1981 Honda Prelude 5-spd 1.8L ( I think, don’t want to back into the freezing wind just yet to make sure about the engine size)
Got her about a year ago for some fun. Recently, I noticed that coolant was leaking from around where the water pump attaches to the engine block. So, I parked the car around back and started looking at everything else, just to see what else might be wrong. Kind of usual for me, I feel if one thing goes wrong it’s time to check out everything else.
So, while checking her out, I remove the oil filler cap and see that the residue looks milky. This means coolant in the oil, right? Is my bad water pump (or seal) causing this, or is it indicative of bigger problems?
I try to do repairs myself, but is this something a reasonably handy ametuer should tackle, once I find out what it is?
depends on just how cold it is, and how much you have been driving.
If it is cold and you have been driving very short trips, a milky residue is somehwhat normal . Also if your thermostat is stuck open, the engine won’t get to full temp and it will take longer for the water to evaporate.
If on the other hand, you have been getting the engine full warm (driving over say 15 miles each time) you may have a problem.
It has been very cold here, but I checked it mere minutes after having driven it home from across town, a 25 (or so) minute drive. The temp gauge was showing on the high side of normal by the time I got home. It usually stays right in the middle of the marked normal range after warm up. No real temps on this gauge, just an upside down arc with marked ranges.
I would rather find out it’s normal, so I’ll check it out again while it’s at full warm.
If it’s not on the normal end of things, what might be wrong? I have to fix/replace the water pump anyways…
Get your car to a mechanic ASAP. Milky residue in the oil could also be a leaky head gasket which can make things MUCH worse if left alone. A leaky head gasket will require the service of your car at a machine shop to be done correctly, so no, you can’t do the work on your own.
Oil on dipstick wasn’t milky, but it looked dirty. I had changed it about 2 mos ago. By dirty, I mean it didn’t look amber, but I didn’t pay attention to whether it was black or brown. Will have to check again in daylight. Should I warm up engine first?
I’m driving my other car til I get this one fixed, btw.
And, I have a mechanic friend, his shop is about 4 miles from here, maybe 6 or 7 minutes with traffic. Okay to drive there? Or should I tow?
Also, no other obvious leaks or spewings. It does drip oil, but not a lot. Just enough to know for sure it’s me.
You should be okay driving the car the few miles to your friend’s shop.
If the oil itself isn’t milky then it is might not be as bad as I thought, but the fact that the residue is milky even when the car is warm and that your temp is running hotter than normal still sounds like something a mechanic should look at.
I had to have my head gasket replaced on my Chevy last year. I had first thought it was a leak in the radiator or water pump as it wouldnt hold water and the temp guage constantly pushed over normal. Mechanics told me I caught it fairly early as the oil wasnt milky and I didn’t have any moisture coming out of the tailpipe.
Even if that’s not the problem of your car, I still recommend having a mechanic look it over… just in case.
