98 v70xc bad head gasket.

[taylor98v70xcharris]

When i checked the oil today i noticed a large amount of off white sludge at the tip of the dipstick. i then looked in the coolant and it was a light brown color. Just from those two qualifications im sure my head gasket has headed south. Ive also noticed a slight loss in power as the temp outside dropped.
This just all sort of came out of nowhere because in the summer months the oil was always clear and so was the coolant. Its recently gotten cold here and thats when all this started. I can change the gasket. I just have to wait untill i get an open window of about three days.
Obviously the oil cant do its job if its being mixed with coolant. So how much are the cylinder walls and bearin being compromised? My main question is how much damage am i causing to the motor driving my car in its current state?
The coolant leakage seems to be small at this point.

[Ozark Lee]

A small amount of white sludge is the norm in the winter if the car isn't driven very far on a daily commute. The brown gunk in the overflow tank is of more concern. Get the car out on the highway and get it up to temperature for 15 or 20 miles in each direction and then check the oil for the condensation again.

Unless you drain the oil and find a layer of coolant at the bottom of the sump pan I doubt that you are doing any real damage to things.

There are a number of tests for a blown head gasket but the cheapest test is to rent a block tester from Auto Zone and follow the instructions to look for exhaust gases in the coolant. The rental is really free after you return the kit but you will need to spend a few dollars on the dye.

If the dye test is inconclusive or comes back negative then you need to progress to a leak down test. That is really something for a shop to do as the tools are fairly pricey.

It could be nothing, it could be a cracked oil cooler tank in the radiator, or it could be a bad head gasket.

...Lee

[rspi]

Chances are that you have NO head gasket issue. These white blocks put out those dip stick scares all the time.

The best thing to do is get a clean drain pan and drain your oil into it. After you see that the oil is clean or normal dirty, put it back in the motor and keep truckin'. If the oil is full of coolant, milk chocolate in color, stop driving it and replace the head gasket, however I doubt this is the problem.

When people see that condensation gunk on the dip stick, they usually suspect a bad head gasket and all the sudden their coolant gets 10 times dirtier than it was last week. It's all part of the mental battle. If the coolant system was ever comprimised or non-Volvo type coolant has been used, it will not look as clean as the stuff that's suppose to be in there.

As Lee has noted, you can take the car on a good drive to clear the condensation out of the oil sump/pan. They to help prevent the condensation from returning, change both of the oil dip stick seals. one at the tip of the stick and one at the bottom of the dip stick tube.

[taylor98v70xcharris]

Man, thats good to hear. I did not want to change that thing. The top o-ring on the dipstick is pretty shot and ive been using a prestone 50/50 coolant mix.
Im due for an oil change so i guess that will give me a bit more information.
Thanks you guys, big help.

[jblackburn]

Have a look at the dipstick for PCV system positive pressure as well that can cause foaming.

This happens almost every winter where someone thinks they have a bad head gasket, and it's almost never the case unless you overheat the engine at some point.

[taylor98v70xcharris]

When i got home i checked the dipstick again and i think the foam must have built up in the dipstick tube because there was still a bit on the bottom of the dipstick. Also have been noticing some condensation out of the tailpipe after the car warms up... The car hasnt overheated so i hope im good. You all seem to know what youre talking about, im probably just overreacting.