condensation in oil fill cap

Damn that's a short commute. You could in theory drive one of these and stay in electric mode all the time.

Lol wut?

 

It is NOT normal. Have your vehicle checked out.

 

I've had my '05 since it was new, and saw this in my filler cap, as well as read about others having the same non-issue, for the last 11 years, and mine still runs as well as it ever has.

Normal.

 

Normal.I see a little on the cap from late Dec-March.Never otherwise.

 

It is normal.

Edit: savedone is not normal.

 

It's is normal, same problem with my 2015 dcsb v6, drive about 4 miles round trip daily to train station, took a hour ride ,pulled oil cap is off and all the junk was gone

 

Normal - also, good reason to change the oil at a more frequent intervals if you only do short trips. I know, contrary to most opinions here, but, short trips, where the engine doesn't get hot enough to "cook" the condensation out of the lubricant, can have a cumulative effect on the motor oil.

 

I don't know how true this is, but one of the ideas I've heard mentioned in the past, that makes sense to me, is the frothy crap on the bottom of the cap is exaserbated (How many people are looking this word up right now?) by the design of the 1GR-FE filler neck (not sure how the 4 cyl. is set up). It's a plastic tube that sits 6" above the block (where it's warm), presumably in the cold air stream, further "exaserbating" the condensation issue (non-issue).

 

Probably a waste of time but, consider this: the condensation that forms in the exhaust system (liquid water being discharged from the exhaust) during warm up, or until the exhaust temps in the exhaust system exceed 212 degrees, ALSO forms in the engine. This moisture / condensation combines with the oil mist created by reciprocating parts and the valve train to create an "emulsion" that is only dissipated or dispersed when the engine oil and internal components reach and exceed 212 degrees. ( the temp necessary to vaporize the moisture in the emulsion). The oil filler tube on Tacomas, as pointed out in an earlier post, is probably the last part of the engine to reach temps necessary to vaporize the moisture in the emulsion.

 

Had the same thing happened to my 2012. Automatically thought my engine is starting to sludge. I hope you guys are right

 

The way you'll know we're right is to look at the oil the next time you change it. It will be brown/black with no white in it. Just fine.

Relax hoss. It's called winter. Everybody hates it right about now...

 

Wrong.

Wrong.

Still wrong.


OP, like every other person in the know, it's normal for a cold weather area and short trips. I rarely get it because I tend to do longer drives and my truck is now garage kept at night. Like someone else said, if you drain your oil and it's milky. Only THEN do you have a problem. A little gunk under the cap is not of concern and there is many a thread about it. It certainly is concerning looking at it if you don't know.

 

Its normal. I live less than six blocks from work and I saw it in the chevy I had and now the taco. After a week of driving back and forth to work it builds up and the first time I hit 3000 rpm or so out on the highway it burns it right out. It blows white burnoff out the tailpipe like its been seafoamed. If I'm hunting during the week or make several trips to the farm it dosen't build up under the cap.

 

First time poster here. Seen it every winter on mine since 2005 with no sign of adverse effect. In fact, I changed the oil today and there it was. Right now I have a 9 mile one way trip to work and don't drive it much on weekends. A long road trip seems to clear it up. I didn't see it as much when I had a longer commute.

Related to the long fill neck, I started changing the oil in my wife's new van today for the first time. The oil fill cap is buried so deep between the radiator and plastic shrouding over the valve cover that I could barely get my hand in there to remove the cap. Turns out I didn't have a funnel that would work to fill it. Good thing I figured this out before I drained it! What a pain! It made me appreciate the long fill neck and easy access in my Taco.

 

Welcome!

 

Sounds like solid advise to me.

 

Wrong.

and still wrong...

 

Take the dam thing for a full 1 hour round trip and see if it burns off!

 

My 200,000 mile Taco says its normal. I listen when she talks.

 

Had a brand new Chevy Malibu do it at times. Always noticed it in the winter. Seen a it a couple of times in my 2009 Taco. Agreed...its nothing to worry about.