Hey, I was hoping for a bit of help. I noticed the check engine light was on, checked the oil and it was a light in color and very very foamy. I was very concerned with the color and the smell so I called a dealer and he said it was probably very likely that there was coolant getting into the oil. Is this a common problem? Is there a cheaper fix? It is an 05 with about 32K miles on it. Someone please advise, thanks
Dan

 

its not leaking coolant.. It is a common problem in the winter. Moisture gets into the oil dip stick. There is like a TSB or something for it.

 

Foamy oil isn't an issue. Happens every Winter as condensation builds up. It will go away, but you have to get the temps up in the car rather high.

Now..............in terms of the CEL. Head somewhere and get it read. Autozone, Pep Boys, hell even Aamco reads it for free. We can't possibly tell you what's up with your car without know what code you are throwing. Write down what code they say and get back to us.

 

What is TSB? Hmmm... are you guys sure? I checked the oil after I drove it for like at least an hour, so everything should be warm by then right? Is there an older link where this topic was discussed? I want to thank everyone that is helping. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

 

no
the oil never really warms up in the cold weather.
I recommend an oil temp gauge so you can block off the oil coolers to some extent and maintain an oil temp of at least 175F in cold weather to drive out the moisture.

As for the CEL, do you have the trouble code so we can tell you what is actually wrong with your car?

 

Forget the oil for now......seriously.......forget it.
I mean, it's possible to have coolant in the oil, but what you describe is somewhat normal. so we need to see what the CEL is all about. Then, if we need to return to your foamy oil, then so be it!

Now, go get that code read or we aren't going to be able to help you.

 

Technical Service Bulletin.

When you return to your computer after getting the CEL code read, go to finishlineperformance.com and look for the link to the RX-8 bulletins...somewhere on the left side of the screen. Then get the one on the foamy dispstick.

Yes, this has been discussed before.

Ken

 

why can't people just SEARCH!?

 

Maybe because some of us are willing to answer simple questions...especially if the OP is competent at spelling and grammar, and has just been given bogus info by a dealer.

Ken

 

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their help. Yes I would have done the search if I could think of key words to search with. I think it is just the condensation. And no, I don't like or trust any dealers, they cost a fortune for nothing. They wanted me to bring the car in for them to look at which I was quoted $90 just to look at it. If this is a common problem, they should have known this but would like to charge me $90 just to look at it. I really love dealers!
Thanks everyone!

 

Now...........about that CEL, you get it read yet?