Honda’s Oil Dilution Issue

[TG-86]

Have the reliability / dilution issues been addressed any for 2020? Thinking about leasing one. FWIW I live in Pittsburgh, so cold climate.

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[zspeed]

Have the reliability / dilution issues been addressed any for 2020? Thinking about leasing one. FWIW I live in Pittsburgh, so cold climate.

I think they did with the updated software.

 

[NightStalker]

Hey all, I think I have a good use case example of the dilution issue at hand. I have oil samples from when I drove the car in the summer at moderate climate and had weekend trips that involved going to my parents home roughly 1.5hrs away.

The second change is in an extremely cold climate, where my drive to work is all but 10 minutes, the car does not adequately warm up, nor is there really a sense in trying (gets to -45c and lower here)

See the report below. Also notice the kilometric change interval, time wise they're roughly the same but much less driving in one.

I should also add the first sample is on the oil from factory without the recall completed on the vehicle, the second is running some higher performance oil with the recall work already completed.

 

[redcivic19x]

So what’s the final conclusion on letting the car warm up on idle before driving it?

Ive always let my car idle for several Minutes to warm up (that’s what the salesman Mentioned for me to do - he’s owned 2 Si’s). He also mentioned you should let your car idle for a minute before shutting it off as well.
this is how I’ve driven my car for over a year. I live in south Florida where it basically never gets cold.
I read several repsonses that mentioned not letting the car warm Up. Which is the correct solution?
Also - wouldn’t an oil catch can help mitigate the issue?
I have one in mine (well I did before I put the flex fuel kit in there) and I ran mine for almost 1100 miles before draining it and I definitely noticed oil dilution. The catch can had a very strong odor of gas.

 

[zspeed]

So what’s the final conclusion on letting the car warm up on idle before driving it?

Ive always let my car idle for several Minutes to warm up (that’s what the salesman Mentioned for me to do - he’s owned 2 Si’s). He also mentioned you should let your car idle for a minute before shutting it off as well.
this is how I’ve driven my car for over a year. I live in south Florida where it basically never gets cold.
I read several repsonses that mentioned not letting the car warm Up. Which is the correct solution?
Also - wouldn’t an oil catch can help mitigate the issue?
I have one in mine (well I did before I put the flex fuel kit in there) and I ran mine for almost 1100 miles before draining it and I definitely noticed oil dilution. The catch can had a very strong odor of gas.

For DI engines, no need to let it idle for a long time to warm up. 30 seconds is sufficient and then just drive it slowly till reaching optimal operating temperature.

 

[PhilF]

For DI engines, no need to let it idle for a long time to warm up. 30 seconds is sufficient and then just drive it slowly till reaching optimal operating temperature.

Correct, what you are primarily concerned with is oil pressure, usually after starting, when the tachometer shows its first drop off high idle, especially with 0W-20 synthetic oil, you're good to go. The first mile or so should be gentle as other things should reach operating temperature as well before you stress anything. The real object is to get the oil to it's proper operating temperature, which usually occurs after the coolant does. Highway miles are much easier on engines than around town driving. I had an 04 Miata that had lots of valve noise when started cold with the reccomended 5W-30 oil, changed to 0W-30 and it was completely quiet, even after sitting for months (didn't drive it in "salt" months) apparently the 0W got oil to the head a lot faster.

 

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Sounds like this will be my new Habit of driving !

I should film how I drive. It's scary-obsessed weird since I've joined this forum and have a "new" car now, hah.

Basically, I slowly roll out of my garage so it doesn't smell like exhaust, then I sit in my driveway till the revs drop (like 50 seconds or so). Then I start driving slowly in my residential neighborhood for a few minutes, essentially staying around 1.5k-2k RPM the entire time. This is enough time to get my coolant to operating temperature.

At that point, I can now leave my neighborhood, but even then for the next ten minutes most of my driving is staying under 3k RPM if I can handle it. If I haven't already reached my destination at that point, I'm now increasing RPM's to 4k as needed, and even entering small bouts of boost. If I know 20 minutes or so has passed by and the weather is cooperative is when I start to go heavier on boost if the situation permits it.

Now, I haven't ever once gone WOT, and even though I use Map 3 with TSP Stage 1, I don't even know if I have gone over 20 PSI. I really never enter boost under 3k RPM, and don't start increasing boost until 3.5k-4k RPM.

Anyway, I'm just a cautious driver is all. It's freaky weird, but I'm hoping my car is doing just fine all the meanwhile, heh.

 

[Gruber]

I don't even try any longer to fiddle with settings, or Ktuner, or GPS updates, etc. by idling a cold car. Because cool idling may unnecessarily dump much fuel in the crankcase, that then takes a long time to evaporate, I do these things after, not before (or even worse, without) driving. My battery is grateful too.

These are also the reasons why I've been looking for a high current (preferably up to 200 A, 100 A may be OK) high quality power supply/charger that understands the car battery control circuits and could safely power the car with the battery in place, for the purpose of longer-term fiddling with settings, playing radio, etc. Such things exist, but are relatively expensive.

 

[Slickone]

People have reported still having the problem after the software update. Also people report poor heater performance, plus lower gas mileage and power, after the update.

There's talk about it for Acura as well.
https://acurazine.com/forums/third-generation-rdx-2019-454/check-your-engine-oil-level-guys-975121/

 

[Daygotouge]

Usually not sitting too long idling will help reduce oil/fuel dilution. Just idling there with a DI engine on a cold start is brutal(probably on a warm operating temp engine too). I do take off after maybe several seconds from firing up the car. Get that combustion going and combust every droplet of fuel before the unburnt ones are sent down to the sump.

Thank you and also I live on a hill and I usually let it get to 1k what oil do you use for ur engine

 

[Sport-injected]

My last analysis came back 4% after 2500 miles. The problem for me is a 8 mins commute to work. 2019 Si.

 

[JDM importz]

Yes thanks for the correction

Is there a way to prevent it ?

use quality oil and change it more frequently to prevent Premature wear failure. I change mine every 3k for cheap piece of mind

 

[pieisthetruth]

2019 is not affected with the issue. Honda fixed it with software update from factory

2020 si and my oil smells like gas HARD, it is not fixed or really a problem if you ask me with 3k oil changes

 

[PhilF]

Been driving CRV'S since 2020, same oil dilution situation, UOA at 3k shows 2-4% with Mobil1 0w20 EP thinned below grade with MM indicating 60% life remaining. Talked it over in some detail with my Honda Certified Master Technician and the service manager of my servicing dealer. They see a LOT of 1 5t engines coming in for service with the oil high on the stick. That being a given, there are a crap-ton of 1 5t engines still out there spinning happily with 100-200k on them. As we all now know, how, where and when this dilution occurs. The advice was go to a 30w based oil and shorten OCI's to 3-4k. I've switched to Mobil1 5W-30 EP, seems to work well, and oil doesn't rise on the stick. Currently in the process of trading both CRVs on a HRV exl with the 2.0 port-injecred engine for my wife who does a lot of local, short trips so that should work better with less issues. I'm trying to get a 2024 Civic Touring Sedan, as my trips are longer. My 2019 Civic Touring Coupe had NO dilution issues and excellent UOA's on Mobil1 0w20 AFE with 5k intervals. Really miss my Civic so I'm going back. I'll keep you posted in the XI gen forum.​

 

[EarthDreams414]

Wow. Nice! I can feel the Earth Dreaming!

Lmfao exactly why I chose my nickname

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