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Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

I purchased this 850 wagon at a great price, however I knew there were issues
when I purchased it. There is definitely condensation in the oil - a chocolate
milk frothy residue on the dipstick. On top of that, there is evidence of oil
leakage from the dipstick where it meets the tube. I figured clogged flame
trap. Well, after I bought the car I took the intake hose off etc, and checked
the flame trap - it was missing - this is not an 850 turbo, it's a na 850.
I put in a new flame trap, cleaned the nipple, checked the vacuum hose, it
all seems to be in working order. I also checked to make sure there was
no restriction from the flame trap to the crankcase, it was OK
I asked the previous owner if it was using coolant, they said absoulutely not.
If you pull the dipstick while the car is running you can see water vapor
coming out - it's gotta be getting in there somehow. There is no evidence
of oil mixing with the coolant in the reservoir tank.

My plan is to change out the oil and filter, take it for a long run
and see what happens (all the while watching the coolant level
like a hawk) Hopefully it's not a cracked head or block.
My main concern with the positive crankcase pressure is blowing
out the rear main seal - what else could cause water vapor entering
and/or excessive crankcase pressure?

Part 2 - I also have a set check engine code. It is 4-2-2 on the ABS
rear return valve circuit, open/short any ideas?

It's gonna be a great car once these issues get cleared up.
Many Thanks!








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    Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

    Update -
    Changed the oil and filter, drove for several hours today.
    Milky foam has not returned yet. If it is a coolant leak,
    it must be very slow...
    --
    1990 240DL - 185K, 1994 850 Wagon - 140K, 1989 Ranger 235K








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    Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

    Wow... have a problem and go do a bit of research and voila... another with teh same problem and lots of other info. A few clarifications for moi...

    First - what is a flametrap and where can it be found?

    I have similar problems in my 850GLT turbo and just changed to synthetic. It is not much more than a grocery hopper which only complicates matters....

    Lastly I also have an oil leak on the right side (drivers side). Will leave spots and it is obvious underneath that it is on the right side of engine. My thinking is that it is a seal (is it the rear on the right? I'm used to saabs and not the volvo just yet). BUT because it is a turbo.... any turbo part there that could leak oil?

    ANyway thanks for any advice as I'm going to venture into a different swedish car - coming from non-turbo saabs to a turbo volvo.

    Thanks for any advice on what to look for ... and what to do for preventative maintenance ...oh it has 107k miles.

    Brian









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    Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

    Kelly is "right on" with the water vapor issue. The oil never gets hot enough to burn off the water vapor it collects when it cools off. I have told my daughter to drive in 1st gear on the way home from school (speed limit = 25) just to move the oil around and hopefully get it hot. I switched to synthetic hoping to alleviate some of the cold problems, don't know if that worked yet.

    If the flame trap was missing, you will probably need to clean the throttle body this spring. I would schedule time with the car and check out/replace all of the vacuum lines and elbows, they are probably original. You can get replacement lines from a local car parts store.

    Klaus
    --
    98 V70Rawd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 75 164E(173K mi)








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    Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

    Drive it for long enough to boil off any condensation. Then pull an oil sample and send it to a lab. If you have antifreeze, they should be able to tell.
    Can also tell a lot of other things about the engine and oil.

    Best to have at least 1000 miles on the oil.









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    Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

    BTW - Thermostat is functioning normally as well.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks!








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      Condensation in Oil /ABS 850 1994

      hi, I also have this problem with my 96, just started this year, it appears that the engine need to be up to a cetain temp to burn condensation off. in previous years ive had a 35 minute highway drive to work, this year I have about a 6 min drive to work and my speed only gets up to 45 mile per hr. cold weather condensation builds up. you may want to ask previous owner how often the car was driven and the distance and amount of time. if the car was just a grocery getter and puttered around town that is why. change oil frequently and run it down the highway, in the winter I take highway trips to nowhere just to heat up engine. I also clean my flame trap out frequently, I have a glt non turbo. hope that helps I also was scared to death of cracked head gasket but thanks to other owner input I discovered that is not the case, in the warmer weather it should go away. kelly







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