Anyone else see this.Went for a 20 minute drive, outside temp was about 7 celsius, came back waited 10 minutes with engine off and then checked oil.Level was OK but the foam on the stick surprised me.Is this normal?

 

was it in the oil "read" area, or up near the rubber stop on the dipstick?

 

Sometimes a little bit of water in the oil can cause some foaming, by design though, most car's oil pumps don't suck from the very bottom of the sump, so the water will just collect there until the next oil change. Probably not that big of a deal, but I would recommend changing the oil in the near future, just in case it is some other contaminants in the oil.

 

I get foam all the time in my '83 GSL.

 

The foam was at the rubber stop and on the stick.I have only 1100 kms on the car.Would an oil change be the prudent thing to do, or should I not worry?The car is going into winter storage soon.

 

Or just drive it for 30 or 40 minutes that should boil out the water.

Vince

 

ALWAYS do an oil change before storing for a significant period - used oil contains acids and other contaminants that you do not want sitting in your engine for a long time (that's why the oil change intervals are specified for a certain mileage or a certain number of months). With fresh oil, you engine is good to sit for a few months.

Regards,
Gordon

 

When this happened on a Saab 900 we had, it was a blown gasket letting antifreeze into the oil. I would take it to the dealer and check it out before storing the car.

 

What Gordon said but drive the car for 30 or 40 minutes first to get the water out.

Vince

 

reseat your dipstick after cleaning it off and monitor it to see if it happens agian.

 

I just got back from the dealership and the technician told me that this is normal for the rotary engine partly because of the high RPM that the engine spins.It seems to actually whip the oil and creates foaming from time to time depending on various conditions.Apparently Mazda is aware of this and may be creating some type of notice or service bulletin.

 

Well,

Let me preface by saying that I do NOT think that the slight amount of foam on your dipstick is anything serious.

BUT

If this were a rotary characteristic, wouldn't we ALL be experiencing it? Sometimes dealerships will say anything to appease the customer.

Reminds me of the maintenance snag I once saw in an aircraft logbook:

The pilot wrote: "Engine Number 2 is leaking oil."

The Maintenance department wrote the response: "Engine Number 2 oil leakage normal."

The next logbook entry was from the pilot: "Engines 1, 3 and 4 lack normal oil leakage."

Yep.

 

Murray: I agree w/what 73JPS says 100%. The dealer is Full of $hit! First off the oil pan on the rotary engine is simply for holding the oil and doesn't in anyway come in contact w/ANY moving parts. The only thing in the oil pan is the pickup. Plus there is a baffle in the pan to eliminate sloshing! (which may cause foaming) So high RPM has nothing to do w/this. The only way the oil would foam would be from putting the car through some heavy twisties or moisture in the system. I'm owned a Rx-7 for about 10 years now, and kicked the crap out of it pretty much once a day and never had my oil foam up. I'd say your dipstick wasn't seated properly and got some moisture on it.

Be worried when there is foam on the bottom of the dipstick!

 

Just grabbed this off the RX7 club. It's asked a lot. It's specific to the oil tube, but I've seen it on the top of the dipstick.


What's that foamy stuff under the oil fill cap & inside the filler tube?

If you look closely, you probably also see water droplets mixed in or nearby the foam. If you find either, there is probably nothing you can do to permanently get rid of them. Luckily, you don't need to. A change in your driving pattern to include more driving under high load and fully warmed, and less driving of short trips or while the engine is cold, might do the job. Enough of such a change will do the job if your car is totally stock.

What you see is an emulsion, oil mixed with water. Your oil includes emulsifiers as part of the additive package. They cause water to actually mix into and "disappear" within the oil. To a point, they do exactly that, preventing small amounts of water from congregating in any one place that might result in oil starvation in a critical location. As long as the amount of water doesn't exceed the ability of the emulsifiers to disperse them, no harm is done.

All engines are subject to condensation from the normal heatup and cooldown processes, the same way dew forms on the grass in the morning. The oil filler tube area is subject to very little oil flow, and very little ventilation flow, while at the same time it is one area highly subject to the forming of condensation. The emulsifier in the little bit of oil in the area forms the foam as its limit to absorb the oil is reached. When the engine gets hot enough, long enough, the water will boil off. Whether this will routinely happen with yours simply depends on your driving patterns.

 

Good post. We RX-7 owners "love" the white foam stuff. Don't get it on your hands. It contains acid. The rotory engine PCV system is not very efficient, so we get a buildup of condensation in the oil system. When you get home (engine nice and hot), remove the oil filler cap and leave it off until the engine cools down. You will find the condensation will evaporate. Do this once a week, and the problem is solved. Look at the oil filler tube on an RX-7 and you will probably find rust/corrosion up at the top. It's caused by the water and acid in the foam. As I recall your cars now use a plastic filler tube, so at least it will not corrode.

Nothing to panic about, it is normal though upsetting.

If you are hibernating your car for winter like I did mine a month ago, warm it up, fill the gas tank, and change the oil. I remove the battery and charge it every 2 weeks with a good quality (regulated) charger. I also put the car on jackstands. That way I can clean under it and watch for fluids (when it gets cold - 40 C - the hose clamps sometimes seem to "ease off", allowing coolant to drip).

 

And when it gets colder outside more condensation will happen.

Vince

 

This is why I love being on the ground....

Our log book says, plane landed with engines 1, 3 & 4 on fire.....

 

Well i wish i would have known about the condisation before i had my car towed but anyway yesterday i was driving down the freeway about 80 and the oil light comes on, i slow down is goes off about 30 seconds later... I need gas so i pull off the freeway fill up and check the oil and find the not only is my oil light coming on but theres foam on the dip stick so this morning i call the dealership an they tell me to have it towed in.... They called a few minutes ago and told me the foam is not a problem but they are haveing trouble with the oil pans and air getting into the lines which causes the oil light to come on. So i have a new oil pan coming tuesday

 

I havea great reationship with my service mgr. Mazda Engineers say its condinsation . If you let the oil reach its operating temp, not coolant temp, it will evaperate on its own.

Airboss

 

Because Mazda did not test the car using synthetic engine oil, we cannot use it. The RX7 Club of America recomended Amzoil by brand as the best to use in a RX7.

 

Check out:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/strange-gunk-oil-dipstick-info-questions-49652/

 

I had the same problem. I took into the dealership and they told me it was due to condensation in the oil tank. It occurs in colder weather conditions, but it does require a full oil change so you may want to take the car in.

 

First time I have seen this as well.
Just checked again after about 30 minutes on the hwy.
Plenty of condensation on the stick.

What I find is the renesis is really well cooled in the 8. Especially in the winter.
Temps now only -5C and the car takes a while to warm up.

I would think that this level of foam would affect the oil's ability to lubricate.

The oil is only 3000km old. Coolant level is ok. If I have a failure - that's what warranties are for right?

Although - I have for many months smelled coolant. Years of driving beaters - you become keenly aware of unusual smells, and noises.

Oil has been Castrol, or Quaker State.

Never seen anything like this in my smoking hot 2L 4G63 turbo running only Mobil 1. There's a little engine that generates a lot of heat. I guess 200hp/L will do that.

 

I keep reading about this stuff going away after driving on the highway ...... well it does not in my experience.

It's not as cold down here as it is up where you are Rotator, and I see this stuff everytime I check the oil - even after a 25 mile highway drive at cruising speeds.

PS: Very nice, clear pictures - what kind of camera did you take them with?

 

Camera is an ultraportable Pentax Optio S – 3x optical, 3.2MP, great 2 stage macro. Been a great camera to take anywhere.
I was surprised that the macro shots weren't blurry without a tripod – usually I am espresso laden shaky hands man.