Engine Condensation

[miket53]

Hi All; I have a 1998 E280, when topping up oil last week I noticed a lot of dirty creamy gunk on the inside of the filler cap; I checked the dip stick and this was clear. I spoke to my local Mercedes garage and they said it was nothing to worry about and that it was just condensation. My worry is that if I do not resolve then something worse will happen.
How do I stop it or find out where the condesation is getting in? I do not have a garage so that is not an option.

 

[DSM10000]

Do you mainly drive short distances? if so then the occasional longer run to fully warm the engine oil would be beneficial.

 

[grumpyoldgit]

It is very common with all cars in cold weather, especially if the vehicle is used for a lot of short journeys. Just wipe off what you can and give the car a good long run occasionally to get it up to full operating temperature. Indoor or outdoor parking makes no difference, it's caused by the gases circulating through the engine breather system and condensing on the cold metal.

Does it reach above 80ºC fairly quickly 10 - 15 mins or 5 - 10 miles? If not it would help to get the engine thermostat replaced.

 

[E55BOF]

If it is taking a long time to come up to temperature because the thermostat is duff, changing it would also improve your fuel consumption.

E55BOF