The V6 Lounge

[TooCool5]

Originally Posted by camaroc5

So this is what is in my catch can after 46 miles. Its like tanish water with a slimy residue

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That looks like condensation from cold weather driving.

[CamaroC-17]

How would it be condensation? Its too hot in an engine for condensation. It has to cool to condense

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[chozn4service]

Originally Posted by camaroc5

How would it be condensation? Its too hot in an engine for condensation. It has to cool to condense

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Being the law enforcement officer that I am, I had to seek further information or clarification on this appearance that I've never seen before until this thread was started. Having had a catch can since 2010, it just didn't look right so I posed the question to Tracy and sent him pics of what has been displayed and here is his answer verbatim:

"It is all in how cold it is right now as to what the contents will look like. The Elite works a bit better than the mike norris, and the RX the best of all.

So, in warm climates like FL, south TX, CA, etc. you will see mostly oil and unburnt fuel (making it thin) caught. The colder it gets, the more water is caught along with the oil and fuel so thats what your seeing. Get into Northern US and Canada and they will fill fast with mostly water, unburnt fuel, and oil looking like the pictures. Also, the colder the climate, the more often they need to be emptied."


Now I'm in Indiana and aside from Canada and the Yukon, I didn't think it got colder anywhere else and I've never seen this appearance in my can so I don't know but there you have it.

[CamaroC-17]

Originally Posted by chozn4service

Being the law enforcement officer that I am, I had to seek further information or clarification on this appearance that I've never seen before until this thread was started. Having had a catch can since 2010, it just didn't look right so I posed the question to Tracy and sent him pics of what has been displayed and here is his answer verbatim:

"It is all in how cold it is right now as to what the contents will look like. The Elite works a bit better than the mike norris, and the RX the best of all.

So, in warm climates like FL, south TX, CA, etc. you will see mostly oil and unburnt fuel (making it thin) caught. The colder it gets, the more water is caught along with the oil and fuel so thats what your seeing. Get into Northern US and Canada and they will fill fast with mostly water, unburnt fuel, and oil looking like the pictures. Also, the colder the climate, the more often they need to be emptied."


Now I'm in Indiana and aside from Canada and the Yukon, I didn't think it got colder anywhere else and I've never seen this appearance in my can so I don't know but there you have it.

Wow thanks man. Makes me wonder if this thing will be full when I drive the 110 miles to base tomorrow

[CamaroC-17]

It,s getting down to 5 degrees tonight here in Ohio. Pretty cold start in the morning

[CamaroC-17]

So could this be my problem. Look at all that water.
Thus is what it looks like poured out. That is all water in the middle. When I lost a bunch of oil it was after it started to get cold. After draining the can it left that thick creme in the can. It was hard just to clean the can. Cant imagine what is inside the engine after thousands of miles.
So maybe all that water is causing the oil to stick inside the engine

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[pyledrivr]

I drained mine this weekend. It must have been half full of water. I installed it about a 2 months ago and this was the first time I had drained it. I won't be waiting that long again before draining it.

[TooCool5]

Hot steamy engine air hits the ice cold can and it condenses into water.
Same thing happens to the outside of your beer bottle.

[CamaroC-17]

That's cold beer can in warm air

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[mr_honez]

Don't even have one on mine. I gotta get crackin'!

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Originally Posted by TooCool5

Hot steamy engine air hits the ice cold can and it condenses into water.
Same thing happens to the outside of your beer bottle.

Originally Posted by camaroc5

That's cold beer can in warm air

Which is why the condensation is happening inside the catch can and not on the outside.

Once your engine warms up, the moisture inside the engine is largely eliminated. This is a great example of why short trips hurt an engine. That condensation doesn't get burned up if the engine does not warm up fully.

John B.

[chozn4service]

I'm here in Indy and its cold as a witches ti well you know its cold and they're talking single digits tonight but still, I've always had what looked like black oil in mine, thin in appearance and consistency.
Tracy is a formidable person of motorworks and he says its normal so I'd go with that but I'm glad mine looks like oil. KMPrenger lives in Missouri and his looks the same as mine and as he and I conversed today in emails, both of our cars are garage kept and not out in the elements.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

There likely wouldn't be much condensation in the can if the car had been driven further than just 30-odd miles as in camaroc5's case.

How does the moisture exist in the crankcase in the first place, you ask? Ambient air enters through the fresh air side as the dirty side air gets sucked through your catch can and on to the intake manifold. Shut the car off and as the car cools down, the air in the crankcase cools and cannot hold that much moisture as vapor any longer, causing it to condense.

John B.

[CamaroC-17]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

There likely wouldn't be much condensation in the can if the car had been driven further than just 30-odd miles as in camaroc5's case.

How does the moisture exist in the crankcase in the first place, you ask? Ambient air enters through the fresh air side as the dirty side air gets sucked through your catch can and on to the intake manifold. Shut the car off and as the car cools down, the air in the crankcase cools and cannot hold that much moisture as vapor any longer, causing it to condense.

John B.

I am curious to see what is in the can tomorrow after I drive the two hour 110 mile trip to base. I just have been checnikng mine due to trying to solve my rapid oil consumption problem. Was not expecting moisture or un burned fuel to be in the can.