Catch can users in very cold climates.

[IndeedSS1]

Those of you that daily drive your car during the winter months and run a catch can, will you post pictures of what the catch looks like? Mine during hot weather looked like regular oil but blacker, to very cold temps and looking like tan foam. This tan foam never separates back out to oil and smells way different than what I was catching in the summer months. Now it has what I think is a stong smell of gasoline. Im not sure that this is normal.

[The Stig]

Well the oil is only rated to a certain temperature.

[Agent WD-40]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS1

Those of you that daily drive your car during the winter months and run a catch can, will you post pictures of what the catch looks like? Mine during hot weather looked like regular oil but blacker, to very cold temps and looking like tan foam. This tan foam never separates back out to oil and smells way different than what I was catching in the summer months. Now it has what I think is a stong smell of gasoline. Im not sure that this is normal.

I'll have to check mine. I'm wondering if mine would even drain based on what yours is looking like.

[IndeedSS1]

What you see stuck to the bottom of the bottle is sort of what concerns me. I'm not getting the "liquid" as much now as the thick stuff.

[Jekyll-N-Hyde]

When you empty your catch can have you ever touched the inside of your Can with a paper towel or anything ? A friend of mine dumped his out monthly and would wipe it out to see how much he actually got each month.
after doing this for the first few times he saw what you are seeing. so he quit whiping it out and just dumped it and he hasnt seen it since.

Now yours is a little more thick and Yellow. I thought the oils of the towel mixed with the oil and changed the color.

keep in mind if Water gets in Oil it turns a creamy Yellow.


Pull your dip stick and check your oil if its Black or better yet if it looks normal on the dip stick then get a cotton tshirt and wipe out the inside of the catch can. Drive it a week then check again. There may be something in the catch can that is doing this to oil or maybe its moisture in the catch can. I wouldnt think if the oil looks good from the dip stick you have an issue.

[IndeedSS1]

Dipstick looks fine. And you can't wipe out the RX can. I have a feeling I'm going to have to pull the can during warmer weather and pour some solvent in, to clean it out. Thanks, for the info. I've seen pictures from other types of cars but mine started to look less like those.

[Fishdadddy]

Looks like water. Maybe the can is condensing water from being cold while sitting and the warming up on the outside. Kinda like a cold drink in a glass, during summer.

[IndeedSS1]

That's waht I thought, but what I catch now just look like what's stuck on the bottom. And it never separates. It stays like a warm milkshae consistancy. That and the smell is what's worrying me. I thought maybe the car would run somewhat richer in the winter and may have something to do with it, but am doubting that theory.

[hamr56]

I don't have a catch can, but I am wondering if the warm oil going into the cold catch can would cause condensation leading to the milky oil that you are seeing?

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by hamr56

I don't have a catch can, but I am wondering if the warm oil going into the cold catch can would cause condensation leading to the milky oil that you are seeing?

Wouldn't it separate back out after sitting for several days? This is what I initially thought. Like I said it smells different that the normal warm weather catch. If it were only water I wouldn't think the smell would change...But I could ne wrong. If all of this is normal thats fine.

[wbdinger]

Originally Posted by hamr56

I don't have a catch can, but I am wondering if the warm oil going into the cold catch can would cause condensation leading to the milky oil that you are seeing?

Very true.
Up here alot of people dont run thier cars long enough in the winter, with short trips to work/grocery's and due to lack of heat it evaporate properly and leaves that yellow milky residue behind.
Cure Drive More for longer periods lol

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by wbdinger

Very true.
Up here alot of people dont run thier cars long enough in the winter, with short trips to work/grocery's and due to lack of heat it evaporate properly and leaves that yellow milky residue behind.
Cure Drive More for longer periods lol

I drive 300 miles a week, every week.

[SC2150]

The crankcase comtaminates include unburnt fuel, water, carbon particles, sulferic acid, etc. In the winter the car runs much richer on startup and therefore mure unburnt fuel enters past the rings and the PCV system will evac it along with the water vapor that mixes with synthetic oil and does not separate like conventional oil will (over time in a warm surrounding it should). So what your seeing is normal. The longer the car runs and the warmer the ambient air temp the less you will pull water vapor, but in below freezing temps there is a ton of water condensation into the crankcase and when up to operating temp this flashes off as steam that is then pulled out and through the can. Nothing is wrong w/the car as this is never seen w/out a catchcan.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by SC2150

The crankcase comtaminates include unburnt fuel, water, carbon particles, sulferic acid, etc. In the winter the car runs much richer on startup and therefore mure unburnt fuel enters past the rings and the PCV system will evac it along with the water vapor that mixes with synthetic oil and does not separate like conventional oil will (over time in a warm surrounding it should). So what your seeing is normal. The longer the car runs and the warmer the ambient air temp the less you will pull water vapor, but in below freezing temps there is a ton of water condensation into the crankcase and when up to operating temp this flashes off as steam that is then pulled out and through the can. Nothing is wrong w/the car as this is never seen w/out a catchcan.

Then everyone should have one.

Sure wished I had thought to take a picture of my last 2k miles that I poured in the recycle jug yesterday.