strange odor in the car that I thought was the cars ahead of me and yesterday, my engine light CEL came on for the first time. The new ventilation kit involves disconnecting the battery, removing the extension manifold, installing a modified oil filler pipe and EVAP/fuel line bracket to the extension manifold, replacing the gaskets on the extension manifold, and installing a new PCV hose to he engine. There was a guy on this thread last week that said he had this done and got two CELs. I dropped my 8 at the dealer this morning and the first thing the service guy said was the Dipstick procedure does not involve the electrical system. But the Service Bulletin makes it clear it does involve the battery and three solenoids. Does anybody know of this happening to them after getting this warranty work done. I kind of wish I did not request it now.
Hello, this is the guy with no name speaking. The first CEL was code P0410, Secondary Air Injection. There are three solenoids (electrical) with three vacuum hose outputs. He got two of the hoses interchanged despite the fact that they are clearly colour coded. I also got CEL code P0171, System too lean. The car pinged. It turned out he also disconnected of forgot to reconnect some vacuum hose. If the mod is done right, you will be glad you did it. It works. And despite whether it is necessary or not, you will be able to check the oil, and any potential buyers won't freak from viewing the froth. Good luck with your dealer. I actually had to show the service manager the mistake made. They had another mechanic redo the work. The first mechanic did not get paid for his time, and was pretty humiliated by the second who took great glee in pointing out the fkups.

Hello, this is the guy with no name speaking. The first CEL was code P0410, Secondary Air Injection. There are three solenoids (electrical) with three vacuum hose outputs. He got two of the hoses interchanged despite the fact that they are clearly colour coded. I also got CEL code P0171, System too lean. The car pinged. It turned out he also disconnected of forgot to reconnect some vacuum hose. If the mod is done right, you will be glad you did it. It works. And despite whether it is necessary or not, you will be able to check the oil, and any potential buyers won't freak from viewing the froth. Good luck with your dealer. I actually had to show the service manager the mistake made. They had another mechanic redo the work. The first mechanic did not get paid for his time, and was pretty humiliated by the second who took great glee in pointing out the fkups.

This is a problem with our economic system.

Minimum Wage, Minimum Effort.

Enuff said.

I'm completely stock and just saw this for the first time tonight. The cold thing would make sense as it is well below freezing here.

I have the milky buildup on my dipstick also. I called the local dealer and he said that they had a few RX 8's come in with the same problem and they were changing out the dipstick???!!!

i picked up some lucas or risolene oil stabilizing gel and it took car of problem altogether

Everyone Stop Freaking Out!!!!!

This condition is normal according to a TSB released by Mazda. It is indeed condensation that develops at the dipstick tube. It is not in the engine, that is unless your 8's coolant level is constantly low. An oily film on top of the coolant only means it needs to be changed.

You can confirm this with ANY garage that is A.S.E. certified. It does not have to be a Mazda dealer. However, if you can't stand to see this (which I can't) there is a vent kit that can be installed to alleviate this "problem". Idk what it costs, or how involved the installation is, I skimmed through the procedure, and the throttle body, and intake extentions need to be removed. As long as the coolant isn't low, don't worry. If you are in KY (which no one with an 8 is) look me up. I will let you know how it turns out.

Just got my new 2005 with 7000 miles, Picked it up north of Orlando and drove it 250 miles down to Miami (in cold weather averaging 90mph-4000 rpm's) with brand new oil. This car was recently serviced by the dealership, I went to check the oil this morning and there it was "capuccino foam" all over the dipstick. Freaked me out at first, but after reading this thread I guess it's normal.
Relief.

Just got my new 2005 with 7000 miles, Picked it up north of Orlando and drove it 250 miles down to Miami (in cold weather averaging 90mph-4000 rpm's) with brand new oil. This car was recently serviced by the dealership, I went to check the oil this morning and there it was "capuccino foam" all over the dipstick. Freaked me out at first, but after reading this thread I guess it's normal.
Relief.

its just tiny bit of water foaming up on ur dipstick, no biggy

if you are out of warranty the dealer wants to charge 600 bucks to fix this issue