Oil level question

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I put Mobil 1 AP 0w20 in the 3 back in May of 2017. I only drive 3 days a week to work and each way is only 6 miles. Several times during the winter after the car has sat all night I had to move it out of the driveway to let my gf get her car out. The car only sees very short trips.

The oil level has always been right at the top hole since I did the change and for several months after. Yesterday I checked it after the car sat all night and again after a drive (waiting 5 minutes) and it’s now showing to be 50% above the top hole.

The only thing I can think of is it’s moisture or fuel. I went on an hour long highway drive last week too and I guess that did not help burn any of the moisture off. There are currently 3,240 miles on the oil.

I was thinking of getting it changed. I realize color doesn’t mean much but it still looks light gold fwiw.

I’ve never had the oil level go up. It usually always goes down.
 
Our Mazda 5 plays those tricks on me too. If it isn't dead flat where I check it after a oil change it is either low or too full. Never had a car before that acted that way. Ours has the 2.5L
 
I have 50k on it and it’s never done this though. And when i changed the oil it’s always been at the full mark.
 
Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
buster, can you give us some details about the car and engine?


Yep definitely needed

My cherokee pentastar seems to go up very slightly with extended short tripping.. although I try to hit a 30mile+ trip once a week or so.
 
Not good if its a good reading. Check PCV. Coolant level OK? That much rise has always been a HG or IM gasket, IME.
Regardless That short tripping and moving the car is a engine killer whatever you do.

Can you take a 300ml sample and hot plate it outside and see how much evaps off in an hour.

You can try to light the vapours after a few mins simmer. If they don't light its likely water/coolant.

Read up on blotter tests too for easy check.
Personally, I'm not too good at reading those.
 
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It’s a 2015 3 with the 2.0.

I can smell fuel in the oil but that’s the case with most engines I think.
 
Coolant level is fine. Oil had strong smell of gasoline. It’s likely fuel IMO.
 
^ I agree. This also coincided with my new 6 mile commute and short trip driving so it all makes sense.
 
Originally Posted By: buster
^ I agree. This also coincided with my new 6 mile commute and short trip driving so it all makes sense.


Maybe you were also idling more than usual during the cold blast the East Coast had a short while ago?
 
Many many < 10 mile trips during a lot of the winter.
 
Plan a good 1 hour hard highway trip to a nice restaurant instead of changing the oil. The Level should go back. Your TBN reserve will likely be OK IF you get water and fuel out.

Or just change the oil.
 
If your reference level was taken with the oil temp lower, then it will read low. Remember, it takes far longer for oil to warm up than coolant.

-Mike
 
Originally Posted By: buster
I did that last week and it’s still high.


Evaporation points of maybe half of gasoline components are above typical oil sump temperatures, so once gasoline enters it will never leave completely. I think your only real solution is an oil change.

If it’s any consolation, Honda 1.5T TGDI engines are apparently stacked up in cold weather dealerships waiting for Honda to come up with a solution to excessive fuel dilution. Excessive means enough to trigger a CEL or stall the vehicle. It’s been a cold winter, but compared to that you’re in good shape...
 
I ended up going to a Valvoline Instant Oil change place. Didn't feel like messing with it. However, they put Valvoline Synpower with MaxLife 0w20 in it instead of regular Synpower. Not a big deal but that's not what I wanted. I'll switch to the new Modern Engine oil once it's available.
 
What is REALLY causing this dilution? high pressure injection near TDC being forced past low tension ringlands?
You would think the upstroke would lose more gasoline on a port injection scheme, but possibly the wet fuel formed a hyrdodyn seal betwixt the top 2 rings prior to light off.

Interesting from an engineering standpoint. Hmmmm.

Maybe they need a prechamber swirl bowl in the piston ala diesel.
 
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