When I pull the dipstick out there is a whitish creamy residue on the dipstick above the oil level indicator.  I took a peek down the dipstick tube and can see some of the residue on the wall of the dipstick tube.  Is this water entering the engine's oil?  The oil level is fine and doesn't lose any oil between changes.  I took a look in the radiator and the coolant looks clean.

Any help would be appreciated.  I just hope this isn't a serious problem.  BTW, it's a 98 Tracker, 4WD, AT, ~94K miles.

Cheers

I had the same problem with my 1990 tracker when I picked it up in early January, it had 185,00kms on it. The inside of the oil cap was the same way, all white snotty stuff on it from water in the oil. I figured maybe it was a head leak, I did a dry compression test with just cranking and got 140psi on each cylinder. I didn't do a leak down test as I don't have that equipment. I changed the oil and then added a large bottle of Barnes stop leak to the rad. I drove it for a about 3 hours and then changed the oil again and so far it hasn't come back. I put about 700kms a week on it. I'm hoping that either this fixed it or maybe there wasn't a leak and it was just condensation in the oil, who knows, maybe the previous owner dumped washer fluid in there or something?
Hope this helps.
Jim

When I pull the dipstick out there is a whitish creamy residue on the dipstick above the oil level indicator.  I took a peek down the dipstick tube and can see some of the residue on the wall of the dipstick tube.  Is this water entering the engine's oil?  The oil level is fine and doesn't lose any oil between changes.  I took a look in the radiator and the coolant looks clean.

Any help would be appreciated.  I just hope this isn't a serious problem.  BTW, it's a 98 Tracker, 4WD, AT, ~94K miles.

Cheers

   just condensation in the oil... myself I call it..... MOTOR SNOT.....

Not changing the oil for a very long time can produce a residue like that, but generally it is just condensation in the water.  you would see it more milky in the actual oil if there was a bit of water in there.  it would mix and show lighter brown or more light chocolate milky like.  (that's a technical term).

Yep.  Had it happen a lot with this puppy:



Since it had an air-cooled engine (!), that reinforces postings about the cause not being a head leak.   it would sit around for several days and build up moisture in the oil.  When you drove it a bit, foamy stuff would be on the oil cap.  It's the kind of engine that you watched the oil levels like a hawk -- sorta like the original Beetle opposed 4.

make sure the pcv system is working ok and not all plugged up. if you do alot of short trips in cold weather that will happen as the engine temps dont get hot enough to burn off all the condensation inside the engine.

derek

Thanks for your replies and advice.  I'm thinking it is condensation too.  It gets driven only about 5 miles a day, 5 days a week.  My wife uses it for going back and forth to the train station, but I try to use it for errands and get it onto the highway whenever I can. 

BTW,  when I'm doing 80-85 mph it sounds like the convertable top is going to fly off lol.  Not sure if the sound is amplified because I yanked out the rear seats, seat belt posts, and rear carpeting. 

Going 80-85?   The factory top is only rated for 62MPH tops.  You gotta have a hard top to go faster.