My jeep has become an oil well

[DaveB]

The 4.0 in my Cherokee has become an oil producer.... The level on the dipstick keeps on going up. I have also been losing antifreeze with no aparent leak showing up anywhere. I figured that it must have a head gasket leak where the water is getting into the oil. However I drained all of the oil and there was no sign of water in it . I put in new oil and sure enough it is still rising. Since oil floats on water I assumed that the water would go to the bottom of the pan so I drained off a bit of the new oil and again there is no sign of water. The plugs all look good and the engine is running fine with no smoke or rough running, any ideas as to what may be going on ? I would assume a head gasket leak but how could the water mix with the oil so well that I can't see it ?

 

[jamesgeologist]

Have you measured the drained oil to see if you are actually getting more oil out than you are putting in? If so, I've got some geologist friends that would be very interested in your Chero car.

Jamesgeologist

 

[Shawn]

An oil and water mixture turns into Milk.

 

[I Lean]

Check your tranny fluid level, your motor could be sucking that in through a vacuum line.

 

[mattvw65]

fuel?

 

[gijohn40]

what does the exhaust look like? is it a white color or blue or colorless?

 

[DaveB]

Have you measured the drained oil to see if you are actually getting more oil out than you are putting in? If so, I've got some geologist friends that would be very interested in your Chero car.

Jamesgeologist

The oil was changed just last week and when I got back from an ice fishing trip over the weekend it was reading a quart and a half high. Maybe I should contact OPEC and see if they want to buy it

 

[DaveB]

An oil and water mixture turns into Milk.

That is what I have seen in the past when the two mix, but the oil I've drained from the jeep looks normal. There was a bit of brown goo in the breather pipe but that is the only indication that there could be a water/oil problem.

 

[DaveB]

Check your tranny fluid level, your motor could be sucking that in through a vacuum line.

I'll check it out but I don't think the aw4 has any vacuum lines going to it.

 

[DaveB]

fuel?

Thats a possibility, the oil seems plenty thick, is there a way to test the oil ?
I would still need to figure out where the antifreeze is going.

 

[DaveB]

what does the exhaust look like? is it a white color or blue or colorless?

The exhaust is colorless and the plugs show no fouling. I've seen some that have been burning antifreeze and they really smoke bad or pump excessive water out the exhaust which my jeep isn't doing.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I'll go home tonight and see what I can find.

 

[Meat_]

Thats a possibility, the oil seems plenty thick, is there a way to test the oil ?.

You would be able to smell it.

 

[Fuller]

You would be able to smell it.

thats what i was thinking

i know my xj's oil has allways had a fuel smell to it, but the oil level never goes up

 

[JoeT]

Compression test? Possible sticky injector leaking fuel after it's been shut off?

 

[DaveB]

Compression test? Possible sticky injector leaking fuel after it's been shut off?

I can run a compression test tonight. I have a fuel rail pressure guage that I could hook that up and see if the pressure bleeds off quickly after turning it off. I'll do the smell check also, but since I am getting over a cold I may not smell it too well.

 

[1993yj]

If you really want to know what is in the oil, Wheeler Machinery Co. has an oil lab where they will test anyone's oil. They can tell you anything you want about your oil, and it only takes a day or so for the results. It costs somewhere around $12 I think.

 

[DaveB]

If you really want to know what is in the oil, Wheeler Machinery Co. has an oil lab where they will test anyone's oil. They can tell you anything you want about your oil, and it only takes a day or so for the results. It costs somewhere around $12 I think.

I'll have to check Wheeler out. I did a bunch of checking tonight and the compression is 115-120 PSI on all cylinders, tranny fluid is fine, and the oil doesn't smell like gas. I did drain some more off the bottom of the pan and it looks a lot darker than I would expect for oil that was changed last week. I can see on the dipstick that the bottom 1/4 inch is darker than the stuff up higher. The crankcase breathers have a bunch of goo on them that is the consistancy of vaseline which I think indicates water in the oil. Maybe its time to retire the old XJ.

 

[Shawn]

Sounds like condensation... I guess you park this outside.


I got $5.00 if you decide to sell it.............

 

[gijohn40]

personally I think its shawn putting oil in your engine so you will sell it for $5 to him... lol

 

[DaveB]

Sounds like condensation... I guess you park this outside.


I got $5.00 if you decide to sell it.............

It is parked in the garage, I hate scraping off ice. $5 ? Too many good parts on it for that.