Gas / oil smell in cabin and overfilled oil

bumbobee

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Hey all,

So it's finally winter time here in Canada and my dreaded fears have been confirmed. Drove my car around a few times and had the gas / oil smell in cabin. I checked the dip stick after driving the car and it shows full, probably over filled level. Oil is very watery and just drips off the dip stick, doesn't stick.

This is a 2019 Hatchback LX 1.5 turbo with the CVT. Granted it only has 5000 km (3100 miles) on it and 50 % oil life left. It still has the Honda factory fill break in oil in it.

What do I do? Go to the dealer? Start documenting? Might it get better after that break in oil is changed? I thought the 2019 cars were already supposed to have the fix.
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Hey all,

So it's finally winter time here in Canada and my dreaded fears have been confirmed. Drove my car around a few times and had the gas / oil smell in cabin. I checked the dip stick after driving the car and it shows full, probably over filled level. Oil is very watery and just drips off the dip stick, doesn't stick.

This is a 2019 Hatchback LX 1.5 turbo with the CVT. Granted it only has 5000 km (3100 miles) on it and 50 % oil life left. It still has the Honda factory fill break in oil in it.

What do I do? Go to the dealer? Start documenting? Might it get better after that break in oil is changed? I thought the 2019 cars were already supposed to have the fix.
I would definitely advise to contact the dealer as they should be aware at the first sign of an issue. These issues should have been fixed by a software upgrade, however, pre-2019 cars also received an extended warranty on engine parts that may be affected. It would be important to establish there is an issue as your car may be entitled to an extended warranty in addition to any further actions they may take, such as changing the oil now.
 

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Enough stuck on the dipstick for you to check the level. Not sure how much you where expecting to stay on the dipstick. The smell is concerning though
 

latole

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Hey all,

So it's finally winter time here in Canada and my dreaded fears have been confirmed. Drove my car around a few times and had the gas / oil smell in cabin. I checked the dip stick after driving the car and it shows full, probably over filled level. Oil is very watery and just drips off the dip stick, doesn't stick.

This is a 2019 Hatchback LX 1.5 turbo with the CVT. Granted it only has 5000 km (3100 miles) on it and 50 % oil life left. It still has the Honda factory fill break in oil in it.

What do I do? Go to the dealer? Start documenting? Might it get better after that break in oil is changed? I thought the 2019 cars were already supposed to have the fix.

"I thought the 2019 cars were already supposed to have the fix"
-Bumbobee

That is not what I read in some cars mags
 

Gruber

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I checked the dip stick after driving the car and it shows full, probably over filled level.
I don't understand the meaning of this statement. When I check the dipstick, I'm then able to say whether it is full, underfilled, or overfilled, and I can even express these states quantitatively, as a number followed by a physical unit, such as "9 mm above the full mark."

So it looks like you checked the dipstick, and concluded that both the dipstick and the oil are present in your engine. :rolleyes:
 
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bumbobee

bumbobee

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I don't understand the meaning of this statement. When I check the dipstick, I'm then able to say whether it is full, underfilled, or overfilled, and I can even express these states quantitatively, as a number followed by a physical unit, such as "9 mm above the full mark."

So it looks like you checked the dipstick, and concluded that both the dipstick and the oil are present in your engine. :rolleyes:
There are 2 dots on the dip stick, low and full. The oil is above the full mark as it seems the whole dip stick is saturated in oil. Should of been more clear.
 

RufflesSCO

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There are 2 dots on the dip stick, low and full. The oil is above the full mark as it seems the whole dip stick is saturated in oil. Should of been more clear.
Was the whole dipstick only saturated the first time you pulled it out? If yes then that's normal.

If you wiped it off, put the dipstick back in, pulled it out a second time and it was completely saturated again then you may have a problem.
 

Gruber

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Check the oil on cold engine in the morning. Much easier to read the dipstick.
 

Deleted User 1886347

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This is the oil dilution issue with the 1.5 Turbo, quite common actually (on DI engines anyways), but I have yet to see any engine issues directly related to this other than the symptoms you relay, and there's some members on the accord/crv/civic forums that have high miles already without hiccups. Typically affects cars in colder climates and those that drive really short distances (i.e. short commute to work, grocery cars, etc), though there have been confirmed cases down in the warmer states. My parents have a 2018 CR-V LX with the 1.5 and have the issue as well, but it hasn't affected anything with the engine so far (knock on wood).

My advice, take it out for a decent highway drive, then re-check the oil. If no better, go to the dealer to get an oil change done and make sure they acknowledge the problem. Document everything, and even get an oil analysis done to see what percentage of it is gasoline.
 

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what was the oil level like when you bought the car brand new?
I'll add to this and say that if you haven't checked the oil since new and this is the first time you checked it, it's especially important to take it out for a long drive so its at full operating temp. Then check the oil after it's been off for a few minutes. You might see that the overfilling would be gone or not as present as before because the gas has a chance to burn off..

Checking the oil when cold can give a false reading even on normal N/A cars that don't have dilution problems.
 


Gruber

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horrible advice,

oil should be checked at full operating temperature,

and withing 2-3 mins of shutting the engine off,

read your manual

No, that's nonsense. If you take it verbatim, the manual also also says you only can check the oil at the gas station, when you refuel. You must be a theoretician.:rolleyes: The manual says it's most convenient to remember to check oil when refueling, but you can check the oil at least three minutes after driving, Of course you don't have to be at a gas station to check the oil and the engine doesn't have to be hot. :rofl:
It's easier to check when cold, for those who have problem reading the dipstick. I only check on cold engine, unless I need to do it when hot. The result is exactly the same, of course.
 

Gruber

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Checking the oil when cold can give a false reading even on normal N/A cars that don't have dilution problems.
I would imagine one needs to be a professor of musicology or a poet to think that the dipstick has to be checked on hot engine....:hmm: To theoreticians I recommend trying an experiment once in a lifetime and seeing the difference, but for those who can't read the dipstick properly it won't work....

https://mobiloil.com/en/faq/ask-our...els-be-checked-when-the-engine-is-hot-or-cold

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/checking-your-engine-oil-warm-or-cold-engine/

Here is the correct answer from the second link:

"Hot or cold it makes no difference to the volume of oil in the sump. The problem arises when you check the oil too soon after running the engine as the oil will have been pumped into all the oil gallerys and the cylinder head, and it takes a little time to work its way back down to the sump. 5 minutes or more after stoping the engine should be sufficient time to wait, and obviously on level ground."
 

Daniel644

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how long of a Drive was it, was the car brought up to temp, how long was it driven after coming up to temp?
 

Gruber

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its not the correct answer, its again horrible advice,

all the oil should NOT BE in the sump when you check the oil level, oil SHOULD BE in the cylinder head and oil passages, that is the reason why they recommend checking the level immediately after shutting the engine off,
Don't double down on nonsense... you already have given here a ton of doubtful advice. Do a dipstick experiment and check before pontificating.....you don't need a stopwatch to check your oil (is the oil still up there after 6 minutes? 10 minutes?...ask the in internet: it's there for everyone to see.

I strongly recommend everyone to always check the oil cold. If are confident in your dipstick reading skills and want it the hard way, go ahead and check it hot, and bless your hart. :doh:

Here is the ultimate truth about this matter:

https://www.cartalk.com/content/when-are-you-supposed-check-your-oil-when
 

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You want the oil to drain back into the oil pan. And for that to happen the engine has to sit for awhile. The best or easiest way for that to happen is to check the level after the car has been sitting all night. If you're traveling & want or need to check it then it should be the last thing you do at a gas stop. That will at least provide some time for most of the oil to drain into the pan. From my own experience whether the engine was hot & sat for 10 minutes or if it was cold in the morning never seemed to make a lot a difference. The advantage of checking when cold is that you know all the oil that is going drain into the pan will have done so, & you won't accidentally burn your fingers on a hot engine or hot oil.
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