Oil smells like gas

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BLJ

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Aug 3, 2008
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I have a 2006 ford Explorer 4.0L -42,000 mile. The oil smells like gas. The car has smooth idle and No black smoke from exhaust. The air filter is new. I just bought vehicle from used car dealer. I noticed strong gas smell as i was changing oil. Dealer had put 6qts instead of required 5qts of oil.Any ideas? fuel requlator? stuck open injector?
 
It could just be lots of short trips with no long drive that gets the oil to temperature.
 
If you can smell gas and have 6 quarts in there I would watch it carefully. For now, run a bottle of Techron through the fuel system as you could have a sticky injector. Make sure you have the oil level up to the top mark exactly and watch it weekly to see if it rises or if you can smell gas in the new oil. I would also return to the dealer and tell them. Do they offer any warranty?
 
If you run the car in cold weather, the fuel mixture is richened to warm engine, excess fuel not burned can get into the oil. Also, if you have a car that starts hard-long cranking or has a misfire; the excess gas that is not burned will get into your oil.



Your engine has been severely flooded or, if your car has a carburator, the float needle seat is shot. Whenever your oil smells like gasoline it's very bad for your engine. Change the oil ASAP.



your engine maybe tired. you have what is called blow-by. your piston rings are not sealing on the cylinder wall. If you watch you may be using oil also.



I would add the following thoughts for consideration.

Many things can cause this, some are, from a short driving cycle that doesn't allow the engine to fully warm up, to a faulty fuel pressure regulator, to leaking fuel injector/s or a carburator float bowl being overfilled, to worn engine parts, like piston rings, valve guides, faulty spark plugs resulting in poor fuel burn ect, ect.

Basically it's gasoline getting from the top of the engine, into the bottom of the engine, where the oil sump is.

Gasoline in the oil isn't good for it, or the engine, as it dilutes the oil & robs it of it's lubricating properties, resulting in accelerated engine wear & bad engine deposits.

Best to change the oil & filter right away, review all the listed ideas & have the most likely checked out by a pro you trust.

If your cars mechanical condition is ok, but your driving cycle is short, after changing the oil & filter, try changing your driving cycle, or by taking your car on a weekly 20 mile interstate round trip, to warm the engine & oil up competely, to evaporate condensation & any gasoline thats found it's way into the crankcase oil sump.

Your ride will love you for it & the gas oder in the oil, will likely take a hike!!!!

your car is not good mechanically or u would not be getting fuel in oil. take it to a REPUTABLE mechanic and get it looked at .problem may be small and easy to fix. the longer you wait the worse it will get
 
I doubt he has a carburetor on that 2006 vehicle!

But that extra qt in the crankcase could be fuel, not oil.
The pressure regulator, bad injector, or bad coolant sensor [which would cause too rich] are things to check out.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I doubt he has a carburetor on that 2006 vehicle!

But that extra qt in the crankcase could be fuel, not oil.
The pressure regulator, bad injector, or bad coolant sensor [which would cause too rich] are things to check out.


Agreed. This needs to be checked. At the bare min I would change the oil and monitor the level and smell and go from there.
 
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