Hi all...
So today I decided to change my air filer.
Take the breather hose off to open up the air filter box, and this is what I find. BTW, this is not the first time I've seen this, but it's unusually more "messy" this time:







Ran a paper towel through the tube, and this is what came out:



It's basically a mixture of oil and water.
Is it possible that there is so much condensation going on in here that this is happening. I park outside in Kansas City winter, so its not optimal conditions for the cat I know. Also, what exactly makes oil get in there?
I cleaned the part load breather. Usually do that with every air filter change.

More pics of the "slime"

Probably not too good on the MAF sensor:


Definitely not good for the air filter:


Most of the slime ends up going downwards to the air box, and past MAF. Some gets pushed toward throttle body. I didn't see any of it in the throttle body though, but then again, I try to clean this at least every 3 months (change air filter every 6 months):



So again, does anybody know what's exactly causing this. PC, oil itself is clean, no discoloration or signs of water contamination.

Thanks

 

I've seen condensation in cold weather from these engines, a similar mix on the back of the cap. It looks like head gasket damage, but like you say the engine oil is good.

Is the car loosing coolant? Shortish trips or runs where the engine isn't warmed up to the point of gasing off the water will lead to a build up like this. Keep an eye on the coolant level and see if it's there when the weather warms up.

Not much else to suggest at this point, if the car feels strong? I would maybe get a sniff test done on the coolant, just for piece of mind about head gasket damage. Does it misfire at startup, has it got a lumpy idle?

 

That frothy mess sure looks like a mix of coolant and oil. Any overheating in the vehicle's history? What's it look like under the oil fill cap?

 

I hardly collect any oil on my 97, and no condensate since my garage almost never goes under 60F, and I always drive enough to get the oil up to temp. That looks like some blow-by to me. How many mi. since you last checked?

 

I recently had a HGF failure on my xjr, I had no oil in water, coolant useage or that kind of gunk in my breather pipe, in fact it caught me totally unaware. The only tell tail sign before the gasket completely let go one day and took all of the water was a lumpy idle for a couple of seconds on a cold engine start for a few weeks prior. I surgest very careful monitoring of coolant level (do this one a cold engine only). Ive seen that in other cars and it didnt end happy sorry

 

If the car starts fine from cold & doesn't misfire, it isn't losing coolant & the performance feels normal then it may just be a build-up from repeated short journeys in cold, damp climates.

If the car is not showing any other obvious signs of sickness & drives normally, then you could try just taking it for a really long, hard & fast drive for a couple of hundred miles in one continuous trip to really heat up the engine & all the breather pipes. This should get everything really hot & maybe drive off the accumulated moisture.

If a car is only going to be used for short journeys in cold, damp climates, then it really needs a really good long fast run from time to time. Most problems are caused by repeated cold starts & short journeys.

Just like a person, a car engine needs to exercise & breathe deeply to remain in good health

 

Is the oil separator still in place under the nipple at the valve cover? It is a steel colored material much like a copper pot scrubber.

Since it is the full load breather, are you in the habit of getting on the engine hard before warmup?

And how is the part load breather? If it is clogged, then the normal reversal of air flow between part load and full load will not take place.

 

The car does have a coolant leak, but it's coming out one of the "norma" connectors on the "octopus" hose behind throttle body. I have another thread about that. The oil level (and clarity) is checked on monthly basis, and there is no weird discoloration at all, other than normal wear and tear. That rules out the coolant getting into the oil.

Last time I took valve covers off was about two yrs ago. The oil separator was still there, in it's designated place.

No incidents of overheating since I've had the car (2004).

My usual daily trips are 15~25 miles one way. Plenty of time to get the car fully warmed up. I try not to "stomp on it" too often, but I don't shy away from it either...

Part load breather get's checked about as often as I change the air filer (6~8 months). It was a little dirtier (clogged) this time around, so maybe that explains the more than usual amount of oil and moisture in the full breather. I plan on getting new valve covers and gaskets as I'm experiencing oil leaks and consequent burn off onto exhaust manifold...

Thanks for all the replies...