Engine oil smell of gas

[MysteryMachine]

I am about to bring in my car for its first oil change. I am at 2700 miles (4 month). I checked the dipstick to see the color and level. Color looks normal, level is actually showing as slightly above full (I don't recall if it was always like this or not) but... it smells like gas. I noticed this before with the oil in my catch can on the PCV line. How concerned should it be? If you google it, the answers sound like I should be very concerned. I will mention it to the dealer when I bring it in. Am I being over paranoid?

[MysteryMachine]

Search didn't turn up anything when searching for oil smells like gas but google did, seems there is another thread on it: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?p=784706

[Kauf]

I do alot of short trips lately. Work is only 3 miles away. Changed my oil at the last service interval about 4-5 months ago. After a long trip freeway driving just before pulling in the driveway after getting off the freeway, a plume of white smoke came out of the hood. Popped the hood and couldn't find anything but definitely a hot, somewhat burning smell.
Have been keeping an eye on it. No smoke has returned. I think I'll take it to get it checked out. Today I checked the oil after freeway driving again and I smelled the dipstick because some smoke came out with it when I pulled it out. Never saw that before. The oil smelled mixed with gas. Anyone know what's going on? Or what to do about it?

Thanks

[Tristor]

If your oil smells of gas after only 2700 miles, I'd say that you are probably not driving your car properly. By that, I mean, you should always bring the car (coolant and oil) to full operating temp on each startup, before shutting it off. If you aren't properly warming the car up and are taking a lot of short quick trips, you'll end up with this symptom from higher than normal fuel dilution in the engine oil. There's no serious detrimental effects immediately, but it does make the oil less effective and leads to higher wear over time on the engine.

Bringing your car up to operating temp ensures any water evaporates fully from the oil, that everything in the block is expanded (remember metals expand when heated, contract when cooled), and prevents excessive blow-by. If your FI you may be experiencing excessive blow by for other reasons.

In the interim, you should do an oil change and have your used oil tested by a laboratory (like Blackstone Labs for instance) and get an analysis. Up your oil change intervals if you take lots of short quick trips, this is considered "severe usage" by most manufacturers and OCIs are shortened.

[soundman98]

My work is only 3 miles away. But when the weathers nice, it's a 75+mi commute home..

Enjoy the car! Drive more!

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by Kauf

I do alot of short trips lately. Work is only 3 miles away. Changed my oil at the last service interval about 4-5 months ago. After a long trip freeway driving just before pulling in the driveway after getting off the freeway, a plume of white smoke came out of the hood. Popped the hood and couldn't find anything but definitely a hot, somewhat burning smell.
Have been keeping an eye on it. No smoke has returned. I think I'll take it to get it checked out. Today I checked the oil after freeway driving again and I smelled the dipstick because some smoke came out with it when I pulled it out. Never saw that before. The oil smelled mixed with gas. Anyone know what's going on? Or what to do about it?

Thanks

I hadn't realized you'd zombied an old thread for my original reply.


Your issue sounds more severe than what I mentioned in my original reply. I'd suggest you take your vehicle to a mechanic to be inspected. If you've got smoke pouring out and some of it is coming out the dipstick that indicates bigger problems, but I can't honestly say what those problems are.


Good luck.

[lamawithonel]

+1 to Tristor's comments.

Oil dilution is more of a problem in today's high compression, direct injection engines, like our FA20, especially with forced induction. Honda recently did a recall for an especially bad case of it.

See: https://www.wardsauto.com/engines/honda-15l-engine-suffers-cold-weather-oil-dilution-problem

[Kauf]

Thank you for the ideas. I'm going to take it in to get it looked at. And at least get the oil changed as well. Hopefully nothing too bad. 😬

[Kauf]

The subaru service department near me looked around, drove it around, etc. And said they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Changed the oil and filter. I will give it a smell soon to see if it still smells mixed. So just going to keep going hoping it was a fluke.
The service department did put some gouges in my steering wheel from a ring or watch or something sharp. Anyway. Thanks service department.

[Tokay444]

I haven't read all the replies.
2 things.
Rings haven't completely seated/worn in, and DI engines are notorious for wall wetting resulting in fuel dilution.
Your engine is new and still breaking in. This does happen a lot quicker in this modern age of engine manufacturing and with surface finishes being what they are from the factory, but there still is a break-in period. You want LOTS of vacuum, and not a ton of heavy load.