Yellowish gunk around oil entrance cap

I was about a 1/2 a quart low so I opened the cap and noticed a yellowish buildup by the cap. This same buildup is also by the coolant cap but not nearly as much. Something to be concerned about?

Pretty normal actually. That's just water making its way out of the oil. It doesn't mix well and makes that nice yellow milkshake crap. Doesn't happen as much in the summer time when there is less moisture in the air. I drive my 996 every day and I still get some of that at the top of the oil fill neck. Around the coolant cap? take the cap off and see what the coolant looks like. If you have the milkshake in the coolant tank, you have a big problem - cracked head or cylinder.

Do you drive it for short distances without letting it get warmed up? If so this will happen. The best solution is to drive longer and this gunk will burn off. But if it gets excessive you'll probably want to search for other potential solutions. I know I saw this on mine once and after going for a long drive it was all gone.

You have a bad condition of pamper and short trips. Get the car out for longer drives and cook the moisture out of the oil. Just regular operating temps but for longer than short trips will get the moisture out of the oil. Maybe just do a good long drive this weekend. You can wipe that water soaked oil up but you'll still have water suspended in your oil. Although I have heard of a new fungus fortelling the end of the world in 2012 that will destroy all the nice cars. I think you have it.

While you have been sleeping, your Porsche has been hanging out with BMWs and now has a bad case of "the clap!" Actually, the cause and solution is exactly what Pac996 said ^.

I do not think that it is normal if your coolant cap had this buildup.

Inside the coolant cap make it clean and see if it comes back. Oil in the water is possibly a cracked head. Best to keep an eye on it. How about a picture of whats in the coolant cap area?

A failing AOS can cause the both of the symptoms listed above. Check to see if your oil filler cap has more than a tiny bit of vacuum when you open it while the engine is running. A lot of vacuum means a dying AOS. I have the same symptoms and have been trying to find the time to change the AOS out.

No one suggesting a blown headgasket?

Moisture from your engine internals that should go away after bringing engine up to temp. Do you do a lot of short driving?

Wipe it out and go and drive your car more. It is condensation of normal water build up in the oil. The oil cap is one of the coolest places on the engine and the water vapor condenses on it.

That's a drastic example... I'd clean it out and drive it long distance and don't be shy to give it a bit, Italian tune up style.

IF this gets deemed 'normal' (maybe moisture & condensation) and you continue on your current path of driving style (maybe lots of short trips) you need to drastically shorten your oil drain interval. You have it by the oil cap and coolant cap (stated above in your post). So, I'm guessing the dreaded inter-mix. Not normal.

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Normally with the design of porsche head gasket it does not break unless you throw a piston through the dome maybe. At least thats what I've been told.

Ah ok, good to know.

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I often hear "longer drives" but what does that mean in terms of time on the road ? I have something similar (oil cap, but not in the rad cap) and i suspect short drives in the February chill in my neck of the woods is the cause. thanks for the input !

Why not get your engine up to an indicated 180 degrees F(or around 90 degrees C) and drive it for 30 minutes.

This gets posted fairly often and the responses always get me a bit ranty I drive my car every day 37 km to work and then 37 km back home. I run the bag off it every day - redline every ten minutes, between 2000 and 5000 rpm the rest of the time. My car has always run like a top, no strange noises, the motor is sound. I use Motul 8100 15/540 - not the best I know, but not the Mobil 1 crap either. I change my oil every 8000 kilometres, the most recent change was last month - about 1500 kilometres ago. You know where this is going right - yep. Just this morning I used a slurpee straw (scoop on the end right) to clean out my oil filler tube which looked just like that pictured here. When it's cold and wet outside - this s&*t happens. It's normal - don't worry about it.

look at the length of the filler tube. the heat of the engine is barely making it up to there. nothing to worry about, and no need for drastically shorter drain intervals either.