2019 1.5L - Watch Your Oil Levels....

etcsthorne

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I'm going to raise the BS flag on Honda having a grip on oil dilution with 2019 models. I have about 7K miles on my Si and I've had the oil changed twice. First time was at 4K in mid-summer (eastern Virginia) and I watched the oil level creep up just a bit until the 7K oil change a few weeks ago....maybe an eight of an inch above full. This time, however..... it's been cold around here and I have about 500 miles on my recent oil change. When I left the dealer I checked the level and it was right at full. I checked it this morning and it's definitely above full and on the wire part of the dipstick where I can't tell exactly how much it's above full.

I'll be making an appointment to get this looked at. I don't believe Honda has this figured out. If some of you with 2019 and later 1.5L could keep a frequent check and chime in, it would be appreciated.

Cheers. Mark
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REBELXSi

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There's no way your oil level went up by any measurable amount in 500 miles.
Edit: Unless those miles took forever to acquire and involved a ton of idling.
 

SDSport6MT

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There's no way your oil level went up by any measurable amount in 500 miles.
Edit: Unless those miles took forever to acquire and involved a ton of idling.
I agree, was the car cold each time the oil was checked? Right from the dealer usually isn’t a good time to check since the car is warm and oil has been moving.
 

Spacesloth

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As the post above says, the oil level varies a lot depending on how long you let the engine sit, Honda states to check the level 3-5 minutes after running if I’m not mistaken so you should be checking and comparing the oil level then.
 

mvela

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That brings up a good question. Should we be checking the levels when it’s warmed up or when the engine is cold? I’ve never really given that much thought. I usually change the oil and let it run for about 5 minutes to let the filter fill up and get the oil moved through the engine then check and top it off. But the engine still isn’t really warmed all the way up at this time. But on my 2.0 the level stays on the mark. But on my 1.5t it tends to go up a bit. I do them both the same way. :dunno:
 


amirza786

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The only way, and I mean THE ONLY meaningful way you are going to actually know if oil dilution is an issue is by an oil analysis. You would need to follow the MM and at your next oil change take a sample while the oil is hot. If oil dilution is actually an issue, it will show up in the analysis.

Anything else is just speculation
 

Danimal

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I think people are defining oil dilution as a problem if the oil level creeps up, which is not an issue. Oil dilution can cause problems, but unless your car is exhibiting those problems then why is it an issue?

For reference, I’m aware of the past problems Honda has had with this, and I work for an engine manufacturer who also has experience with the issue in certain use cases.
 

JT Si

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It's been cold here for about two months. I just changed my oil. I put 4 quarts in, 4 quarts came out. Not sure how anyone reads as granularly as 1/8" above full on the dipstick given the terrible design. The dipstick is only good for making sure it's between the dots and nothing more.

I don't have the oil dilution update.
 

kingbudd

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I moved at the beginning of the year, it was cheaper to sell my car (2017) and get a new 2019 instead of shipping it 5,000 miles across the ocean. My 2019 currently hit 1,700 miles since I bought it in March 2019. The oil MM just hit 30% oil life on the original oil; so I average 150-200 miles per month. This is all city driving, my mpg is currently 17.3; I know it’s super low. But to the point of oil dilution, my oil reeks of gasoline. I mean, bad! I know it’s common for some gas dilution when city driving, but when it hits 10% I am sending it in for analysis. Give me two more months before I need to head to the dealership, but I won’t let them bend me over if I experience issues down the road.
 

REBELXSi

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I moved at the beginning of the year, it was cheaper to sell my car (2017) and get a new 2019 instead of shipping it 5,000 miles across the ocean. My 2019 currently hit 1,700 miles since I bought it in March 2019. The oil MM just hit 30% oil life on the original oil; so I average 150-200 miles per month. This is all city driving, my mpg is currently 17.3; I know it’s super low. But to the point of oil dilution, my oil reeks of gasoline. I mean, bad! I know it’s common for some gas dilution when city driving, but when it hits 10% I am sending it in for analysis. Give me two more months before I need to head to the dealership, but I won’t let them bend me over if I experience issues down the road.
My oil smells like gas but I sent it out to Blackstone and they told me it was actually below avg. I drive way more than most people so I'm not even worried at this point. Just going to keep changing my oil at 5-7k and use a high quality synthetic.
 


REBELXSi

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I think people are defining oil dilution as a problem if the oil level creeps up, which is not an issue. Oil dilution can cause problems, but unless your car is exhibiting those problems then why is it an issue?
Well, technically, the oil level is rising because it's being diluted with fuel... otherwise it would stay the same or go down.
 

Danimal

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Of course, but I’m saying a rising oil level itself is not an “issue”.
 

SDAlexander8

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1700 miles in 8 months? You gotta drive the thing and let it get to operating temp every once in awhile.

Go for a drive outside the city for a bit, let it warm up and give it the beans every once in awhile. Make it like a 50-100 mile drive. That gas will evaporate out of the oil.
 

FlexRex

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So how many appointments did you end up making? And how did they go?
 

Honda_RacerX

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Ive noticed my oil level rises between oil changes as well. id say about 1/5 of an inch. i check it the same way every time--5 minutes after turning it off the engine.

for the first about 1500 miles it stays the same. After that point i notice that the level reads incrementally higher and higher until i change it at around 5k miles, which at that point is up to about 1/5 of an inch.

edit* i have a 2019 as well.
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