This is an interesting story. I hope this link works.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ford-tells-troubled-hybrid-owner-112112398.html
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ford-tells-troubled-hybrid-owner-112112398.html
Hybrid harder on engine oil?
- Thread starter WobblyElvis
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Yeah, there are couple of issues cropping up. One is heat soak when they cycle off and you are creeping around in electric mode. The other is typical short trip syndrome (Amplified) ...
If you only drive short distances, especially during winter, you're going to have milk under the cap, regardless if it's a hybrid or not.
I think because they start in electric mode and I can drive up to 65 mph and do a 7 mile run
and never get the engine to come on that those less careful could do the same and have the engine come on
30 seconds or less for the trip which would not be so good. But since getting a Ford hybrid last week
I'm super impressed and its head and shoulders above other hybrids I have own or driven.
( I get away with the long electric drives because of hilly terrain and much coasting)
and never get the engine to come on that those less careful could do the same and have the engine come on
30 seconds or less for the trip which would not be so good. But since getting a Ford hybrid last week
I'm super impressed and its head and shoulders above other hybrids I have own or driven.
( I get away with the long electric drives because of hilly terrain and much coasting)
Wow, that was gross looking inside that cap. Looks like mayonnaise.
I would be mad too, Fords response to "drive it on the freeway" is passing the buck. She does not need to drive on the highway in her regular travels. Problem is, pretty much every hybrid will do this, not just a Ford thing.
Maybe she needs an all electric instead of a hybrid.
I would be mad too, Fords response to "drive it on the freeway" is passing the buck. She does not need to drive on the highway in her regular travels. Problem is, pretty much every hybrid will do this, not just a Ford thing.
Maybe she needs an all electric instead of a hybrid.
Originally Posted By: blupupher
Wow, that was gross looking inside that cap. Looks like mayonnaise.
Welcome to living up North.
Wow, that was gross looking inside that cap. Looks like mayonnaise.
Welcome to living up North.
This is why Toyota went to the trouble to install a thermos in the Prius to capture hot coolant and then feed it back into the system later.
Originally Posted By: blupupher
I would be mad too, Fords response to "drive it on the freeway" is passing the buck. She does not need to drive on the highway in her regular travels. Problem is, pretty much every hybrid will do this, not just a Ford thing.
Maybe she needs an all electric instead of a hybrid.
Nasty!
To be fair, "drive it on the highway" has been standard advice dating back long before hybrids came along. The engine needs to get up to temp to boil off any accumulated moisture. Perhaps not every time, but often enough. I've heard that advice for decades. It's nothing new.
Kinda sucks for the owner, but indeed, perhaps a full electric would suit them better.
I would be mad too, Fords response to "drive it on the freeway" is passing the buck. She does not need to drive on the highway in her regular travels. Problem is, pretty much every hybrid will do this, not just a Ford thing.
Maybe she needs an all electric instead of a hybrid.
Nasty!
To be fair, "drive it on the highway" has been standard advice dating back long before hybrids came along. The engine needs to get up to temp to boil off any accumulated moisture. Perhaps not every time, but often enough. I've heard that advice for decades. It's nothing new.
Kinda sucks for the owner, but indeed, perhaps a full electric would suit them better.
She's going to flip her wig when she gets her next car and it does the same thing under those circumstances.
While this can happen on any short tripped engine in winter, Ford's hybrid design made it worse.
The Prius used to have a thermos that stored hot coolant but newer models have an exhaust heat recovery system where a heat exchanger in the down pipe heats up the coolant and keeps it hot. Ford's hybrids have no such system, instead they use the exhaust heat to warm up the cabin.
The Prius used to have a thermos that stored hot coolant but newer models have an exhaust heat recovery system where a heat exchanger in the down pipe heats up the coolant and keeps it hot. Ford's hybrids have no such system, instead they use the exhaust heat to warm up the cabin.
I had a 3/4 ton Dodge with a 5.7 that did the same thing when short tripped...nature of engines. Getting an engine up to temp once in a while is an important part of maintenance imho.
Like everyone else is saying, this isnt a hybrid only issue. Might be made worse with a hybrid sure. I know in my looking into the Volts they have an engine maintenance cycle that will run the engine at a certain time/mileage interval even if it isnt needed (since the volt can go about 50 miles on a charge). I dont know if it runs it all the way up to operating temp though. I would thing with those little engines it doesnt take much to get them to that temp.
A friends short tripped BMW always has milky brown under his cap. Short trippin like a boss.
A friends short tripped BMW always has milky brown under his cap. Short trippin like a boss.
I think this problem can exist in non-hybrids but it is exacerbated by the nature of a hybrid. Something like a 20 minute commute is very common. If in this case, the engine only runs a few minutes, you are asking for trouble.
Why doesn't the "intelligent" oil life monitor flag this problem?
Why doesn't the "intelligent" oil life monitor flag this problem?
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
The standard hybrid like a Prius have quicker warm up devices on them. The lady should do as Ford says, or if she "can't", at least start changing her oil and filter every 3k miles. Or less if it is that badly short tripped.
I wonder how much changing it much sooner would help? I only say this because if the engine is not run enough to burn up the moisture in there, changing it will still leave all kind of moisture in there unless they are sure have the engine run before the change...which seems to be the problem in the first place. Not that your idea is a bad one.
The standard hybrid like a Prius have quicker warm up devices on them. The lady should do as Ford says, or if she "can't", at least start changing her oil and filter every 3k miles. Or less if it is that badly short tripped.
I wonder how much changing it much sooner would help? I only say this because if the engine is not run enough to burn up the moisture in there, changing it will still leave all kind of moisture in there unless they are sure have the engine run before the change...which seems to be the problem in the first place. Not that your idea is a bad one.
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We are at 73k and have never seen anything like that with our Fusion ... Running either PP or M1 ...
Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
I know in my looking into the Volts they have an engine maintenance cycle that will run the engine at a certain time/mileage interval even if it isnt needed
AFAIK, it's to burn through the gas in the tank, so that you're not left with stale gas. But it probably helps burn off moisture at the same time, too.
I know in my looking into the Volts they have an engine maintenance cycle that will run the engine at a certain time/mileage interval even if it isnt needed
AFAIK, it's to burn through the gas in the tank, so that you're not left with stale gas. But it probably helps burn off moisture at the same time, too.
Holy [censored] reporting Batman.....
That milk happens to nearly every vehicle ever made. Google Milky Oil Cap and you'll see it happens on Fords, GM's, BMW's, Jeeps, etc. Usually happens when the weather gets cooler and short trips or even not short trips depending on the location of the oil cap and how hot it gets.
This article explains it good:
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/milky-stuff-under-oil-cap.htm
It is nothing to worry about as long as it's not on the dipstick or shows signs it's coolant rather than condensation.
That milk happens to nearly every vehicle ever made. Google Milky Oil Cap and you'll see it happens on Fords, GM's, BMW's, Jeeps, etc. Usually happens when the weather gets cooler and short trips or even not short trips depending on the location of the oil cap and how hot it gets.
This article explains it good:
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/milky-stuff-under-oil-cap.htm
It is nothing to worry about as long as it's not on the dipstick or shows signs it's coolant rather than condensation.
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Originally Posted By: itguy08
Holy [censored] reporting Batman.....
That milk happens to nearly every vehicle ever made. Google Milky Oil Cap and you'll see it happens on Fords, GM's, BMW's, Jeeps, etc. Usually happens when the weather gets cooler and short trips or even not short trips depending on the location of the oil cap and how hot it gets.
But in this case, her check engine light came on. The report makes it seem as if this milky residue was the reason for this check engine light, but was it really?
Holy [censored] reporting Batman.....
That milk happens to nearly every vehicle ever made. Google Milky Oil Cap and you'll see it happens on Fords, GM's, BMW's, Jeeps, etc. Usually happens when the weather gets cooler and short trips or even not short trips depending on the location of the oil cap and how hot it gets.
But in this case, her check engine light came on. The report makes it seem as if this milky residue was the reason for this check engine light, but was it really?
The wife has had 3 Prius's, I have been a member of ''Priuschat.com'' for several years---- never heard this being mentioned over there. Then again, it is a lot warmer here in the winter, but the Canadian members never mentioned this either. When a Prius is first started MG2 splashes oil and turns the gas engine for a bit, before starting it. The gas engine warms VERY quickly...It looks to me like she would have done many, many 2 block trips to get the oil in that condition.
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