Hi everyone!
My first post here... hope someone can reassure me about the following issue. I have a 2005 Skoda Octavia Classic 1.6. This is the "Mk 1" model with 8 valve "MPI" engine (not FSI) - must be one of the last ones made (registered May 2005). I got the car in October 2007 and have covered 3000 miles, bringing its total to a very modest 13,600 miles or so.
I just checked the oil level, needed to top up, then to my horror found "mayonnaise" inside the oil filler cap. There's a reasonable quantity so I'm worried. I do some very short 1 - 2 mile town trips interspersed with a couple of recent 200 mile motorway trips which I thought would have got rid of any condensation... if that's what caused it. Are there any circumstances in which such an oil / water emulsion is normal in this engine? I guess weather has been very cold & damp recently - would that contribute?
Car is (theoretically) still under Skoda warranty until May 2008... I sent off my "new owner" registration card to Skoda UK when I bought it, so if I need to get this checked out at a dealer I should hopefully be covered for disastrous engine trouble.
What do you think?
Many thanks for any suggestions that you can offer.
Andrew
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 15/01/2008 at 20:42
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This may be just a combination of condensation the weather and the type of oil used. Have you lost/used any water from the header tank or are level AOK. Regards Peter
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Hi Andrew,
In all probability, nothing to worry about. The fact that you do some 'very short trips' provides the explanation. This is emulsified oil, caused by condensation, which results in the mayonnaise. It results from the oil not heating up fully, as a result of frequent short trips. With the cold weather, it takes the engine even longer to heat up, so is more pronounced at this time of year.
I have a 2004 Charade which does a number of short trips and exactly the same happens. Provided there's no loss of power or loss of coolant it's not head gasket related. Best to leave it be - it will be cleared after a long run. For further reassurance, my Mum owned a 1996 Peugeot 106 for 5 years, which did a round trip of 1.5 miles every day. Loads of mayo built up under the filler cap, but it never caused a problem. I recommend wiping it away every month or so.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Rob E
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If you're doing mostly short trips, standard advice is to change the oil and filter more often. That way, if the oil is emulfisying a bit, it doesn't get a chance to build up.
HJ's FAQ section (see top of page) has some good pointers; twice as often as the manufacturer's standard interval isn't a bad starting point.
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A change of oil to fully synthetic type will significantly reduce the problem.
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Check to see if there is any oil in the coolant - if there isn't you're OK.
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Go to www.briskoda.net/forums/ , join the forum and post your message there. Lots of real experts on Skodas.
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I agree with Pete D and Rob E replies. Very short journeys and cold weather will guarantee the "mayonnaise". I suspect it appears very quickly. Did you check the filler cap after the 200 mile trips?? My commute is 6 miles each way, no traffic and little else and I have it. 2 weekend trips Southcoast to Blackburn then Wigan cleared mine but it was back within a fortnight.(Those trips did my MOT good, the emissions were lower than for a long time)
Have 2 other thoughts on this: do you really need to do those short trips in the car?? and Turn the heating to cold so the engine warms up quicker ??(easy for me to say!!)
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Common complaint with the Octy's. Nothing to worry about in cold weather. Every winter mine does the same, a nice dollop of Mayo.
I use fully synthectic oil and the Mayo still persists in coming back.
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