# What is this "gunk" on my oil pan?



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

2013 Tiguan. I removed my skid plate to change my oil yesterday and saw this gunk running down the pan. It was mostly dried so I couldn't really tell what it was, and it was brittle so i could break little chunks off. I'm no mechanic at all so I have no clue what is happening. From the pics in this link http://imgur.com/gallery/gp0BGvL can anyone tell me what this might be? Thanks.


----------



## kgw (May 1, 2008)

How often do you change your oil? If that is in fact dripping out of your engine...


----------



## Sagginwagen (Oct 15, 2018)

Looks to me like your pcv valve has failed and not letting pressure out of the engine, sending oil out your filler cap.


----------



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

Sagginwagen said:


> Looks to me like your pcv valve has failed and not letting pressure out of the engine, sending oil out your filler cap.


I was wondering what the oil cap had to do with it by the looks of it. If it is the pcv valve, can it cause permanent damage? I'll check this out immediately but I'm curious... always trying to learn more


----------



## kgw (May 1, 2008)

What engine do you have? 



SharkyG said:


> I was wondering what the oil cap had to do with it by the looks of it. If it is the pcv valve, can it cause permanent damage? I'll check this out immediately but I'm curious... always trying to learn more


----------



## GTI's (Nov 27, 2011)

kgw said:


> What engine do you have?


Based on photos and some basic info OP posted looks like EA888 2.0T


----------



## GTI's (Nov 27, 2011)

SharkyG said:


> 2013 Tiguan. I removed my skid plate to change my oil yesterday and saw this gunk running down the pan. It was mostly dried so I couldn't really tell what it was, and it was brittle so i could break little chunks off. I'm no mechanic at all so I have no clue what is happening. From the pics in this link http://imgur.com/gallery/gp0BGvL can anyone tell me what this might be? Thanks.


Remove you oil cap and take a look at what is under it. Any coolant level issues? Tested the PCV for function?


----------



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

GTI's said:


> kgw said:
> 
> 
> > What engine do you have?
> ...



That's correct


----------



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

kgw said:


> How often do you change your oil? If that is in fact dripping out of your engine...


I skipped the last 10k maintenance so its been 20k. I realize this is totally inexcusable and I'm suffering the consequences.


----------



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

GTI's said:


> Remove you oil cap and take a look at what is under it. Any coolant level issues? Tested the PCV for function?


What specifically am I looking for if I remove oil cap? I have not tested the pcv functionality. Over the past 4 or 5 months I have had to top off the coolant 3 times, although I haven't seen or smelled any signs of a leak until this oil change.


----------



## GTI's (Nov 27, 2011)

Something similar to this


----------



## SharkyG (Aug 7, 2019)

Ok. No build up of anything under the cap. Looks perfect. Just read that a failing pcv can cause a whistle. I've been hearing a whistle when accelerating over 30 miles per hour. At first I thought it was a distant siren but realized it was the car. It dies down and stops when I stop accelerating. I'll check the pcv valve tomorrow morning when I can see what I'm doing.


----------



## mdo91 (Jun 28, 2014)

Looks like coolant to me, right under where the water pump is. The oil leaking on top of the water pump makes the gasket swell and weep coolant. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

A malfunctioning PCV valve can cause oil blowing out of the seals. Over-pressureizing the crankcase. 
In the old days, they use to just vent the crankcase to the atmosphere which was a major cause of smog. That was the first thing they fixed when they started doing pollution controls.


----------

