I checked my the oil in my '98 V70XC to find what looked like cappuccino all over the dipstick. I have never seen a dipstick look like this before. I have looked at many dipsticks because i have never owned a car that has less than 100,000 miles on it so i am in the habit of checking oil frequently.

i had my oil changed approx 1200 miles ago- i always change it every 5000 (for shame! but it's easier for me to remember to do this on the 5,000 mark and i get my tires rotated at the same time).

when i first checked the oil i was at the gas station and the car had only been driven about 10 miles and had been sitting for a few days (i walk to work & don't drive long distances during the week- sometimes on the weekend). i got home and checked it again- same thing. so, now the car had been driving about 20 miles. i was heading out of town and i went online and searched frothy oil... much to my dismay it looks like a head gasket OR condensation. i was heading out of town and DID NOT take this car, just in case- and drove another 8 miles in this car to swap out and borrow some else's car. So, at this point i had about 28 miles on the car and the oil at this point looked ALMOST normal?

Does this mean it might not be a head gasket?

IF it is a head gasket- how much should i expect to pay for this to be replaced? IF it is by some miracle just condensation- what is the proper repair?

Some facts:
*i had the car for 4 years & i lived in the CO mountains where temps regularly hit -20F in the winter and the oil never looked like this. It is dry there.
*i'm temp living in Pittsburgh, when this happened it was probably in the +20s with i'm guessing higher humidity.
*i currently walk to work and don't drive much more than 20 miles return at a time. i realize this isn't the best for cars...
*because of relocation- i do not have a mechanic here that i know/trust

IF it is the head gasket and i decide to replace it... is this the start of a downward spiral? Will i need to replace more stuff? how many head gaskets does this car have? what needs done to determine if it is a head gasket?

i have been really good about repairs/maintenance and timing belt/serpentine belt have already been replaced on my watch. is there anything else i should have done/checked if they end up going after the engine?

I realize this is lengthly but i am at the complete mercy of whatever some random mechanic tells me... ANY feedback is greatly appreciate!!!!

 

Search for a mechanic at CarTalk.com tell Tom and Ray I sent you.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/

If the creamy stuff you saw was near the top of the stick, then this is normal condensate in the crankcase for your short drives. Oil's at the bottom and doesn't clear up after it's contaminated.
Check for leaks visually: oil in coolant or coolant in oil, black scum of combustion in coolant tank.
Pressure check of cooling system: Rapid pressure build within a minute of start-up.
Hydraulic lock of engine from coolant filling cylinders, loss of coolant.
Coolant smell at tail pipe.
Milky oil in crank case.
Repair estimates: http://repairpal.com/estimator?checking_cookies=true for an idea.
Ed

 

My 960 does this all the time if I have been making only short trips. If I take it out on the highway for a long drive it goes away. Been doing this for years so I would be hard pressed to think it is a problem.

 

thank you for the feedback! it is greatly appreciated!