Mayo in the oil filler...

[Guest]

So I went to top up the oil to find the oil filler chocka with mayo



My immediate reaction was HGF but the car doesn't get hot, even the heater and it runs cool. A very knowledgeable mate of mie says its condensation doing it and suggested a dodgy 'stat, because its not getting up to temp. The coolant is clean and green and it doesn't smoke at all.

Suggestions welcome, folks...

[Guest]

Has it still got the insulation wrapped round the filler neck? This was always a problem so Rover insulated it. If your temp gauge gets up to half way during normal driving the stat should be ok. David

[G51 NAV]

They all do that Sir, especially now it's getting cold and damp. Doing short journeys doesn't help either, because it doesn't evaporate the moisture.
Even so, your mate may be right about the dodgy stat if it's not getting up to temp.

[Guest]

Has it still got the insulation wrapped round the filler neck? This was always a problem so Rover insulated it. If your temp gauge gets up to half way during normal driving the stat should be ok. David

No, no wrap. The temp gauge never gets anywhere above two bars on digi display.

They all do that Sir, especially now it's getting cold and damp. Doing short journeys doesn't help either, because it doesn't evaporate the moisture.
Even so, your mate may be right about the dodgy stat if it's not getting up to temp.

They all do that Sir - one of my favourite phrases!

Thanks for the replies guys - I'm still learning with the Maestro and with a ZS in the lock-up mayo is something I'm terrified of! I have been using it for short journeys, too.

[G51 NAV]

Rest easy. Normally-aspirated O-series petrol engines don't eat head gaskets. Never had to change one in my life. Even when turbo'd they don't blow a HG every time the wind changes direction, well unless you whack-up the boost.

[Jeff Turbo]

So I went to top up the oil to find the oil filler chocka with mayo



My immediate reaction was HGF but the car doesn't get hot, even the heater and it runs cool. A very knowledgeable mate of mie says its condensation doing it and suggested a dodgy 'stat, because its not getting up to temp. The coolant is clean and green and it doesn't smoke at all.

Suggestions welcome, folks...

Common problem, just clean as much as you can off then drive it hardish for a long journey as that normally clears it out

[BIGDAVE]

i use gtx oil and have no ploblems.i did suffer with it when i used the cheaper oil.i put it down to the addatives the gtx oil has.ie detergents ?.
but mite be wrong

[digital efi]

No, no wrap. The temp gauge never gets anywhere above two bars on digi display.

Unless you are doing VERY short journeys, the gauge should go up to 4 or 5 bars. I would suspect a lazy thermostat preventing the engine from warming up fully.

In all the years I ran my Maestro EFi, no mayonnaise ever developed in the oil filler tube and it was never fitted with the insulation kit. In my experience, it was more of a problem on the S-series engines rather than the O-series.

I always used Castrol GTX Magnatec, changed every 6,000 miles and never needed topping up in between.

[Guest]

Wrap the oil filler pipe up with some good quality central heating pipe insulation, held on with a few cable ties. This will help to minimise the problem and was basically Rover's answer to the problem. Early S Series engines suffer the same problem as they use the same oil filler arrangement. I would also change the stat as it does seem to be running a bit cool.

[threelitre]

Our O-series often did that in winter when used for short journeys only. We never really cared about this, as we knew this phenomen from older cars. It goes away after a proper drive or when the summer comes again

Alexander