Hi! Removing the engine cover I noticed these white fouling.



Should I worry? What do you think is the cause? Maybe a liquid leak from the engine or only some detergent used during washing?
The car is a 2017 F-Type v6 S with only 19.000 km.

 

I complained about that years ago, perhaps during my first warranty service. I thought it might be coolant residue but was told that was from the sealant used at the factory and was normal. I've had no issues and it hasn't changed since I first noticed it, so I'm content to say my dealer was correct.

 

Yep, if was coolant residue (from a leak or a spill) it would be a distinctive orange colour, I still have some residue around the sides of the SC from when one of my coolant pipes split a few years ago.

 

Can it be polished off? If so, what’s the best polish to use?

 

Looks like oxidation.

 

+1, did anybody use a product like Simple Green to clean the engine bay? They make a special Simple Green aviation formulation to prevent oxidation, but regular Simple Green is fine if properly diluted and immediately/completely rinsed off.

 

Diluted vinegar ( 1 tablespoon) with 2 cups of warm water will get rid of the aluminum oxidation.
Presumably the car has been exposed to a damp environment if there is significant white powdery residue.
Normally surface oxidation would appear as a dull finish as on unpainted aluminum wheels, not powdery.
If what yo are really seeinng is indeed just dullness, then you should just leave it alone - it will only come back again
If you decide to clean it, I suggest a small spray bottle but just be careful what you get wet.

 

Hi Dren,
My '17 XF has the same engine and I have the same white dried residue.

Knock wood, the car runs well and after a few cooling system part changes loses zero coolant at 44k miles.

Given where the residue is on both our engines, it seems logical that some coolant seepage occurred in the past at those joints.

We could scrape a sample and test it for content.
But I'm willing to let it go until new, fresh leaks occur.

What part of Italia?

Edit: just saw CJSJAG's post so there it is! Thx!

 

Mine looks like that too. I'm not sure the cause, it looks bad but doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

I live in a small city near Turin

Anyway I don't think it is aluminum oxidation, because I can find this white/yellow fouling on plastic parts too

I also noticed that some screws of the supercharger were loose, could you check yours?