Hyundai Accent 2008 hatchback - Engine Oil with a smell of Gasoline

[eduardo11791]

From some time now the oil been smelling like gas. Does not smell like gas on the exhaust pipe. Should I do a Compresion Test?

 

[Graham Piccinini]

From some time now the oil been smelling like gas. Does not smell like gas on the exhaust pipe. Should I do a Compresion Test?

Do you do mostly short trips in this vehicle? Short tripped vehicles do get more fuel in oil. Because the engine spends most of its running time in warm-up mode (more fuel injected) and rarely get's up to full temp to burn off excess fuel in oil. Easy way to burn it off is to take the vehicle on a highway a couple times per week. 30 highway miles should be enough, but more is better. Ideally 50+.
If you feel no loss of power, compression test is unnecessary. Any CEL codes? If o2 sensors are faulty, engine will run rich or lean. But if no CEL codes, then o2 theory isn't the case most likely. Basically we need more info.

 

[eduardo11791]

Do you do mostly short trips in this vehicle? Short tripped vehicles do get more fuel in oil. Easy way to burn it off is to take the vehicle on a highway a couple times per week. 30 highway miles should be enough, but more is better. Ideally 50.

Actually I take medium-long trips. Around 30-60 minutes usually and between cities in highways around 40-60 mph. Engine Oil have a heavy smell of gas. I smell it directly on the engine oil cap. Also I feel the engine needs power, as I feel it accelerates slow. Changed coils and spark plugs around 4000 miles ago. Alternator working as intended. Also oil gets burned easily. I think It's either a problem with the engine or some problem with the fuel inyection system. No metal wear or pieces on the oil, engine sound good but lacks like power/acceleration.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Actually I take medium-long trips. Around 30-60 minutes usually and between cities in highways around 40-60 mph. Engine Oil have a heavy smell of gas. I smell it directly on the engine oil cap. Also I feel the engine needs power, as I feel it accelerates slow. Changed coils and spark plugs around 4000 miles ago. Alternator working as intended. Also oil gets burned easily. I think It's either a problem with the engine or some problem with the fuel inyection system. No metal wear or pieces on the oil, engine sound good but lacks like power/acceleration.

And no Check Engine Light codes?

 

[thunderous1335]

Actually I take medium-long trips. Around 30-60 minutes usually and between cities in highways around 40-60 mph. Engine Oil have a heavy smell of gas. I smell it directly on the engine oil cap. Also I feel the engine needs power, as I feel it accelerates slow. Changed coils and spark plugs around 4000 miles ago. Alternator working as intended. Also oil gets burned easily. I think It's either a problem with the engine or some problem with the fuel inyection system. No metal wear or pieces on the oil, engine sound good but lacks like power/acceleration.

Burning oil? Smells like gas?
Typical Hyundai my dude

Could try a little thicker oil like 5w30 and start from there. Noticed the sluggish comment but seen no mention if air filter has been checked?

 

[Silver]

Consider a rich condition.

I'm not good at spotting this but perhaps someone could give you some pointers on how to look at logged data, etc. Typical culprit is O2 sensors but don't go throwing parts at it with no reason.

 

[kschachn]

I’ve found the smell test for fuel dilution to be inaccurate. You need to have it tested by a lab to find out how much fuel there really is or isn’t. Being that the vehicle is 13 years old one consideration is whether the fuel injectors are spraying properly. Those can be tested as well if you do determine there is significant fuel contamination in the oil.

 

[eduardo11791]

And no Check Engine Light codes?

No, none.

 

[eduardo11791]

Burning oil? Smells like gas?
Typical Hyundai my dude

Could try a little thicker oil like 5w30 and start from there. Noticed the sluggish comment but seen no mention if air filter has been checked?

Will give it a check. However It was changed like 5 months ago.

 

[eduardo11791]

Burning oil? Smells like gas?
Typical Hyundai my dude

Could try a little thicker oil like 5w30 and start from there. Noticed the sluggish comment but seen no mention if air filter has been checked?

Aren't engines very picky about oil viscosity? I'm kinda scared of using another viscosity and damage the engine

 

[eduardo11791]

Consider a rich condition.

I'm not good at spotting this but perhaps someone could give you some pointers on how to look at logged data, etc. Typical culprit is O2 sensors but don't go throwing parts at it with no reason.

Will take into consideration. Thanks a lot.

 

[eduardo11791]

I’ve found the smell test for fuel dilution to be inaccurate. You need to have it tested by a lab to find out how much fuel there really is or isn’t. Being that the vehicle is 13 years old one consideration is whether the fuel injectors are spraying properly. Those can be tested as well if you do determine there is significant fuel contamination in the oil.

Ok, I will give it some time to check the components like the injectors, coils, etc. Better do that than letting the car getting damage or just getting ripped off. I highly steem Car Mechanics but here in FL there is been to many ripping customer's off. I even went to one that seemed I even knew more than him (Not to be narcisist or anything).

 

[thunderous1335]

Aren't engines very picky about oil viscosity? I'm kinda scared of using another viscosity and damage the engine

I think the same way but the more I read from experiences on this forum and my own in the shop, Hyundai/Kia probably chose to spec 5w20 for their engines in the interest of fuel economy over long term reliability.

Smoothness, oil burning, fuel dilution - these symptoms get somewhat cleared up with 5w30. Of course you can put that off to keep searching for another cause.

 

[Accent Abuser]

I think the same way but the more I read from experiences on this forum and my own in the shop, Hyundai/Kia probably chose to spec 5w20 for their engines in the interest of fuel economy over long term reliability.

Smoothness, oil burning, fuel dilution - these symptoms get somewhat cleared up with 5w30. Of course you can put that off to keep searching for another cause.

Or better yet, xw40+ I don't know what the bearing and main clearances are or the oil operating temperature for the 2008 is but the 2016 I have should really be using a 40 or 50 based on the design tolerances and sump temperatures of 230-270°F.

 

[Accent Abuser]

Aren't engines very picky about oil viscosity? I'm kinda scared of using another viscosity and damage the engine

No, and especially not Hyundai's, you could put 20w50 or 10w60 in it and it wouldn't even care so long as it's warm outside.

 

[kschachn]

Aren't engines very picky about oil viscosity? I'm kinda scared of using another viscosity and damage the engine

As others have already noted the only way you damage an engine with oil grade is using one with an insufficient HT/HS. No engine will be damaged by a higher grade oil. Sufficient film thickness is what keeps parts separated and what protects and engine, not the other way around.

 

[Duffyjr]

I’ve found the smell test for fuel dilution to be inaccurate.

Is it possible the gas smell is stronger on the dip stick or oil cap than it really is?

I ask this because the last two times I've taken my truck in for an OC I mentioned to my mech that it had a strong gas smell from the dipstick, both times he said he didn't smell anything out of the ordinary.

 

[kschachn]

Is it possible the gas smell is stronger on the dip stick or oil cap than it really is?

I ask this because the last two times I've taken my truck in for an OC I mentioned to my mech that it had a strong gas smell from the dipstick, both times he said he didn't smell anything out of the ordinary.

Yeah I don't know. I just noticed that a lot if time I smelled "fuel" and it wasn't backed up by a test. I guess it would really depend on how strong the smell happens to be. I was better at smelling things before I recovered from that unmentionable virus.

 

[eduardo11791]

Is it possible the gas smell is stronger on the dip stick or oil cap than it really is?

I ask this because the last two times I've taken my truck in for an OC I mentioned to my mech that it had a strong gas smell from the dipstick, both times he said he didn't smell anything out of the ordinary.

Yes, I was told the same. However, I smelled through with the Blower only on, the smell of the gas from time to time.

 

[eduardo11791]

Yeah I don't know. I just noticed that a lot if time I smelled "fuel" and it wasn't backed up by a test. I guess it would really depend on how strong the smell happens to be. I was better at smelling things before I recovered from that unmentionable virus.

It was really strong. The valvecover with the seal was already changed and the smell is kinda gone, but I can still smell it from time to time from the blower only on.