CR-V OIL LEVELS INCREASING DUE TO UNBURNED FUEL

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wemay

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Good article on sequence of events. Very cold temps appear to be worst case scenario. Honda dealers seem to be stepping up and addressing issue as Corp Honda investigates.

For entire story open link

https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2018/honda-cr-v-oil-levels-increasing-unburned-fuel.shtml

Quote:
Dongfeng Honda, a Chinese car company half-owned by Honda, originally announced in February 2018 a recall of 350,000 Honda CR-V SUVs and Honda Civics, both equipped with 1.5-liter turbocharged Earth Dreams direct injection engines.

At the time, Dongfeng said it wasn't too concerned with reports of damaged engines because the Honda Technology Research Institute conducted lab and real-world driving tests in the extreme cold of northern China and determined high oil levels do not cause engine damage.

Reports of illuminated engine and oil warning lights were explained by the rising oil levels 21 mm above the limit of the oil dipstick.

Engineers at the time also claimed they could find no evidence of abnormal engine wear, leading Dongfeng Honda to conclude a recall would be good enough to fix the problems.

Honda told CR-V owners in China that until recall repairs were complete, owners should limit idling periods, use block heaters on the SUVs and drive the vehicles in lower gears at the beginning of trips to warm the engines faster. The automaker said longer trips at higher engine revolutions would help the excess fuel and vapors to properly evaporate.

Dongfeng Honda said the 350,000 vehicles would have adjustments made to the timing and speed of the engines and updates of the fuel injection timing and gasoline injection control software. Additionally, the warranties of the CR-Vs would be extended to six years to calm the fears of owners.

However, Chinese regulators put a halt to Honda's plans and the automaker's ability to sell new CR-Vs in the country. Chinese officials say Honda needs to do more to address and fix the oil level and gas odor problems, forcing Honda to issue a stop-sale on new SUVs until government-approved recall repairs are performed.

As Chinese regulators, customers and the automaker itself discovered the increasing oil levels, CR-V owners in Canada and the U.S. were reporting similar symptoms, including allegations of damaged engines.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Gasoline must not make a good engine oil additive. 21 mm is getting close to one inch....ouch.


I bet it keeps things inside the engine clean though.....
wink.gif
 
You don't have no sense demarpaint
lol.gif


But I bet you are right about that.

Always good to see you and Wemay on here.
 
Hey it’s all good! Honda and other Japanese based car companies love to specify Singer Sewing Machine Oil as their go to motor oil.
 
Originally Posted By: bbhero
You don't have no sense demarpaint
lol.gif


But I bet you are right about that.

Always good to see you and Wemay on here.


Do you mean senseless?

I bet I'm right too, at the cost of ruining an engine, given enough time.

Good to see you too buddy!
 
Actually, there have been engine failures with the 1.5L DI turbo Honda. Plenty of them. Fuel dilution does play a role.
 
Honda is losing its reputation every year with things like this.
I've got a relative who has a 2017 Honda Civic 1.5T, who is a mechanic. I'll ask him if oil levels are rising. Its hard to believe they "determined high oil levels do not cause engine damage" when its well known foaming happens when it starts hitting the crankshaft.

Until this is fixed, maybe put in thicker 0w30 or 0w40 and watch it thin out, maybe even empty a little out once in a while to keep it from over-filling itself. .....
Also, when changing the oil, just put in new oil enough to just barely pass the lower line on the dipstick and watch it rise, or add a little oil every other week if it doesn't go up on its own.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Honda is losing its reputation every year with things like this.
I've got a relative who has a 2017 Honda Civic 1.5T, who is a mechanic. I'll ask him if oil levels are rising. Its hard to believe they "determined high oil levels do not cause engine damage" when its well known foaming happens when it starts hitting the crankshaft.

Until this is fixed, maybe put in thicker 0w30 or 0w40 and watch it thin out, maybe even empty a little out once in a while to keep it from over-filling itself. .....
Also, when changing the oil, just put in new oil enough to just barely pass the lower line on the dipstick and watch it rise, or add a little oil every other week if it doesn't go up on its own.

I'm pretty sure that Honda already specifies the use of 5W-30 in their vehicles outside of North America.
If I found that the oil level went up that much (or even half that much), I would change it immediately. Oil changes are cheap, engines and turbo chargers are not.
 
Part of my guess in China is that these engines are driven in heavy traffic with lots of cold starts and idling, so they engines aren't getting hot enough to burn off that excess fuel.

As well most of these people in China probably have these cars as their first cars and they aren't as educated as the BITOG crowd.

Think of a city of 24 million people and all that traffic congestion. I doubt that as many cars in America would be subject to the exact same conditions with that many cars.
 
Some of Yamaha's 4-Stroke outboard marine engines had this problem early on. It was called "making oil".

And yes, gasoline (a solvent) does not mix well with oil (a lubricant).
 
but but but.... the engineers/manufacturers are infallible! They wouldn't possibly design a defective engine and recommend too low a viscosity that could cause any harm... blasphemy!!
 
Any chance I can put this engine in my lady's old Forester? I get so annoyed adding 1/2 a quart every 1000 miles (2 weeks).

A friend used to drive an old beater truck from the late 70's in high school. Carbureted. During the winter he had to change the oil every 1000 because it dumped so much fuel into the crankcase. I'd save my used Mobil 1 and he'd use it for his 1000 mile change. Maybe Honda could recommend used oil 1000 mile change intervals LOL
 
Originally Posted By: MParr
Hey it’s all good! Honda and other Japanese based car companies love to specify Singer Sewing Machine Oil as their go to motor oil.



The oil has nothing to do with the issue at hand but you likely knew that?
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
Part of my guess in China is that these engines are driven in heavy traffic with lots of cold starts and idling, so they engines aren't getting hot enough to burn off that excess fuel.

As well most of these people in China probably have these cars as their first cars and they aren't as educated as the BITOG crowd.

Think of a city of 24 million people and all that traffic congestion. I doubt that as many cars in America would be subject to the exact same conditions with that many cars.


Same thing is occurring in the US and Canada with this platform. And, because this may bt the first new car for many owners in China, they likely read the manual and check the engine oil as instructed. So they identify the problem while most North American owners never open the hood and are unaware.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Wonder if the new Mitsubishi 1.5 Turbo DI. Engine has anything in common
with the Honda unit?




The Mitsubishi 4B4 engine is from a older design Mitsubishi had made before.
 
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