2023 Hybrid Oil Change Pudding Surprise!

[KDay]

2023 Hybrid, Toronto Canada
Took delivery Aug 2023, now (Nov) has 5000km / 3000mi. Weather has turned colder.

Decided I would do an early [first] oil change and found this under the filler cap.

I know this indicates moisture in the engine. But I also know: - the coolant level hasn't changed
- no white smoke out the tail pipe
- no rough starts
- the oil that I drained out was NOT cloudy or foamy or light colored.

Admitedly the truck is used mostly for very short trips and the engine rarely warms to full operating temp.

Have any of you (in a colder climate), driving short trips, experienced this on their Hybrid Maverick?

Could this be a pcv thing?

I've owned a dozen cars in the Toronto area over several decades and never experienced this... even when some of those cars were used I'm the same way for short trips.

I'll see what the dealer says and report back.

Sponsored

 

[23grayXLT84]

Almost identical delivery and milage to mine. All I got is the green hue under cap and dipstick (apparently factory die). Coolant levels seem ok / unchanged.

Yours looks, interesting. What did the dip stick look like ? That almost looks like some factory issue. If it's sludge, well, it looks clean !

Send that sludge to Blackstone .

 

[GPSMan]

That is really bizarre.

I've never seen that in 700,000 cumulative miles.

 

[Stang89]

I’ve seen that in our CMax Hybrids but only during extreme winter temps.

 

[3D Pro]

I saw this over 50 years ago in my 66 Chevy Impala. Fortunately my Dad was a mechanic, it was emulsified oil from a small water leak in the head gasket allowing water into the oil. A little water in the oil and the engine 'churns' it like butter.

 

[KDay]

Almost identical delivery and milage to mine. All I got is the green hue under cap and dipstick (apparently factory die). Coolant levels seem ok / unchanged.

Yours looks, interesting. What did the dip stick look like ? That almost looks like some factory issue. If it's sludge, well, it looks clean !

Send that sludge to Blackstone .

Oil on the dipstick was fine (looked like slightly dirty 3000mi oil... not milky, cloudy).

 

[KDay]

I saw this over 50 years ago in my 66 Chevy Impala. Fortunately my Dad was a mechanic, it was emulsified oil from a small water leak in the head gasket allowing water into the oil. A little water in the oil and the engine 'churns' it like butter.

Agreed... I have seen those nightmares on JustRolledIn .

But if it were a head gasket or something else letting coolant into the oil, I'd expect ALL the oil to be milky. In my case there was no other evidence of 'puddings anywhere. Even looking down the oil filler hole, the cam and such that I could see looked perfectly fine... just a nice film of normal oil.

 

[Stang89]

I stand corrected, just checked my Hybrid Maverick and noticed some of the same froth under the fill cap. I wouldn’t be worried , it’s just short trips with the engine cycling on and off during cold weather. Like I mentioned above I’ve seen that on the two CMax Hybrids we have and they are 8 years old and still running great.

 

[KDay]

That is really bizarre.

I've never seen that in 700,000 cumulative miles.

Thanks. Will be paying the dealer a visit for sure. After the oil change (and cleaning out all 'pudding'), I took it for several short drives ... and no evidence if it returning... but too soon to tell.

 

[KDay]

I stand corrected, just checked my Hybrid Maverick and noticed some of the same froth under the fill cap. I wouldn’t be worried , it’s just short trips with the engine cycling on and off during cold weather. Like I mentioned above I’ve seen that on the two CMax Hybrids we have and they are 8 years old and still running great.

Thank you. FTM made a good general video on the topic... and said same: probably fine if everything else checks out.

 

[MaverickSVT]

Whoa!
I will have to check mine!

 

[surfstar]

Skip the short drives and take it for a long one every once in a while!!!

 

[Oscarcat]

I just took delivery of my 24 hybrid Friday night 11/17/23. I am switching from 2.0 EB to hybrid because I do a lot of short trips in traffic and that type of driving is where the hybrid's advantage is. I watched the FTM video. I noticed that the oil cap in the video and apparently the cap shown by the OP are recessed, a place to accumulate the white gunk. I think the engineers designed the caps that way because it is a common occurance? I will add that in the 11 years my wife drove her 2011 Prius mostly short trips around the 'hood, I did not see the white gunk but then again, we live in a temperate climate where at 7:am Sunday it is 62 F. with drizzle.

 

[SLINGSHOT]

The last time I saw gunk like that, it was from Pennzoil. More wax than oil in that stuff.

 

[V-blue Mav]

2023 Hybrid, Toronto Canada
Took delivery Aug 2023, now (Nov) has 5000km / 3000mi. Weather has turned colder.

Decided I would do an early [first] oil change and found this under the filler cap.

I know this indicates moisture in the engine. But I also know: - the coolant level hasn't changed
- no white smoke out the tail pipe
- no rough starts
- the oil that I drained out was NOT cloudy or foamy or light colored.

Admitedly the truck is used mostly for very short trips and the engine rarely warms to full operating temp.

Have any of you (in a colder climate), driving short trips, experienced this on their Hybrid Maverick?

Could this be a pcv thing?

I've owned a dozen cars in the Toronto area over several decades and never experienced this... even when some of those cars were used I'm the same way for short trips.

I'll see what the dealer says and report back.

My 2 cents.... condensation from engine not reaching and maintaining operating temperature long enough. Had the same issue with that white goop on the oil filler cap. It was on our 1998 F-150. My wife had a 2 mile commute to her work.

Sponsored