Diluted oil :-(

redstang

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Just did my second oil change on my '18 EX-T. Bought it in April of last year and did the first oil and filter change last fall. Oil from that change appeared normal. Filled it with Penzoil platinum 0w-20. I am a little anal about using the right amount of oil so I measured out 3.7qts. We had a pretty harsh late winter here in Washington but I didn't really do many short trips in the Civic and if I did I almost always remote started it to warm it up. Anyway I like to check the oil every few weeks. I have noticed the last couple times it was high and definitely had a gas smell. MM was at 30% so I figured now would be fine for an oil change. After draining the oil this time and pouring it back into the oil container, I found that I drained 4 quarts out of the engine, so about 1/3 of a quart more than I put in. Am I concerned about this? Maybe a little. It's warming up finally and I will probably change it again this fall. I put a bottle of liquimoly ceratec in the oil for some extra protection and will just keep an eye on it over this summer. I guess I will just have to see what happens over this summer vs. what happened over last winter.
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Gruber

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So how much higher on the dipstick was the oil now than just after you changed oil in the fall? Did filling with exactly 3.7 qt put the oil level right at the upper dipstick mark?
I never measure oil, always fill to a desired level on the dipstick.

0.3 qt (if it's accurate) seems quite normal for this engine.

Btw. Longer warming up by idling at cold temperature will not reduce oil dilution, but instead will tend to increase it.
 
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redstang

redstang

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I didn't mean to imply that I just measured the oil and didn't check the dip stick. Of course I checked to make sure it was the correct amount. It was just below the upper mark so I called it good. I first noticed it above the higher mark in March when I checked. I changed the oil I think 4 times in our 2016 Touring before trading it in. Never was it over the high mark nor did it smell of gas more than normal. The winters we had those two years were relatively mild though. Not once in 30 years of changing my own oil have I ever got more out than I put in. In fact, it usually seemed like it was less even though the level of the oil on the dipstick was normal. I always attributed it to just not getting all the oil out. This time it was super thin and drained very fast. I'm not freaking out about it and will probably just keep an eye on it and change the oil more often than MM suggests, probably every six months. Just wanted to share my experience. As for warming up the car, I was under the impression was the cause of the oil dilution was short trips in cold climates where the engine didn't have a chance to warm up and boil off any gas that gets in the oil.
 

dallasjhawk

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some dilution is completely normal on a Direct Injection engine, that just how it works. If you are truly concerned about dilution, get a blackstone labs oil analysis, it costs about $28 but will ease your mind. There is a thread with numerous oil analysis done here on this website and 95% of them show no issues outside of the normal dilution expected for this type of engine.
 
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redstang

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some dilution is completely normal on a Direct Injection engine, that just how it works. If you are truly concerned about dilution, get a blackstone labs oil analysis, it costs about $28 but will ease your mind. There is a thread with numerous oil analysis done here on this website and 95% of them show no issues outside of the normal dilution expected for this type of engine.
I understand it is normal I just wanted to share my experience since I did not observe this on our 2016. I am not really concerned because I am going to keep an eye on it and change the oil when I feel it is needed rather than following the MM 100%.
 


dallasjhawk

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I understand it is normal I just wanted to share my experience since I did not observe this on our 2016. I am not really concerned because I am going to keep an eye on it and change the oil when I feel it is needed rather than following the MM 100%.
I have completely ignored my MM since day 1. I do oil changes every 5000k miles no matter what, Ive switched to 5w-30. I do my tire rotations and alignments twice a year. CVT fluid every 30k and all this while tuned. Im sending off my oil to blackstone on my next change this week just to see how my engine looks at 68k miles.
 

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I have completely ignored my MM since day 1. I do oil changes every 5000k miles no matter what, Ive switched to 5w-30. I do my tire rotations and alignments twice a year. CVT fluid every 30k and all this while tuned. Im sending off my oil to blackstone on my next change this week just to see how my engine looks at 68k miles.
I don't want to offend the MM, so I cheat it. I don't obey it, but it thinks I do.:D

Somewhere in the middle, or a bit later in the MM cycle (maybe at 40% left), I suck out some used oil via the dipstick tube. Depending on how soon I'm going to change the oil completely and how much dilution I see, I could get out between 1 and 3 qt. It's fast and easy using a 150 cc syringe, even if I end up filling it almost 20 times for 3qt. Each fill and dump is like 15-20 seconds. I can do it in 15 minutes total, best on hot oil before the dirt settles. Then I refill it with 0W30, a bit below the top mark. I'm still using 0W20 long life for the full changes (a bit of overkill), might later switch to 0W30 winter / 5W30 summer. (All Mobil1)

I strongly believe this is the best way of treating the 1.5T which gives me total control over dilution and total confidence. It's just brilliant, I'm afraid I have to say. :thumbsup:
 

marauderguy

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although what your doing might be a good idea, and relatively simple,

i still see it as a big hassle and something that shouldn't be necessary on an almost brand new car,

I am glad I have a 2.0L
It isn't necessary. It's owner preference. I like to change mine every 6 months at approx 50% oil life. Spending less than $50 a year for 2 oil changes isn't exactly breaking the bank and gives me peace of mind.

I've driven for 35 years and owned nearly 30 vehicles and the Civic is easily the best for its combination of handling, power, technology, and smiles per gallon with Ktuner.

I'm not buying into all this dilution bs. Yes the turbo has minimal dilution in most cases. People can read up on it, worry about it, lose sleep over it, or drive it and enjoy it without a second thought like the other hundreds of thousands on the road.

I am so glad I bought the 1.5t. To each his own.
 

Gruber

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although what your doing might be a good idea, and relatively simple,

i still see it as a big hassle and something that shouldn't be necessary on an almost brand new car,

I am glad I have a 2.0L

All this forum is mostly about doing unnecessary things with cars. Most people, maybe 99% of car owners including civic owners completely don't care about these things (like vinyl wrapping different parts, tinting windows, cutting out parts of exhaust, debadging, chrome deleting, getting a louder horn, replacing the gear shifter etc etc).So if you are representing spending 15 minutes once or twice a year as a hassle in exchange for enjoying this great engine, I say you are totally missing the aircraft carrier.
 

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Why would the 60 year old grandma buy a 1.5t over the 2.0? Any grandma grandma willing to spend for a higher trim level which includes the 1.5t is probably going to go for a Toyota Corolla or a Mazda 3, or something larger. Maybe they would go up to the Accord or CRV which have the 1.5t, but from now what I have seen old people love Toyotas and Mazdas.
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