1996 Toyota Celica GT. Took the oil cap off today and noticed this. I'm aware that when coolant gets into the oil it can cause a milky substances, but I am not sure if this is that or not. I've checked the oil regularly and never noticed this. What could this be and what should I do?
Not necessarily. It could be just the moisture in the air got into the oil. If you do not loose coolant, you should be fine, Although for peace of your mind, you can buy the kit from Amazon and check your headgasket situation.
Yeah to me that looks like condensation that got into the system. Head gasket issues have a real milky color, whereas that just looks like the typical nasty air contamination. It can look worse than it is, and if you arent losing coolant you are probably ok.
Still, you could do as stated above and buy the kit to test it to be sure. They arent super expensive and it may be worth it for your peace of mind.
wipe the residue off, and take the car for a good hard ride, to get it nice and hot. Take in on the highway @ 70mph for a good half hour. That should get rid of a lot of the moisture.
But you should change the oil soon.
