A man thought he was getting a good deal when he bought an Acura RSX from Facebook Marketplace. But when he went to change the oil, he quickly realized his new car had a serious problem. His TikTok video showing what happened has now been watched more than 13 million times.
The buyer, who goes by Caleb on TikTok, decided to do a basic oil change after bringing his car home. When he got under the vehicle and opened the drain plug, he expected normal dark oil to come out. What he saw instead was shocking. The liquid pouring out was a strange milky tan color that looked nothing like regular motor oil.
One commentator said, “It’s got a whole infection” to describe the bad oil. He explained that his Acura RSX had a blown head gasket, though he mentioned he was ready for this kind of problem. The clip shows him watching the weird-colored fluid drain from his car.
When oil looks milky, it’s bad news
When your oil turns milky or tan like this, it means coolant has gotten mixed in with it. This usually happens because of a broken head gasket, a cracked part of the engine, or a busted oil cooler. The head gasket is basically a seal that sits between two major engine parts and keeps everything separate. It makes sure oil stays in the oil area, coolant stays in the coolant area, and neither of them mix together.
Car mechanics have a name for this problem. They call it “chocolate milk” oil because that’s exactly what it looks like. When you see this, your engine is probably also showing other warning signs. You might notice white smoke coming from your tailpipe that smells sweet. Your engine might get too hot. You could see bubbles forming in your coolant tank. All of these point to the same issue.
Fixing a blown head gasket on an Acura RSX is not cheap. Most people end up paying somewhere between $1,500 and $3,200 for the repair. The mechanic has to take apart the top part of your engine and check if anything is warped or cracked. They replace the broken gasket and other parts, which takes a lot of work. If your engine got too hot before you caught the problem, you might need even more repairs or possibly a whole new engine. Taking time to inspect properly helps you avoid expensive problems down the road.
This video is a warning for anyone buying cars online. When you shop on Facebook Marketplace or similar sites, you need to be careful. Car experts say you should always bring a mechanic with you to look at the car before you buy it. Check the vehicle history using the identification number.
Look under the oil cap to see if there’s any milky stuff stuck there. These simple checks can save you thousands of dollars. Caleb said he knew this might happen, but most people who buy used cars are not expecting this kind of surprise from dealerships or private sellers.
