Fuel in oil

[Wade]

Really glad to hear, Wade. You certainly had more than your share of angst with the problem.

Yeah I sure have, the worst part is that my original dealer could have fixed this problem when the truck was practically new with 1500 miles. Injectors were my original suggestion to them. Hopefully 10,000 miles of contaminated oil doesn't lead to any long term issues.

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[MotoWojo]

Here's an update for everyone. As I stated earlier, after getting the injectors replaced, there was a slow rise in the oil level, but it never quite got to the top fill hole. It stabilized there for a while, so I quit paying such close attention for a while. I've checked a few times recently, and amazingly the oil level has actually come back down to where I filled it! (And no leaks of course) I suppose initially a little more fuel got into the oil, nothing to worry about though, then the rate of fuel dilution later was exceeded by the evaporation of fuel through the crankcase ventilation system. So the oil level went back down.

To make a long story short, if you are having a problem with oil level climbing excessively on the dipstick, get your injectors replaced! I wouldn't be worried if you are just one of the people with 2% dilution on a Blackstone oil report though. This is a DI Turbo engine, a little fuel dilution is bound to happen, especially with short trips or city driving. No one should accept oil that is climbing several inches above the high point on the dipstick, though.

Congrats, I hope the issue is behind you. Although, now I feel like one of the only ones left for which this issue hasn't been resolved?

I had my injectors replaced along with the HPFP, and now just 1800+miles later, my oil level is almost to the twist again. I made another appointment with the dealer, but they couldn't get me in until the 31st, so my mustang is seeing daily duty as I am worried about driving the Ranger. The thing that bothers me the most, is the dealer doesn't treat this as any big deal and just tells me not to worry, it is under warranty, but I was planning on keeping it past 5yr/60,000 miles. Unlike others, the dealership is the one that took the oil sample and had it tested. The test came back indicating 12% fuel dilution. The oil level at that time was about 1/2in lower than where it sits now?

After the HPFP and injector replacement, the level rose quickly to the max mark in about 300 miles where it stayed for the next 700 miles. During the last 800 miles it has been steadily rising again. It sucks to have to check your oil everyday. You would think after as many times as I have wiped oil off my dipstick, that the oil level should be going down.

Similarly, I also have quite a few miles driven with badly diluted oil, probably about 6,000 miles, as I now have ~18,500 miles on the truck. It stinks to spend 40+K on truck knowing you will forever be worried about premature engine issues. I really didn't want to have to shell out more money for an extended warranty.

 

[Wade]

Congrats, I hope the issue is behind you. Although, now I feel like one of the only ones left for which this issue hasn't been resolved?

I had my injectors replaced along with the HPFP, and now just 1800+miles later, my oil level is almost to the twist again. I made another appointment with the dealer, but they couldn't get me in until the 31st, so my mustang is seeing daily duty as I am worried about driving the Ranger. The thing that bothers me the most, is the dealer doesn't treat this as any big deal and just tells me not to worry, it is under warranty, but I was planning on keeping it past 5yr/60,000 miles. Unlike others, the dealership is the one that took the oil sample and had it tested. The test came back indicating 12% fuel dilution. The oil level at that time was about 1/2in lower than where it sits now?

After the HPFP and injector replacement, the level rose quickly to the max mark in about 300 miles where it stayed for the next 700 miles. During the last 800 miles it has been steadily rising again. It sucks to have to check your oil everyday. You would think after as many times as I have wiped oil off my dipstick, that the oil level should be going down.

Similarly, I also have quite a few miles driven with badly diluted oil, probably about 6,000 miles, as I now have ~18,500 miles on the truck. It stinks to spend 40+K on truck knowing you will forever be worried about premature engine issues. I really didn't want to have to shell out more money for an extended warranty.

Yeah I have not racked up as many miles as you since the fix, so I'll keep an eye on it every now and then and be sure the problem doesn't return. Fortunately for me, my current dealer has been very helpful, and the last tech who replaced the injectors actually left me a note in my glovebox as to what he thinks is happening. He believes that at least part of the issue is incomplete atomization of the fuel by the injectors, leading to an incomplete fuel burn in the combustion chamber, leading to the unburned fuel leaking down the cylinder walls. The tip of the injector is relatively extremely cool compared to everything else around it, so he said carbon will harden onto it, similar to the way steam will condensate onto something that is cool. This carbon will cause the injector to operate poorly and lead to incomplete atomization. He recommended some sort of injector cleaner or something every so often. Im sure his theory has merit, I just don't think that's what I experienced, since I've had the problem literally since it was brand new. I hope that you are able to get yours fully resolved, and hopefully for those of us who have had the problem resolved, it stays that way...

 

[Tra1969]

Update:
Truck went in for service today with 3423 miles on it(Was at 1938 when HPFP change). Ater HPFP change it stayed steday for 300 miles then rose to the bottom of the overfull hole, 200 miles later it made it to the top of the overfull hole. Then 200 miles later it made it halfway between the overfull hole and the start of twist(big jump), then 200 miles later it was 1/8" below the twist and stayed there till I took it in. Service manager says Ford still does not show anything on their logs as being a issue yet. But did state that he know it is a issue and has had a few trucks in with the same issue and some on the lot had check overfull. So he changed the oil and scoped it again looking for fuel leaks and tested the fuel system and can't find anything. He left the ticket open and is going to call me when he comes off vacation after next week to have me check the level again. Then he will again try to see what Ford has to say. I did notice when the level rises My MPG goes down to 20 to 20.5 and when is seems to stabilize it goes up to 21.5 to 22.5 on my normal driving. Kinda weird but was did seem to corispond to when I was seeing it creeping up and when it seem to hold steady. Well time will tell and hoping for the best. Love the truck just need this issue solved.

 

[acsnowrider]

FOLLOW UP-CRANKCASE LEVEL--Ran just short of 5K on this last oil change--Saw/verified no level change, or increase in oil level, up to/including day of oil change. Using Motorcraft synthic blend 5W-30, and just did the six quart dump to set level. Sent in sample, so report attached. Current mileage is almost 15K now. Hope this report provides a "baseline", for all.

 

[MotoWojo]

I have been thinking that short trips where the engine doesn't stay up to temperature for very long might be a contributing factor in fuel in the oil. Looks like Mobile confirms this.

I am sure short trips are contributing factors, but not in my case. I live in the country and it is a 20 mile hike into town. My daily work commute is 50 miles round trip, so something else is going on with mine. First 12,000 miles or so, the oil level never went up, after the issue started and it rises to a certain level, you can really tell the oil is diluted as it is much thinner and you have to have a rag handy when you pull out the dipstick or you will get droplets everywhere. Truck runs fine, no signs of rough idle on startup. New HPFP and injectors didn't work, I am curious as to what the dealership will do next?

 

[2ford]

Hi Tim,

That is why a leak down test is way better than a compression test. It tells the degradation of the rings, but you must have a baseline. Compression test happens way too fast dynamically to id more engine maladies I leaked my new race engines after I built them, then after each race I did a leak down test. I could tell when it was time for rebuild without any guess. Example, Supply pressure was 100psi..spark plug side was 98. 2% leak down. After first race 100/98...good to go. After 4th race 100/85...Whow...time to pull the motor and install a fresh one and start rebuild on the pulled motor.

So for Wade. Leak a new engine and then leak his engine and see if there is any difference.

Btw A leakdown tester is easy to build. You need an Air source, a pressure regulator and two pressure gauges and a very small orfice between the pressure gauges and an air hose adapter to spark plug. It also tells the exhaust and intake valve sealing as you have a steady air pressure so, just listen to the intake to the motor and to the exhaust and you might detect a bad valve as well.

Not commonly used but far better test. I had a fellow show up at my house, a former neighbor with a 302 Mustang that he was thinking to buy. I leaked the engine and the test results showed a almost 100% leak on the 8th cylinder and listening to the exhaust it sounded like Niagara falls. Bad exhaust valve...he passed on the purchase and the seller admitted he knew the motor had a problem...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Phil I have a question maybe you can answer for me. Many times I'm working in my garage with door open truck parked in driveway no sounds coming from the truck, then one day I'm tinkering in the garage waiting for the wife and hear noise from truck sounds like fuel pump? Only difference is I have the fob sitting on work bench. Thanks Mike

 

[CO2Ranger]

Phil I have a question maybe you can answer for me. Many times I'm working in my garage with door open truck parked in driveway no sounds coming from the truck, then one day I'm tinkering in the garage waiting for the wife and hear noise from truck sounds like fuel pump? Only difference is I have the fob sitting on work bench. Thanks Mike

It's been confirmed that the sound is activated when FordPass is "talking" to your truck through the onboard modem. I never got confirmation personally whether or not this energizes the fuel pump, but it sure as hell sounds like it to me.

 

[Fleckbass]

It's been confirmed that the sound is activated when FordPass is "talking" to your truck through the onboard modem. I never got confirmation personally whether or not this energizes the fuel pump, but it sure as hell sounds like it to me.

It's a high pitched whistle.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Phil I have a question maybe you can answer for me. Many times I'm working in my garage with door open truck parked in driveway no sounds coming from the truck, then one day I'm tinkering in the garage waiting for the wife and hear noise from truck sounds like fuel pump? Only difference is I have the fob sitting on work bench. Thanks Mike

Hi,

It is my experience that the fuel pump from time to time when the fob is with in range will run the fuel pump to keep the fuel rail on the engine charged. Same is if you open the door, you can hear the fuel pump run for a brief period of time. Since my Ford Pass is deactivated, I do not believe the Ford pass interfacing the vehicle is the noise.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co.

 

[2ford]

Hi,

It is my experience that the fuel pump from time to time when the fob is with in range will run the fuel pump to keep the fuel rail on the engine charged. Same is if you open the door, you can hear the fuel pump run for a brief period of time. Since my Ford Pass is deactivated, I do not believe the Ford pass interfacing the vehicle is the noise.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co.

Phil Thanks
I was just wondering if some folks that are having fuel in oil issues have their fobs close enough to repeatedly trigger the fuel pump. I can see where that could possibly allow fuel to the crankcase especially if you have bad injectors.

 

[N. J. Jim]

Here's an update for everyone. As I stated earlier, after getting the injectors replaced, there was a slow rise in the oil level, but it never quite got to the top fill hole. It stabilized there for a while, so I quit paying such close attention for a while. I've checked a few times recently, and amazingly the oil level has actually come back down to where I filled it! (And no leaks of course) I suppose initially a little more fuel got into the oil, nothing to worry about though, then the rate of fuel dilution later was exceeded by the evaporation of fuel through the crankcase ventilation system. So the oil level went back down.

To make a long story short, if you are having a problem with oil level climbing excessively on the dipstick, get your injectors replaced! I wouldn't be worried if you are just one of the people with 2% dilution on a Blackstone oil report though. This is a DI Turbo engine, a little fuel dilution is bound to happen, especially with short trips or city driving. No one should accept oil that is climbing several inches above the high point on the dipstick, though.

Wade , let me know if your issue stays straight with the injector change. Had the fuel pump changed helped but didn't totally fix the problem. After the fuel pump change oil rose to just under the top hole and stayed their for 1200 miles.Didn't want to leave that oil in, changed again. Oil level rose again about the same amount. Wondering if fuel injector
replacement will help my issue! Thanks Jim

 

[Wade]

Wade , let me know if your issue stays straight with the injector change. Had the fuel pump changed helped but didn't totally fix the problem. After the fuel pump change oil rose to just under the top hole and stayed their for 1200 miles.Didn't want to leave that oil in, changed again. Oil level rose again about the same amount. Wondering if fuel injector
replacement will help my issue! Thanks Jim

If you only had the hpfp replaced, I would definitely try to get those injectors replaced since you've still got the problem! I'll keep you guys updated!

 

[RangerAl87]

So after reading this thread I decided to check the oil on my ranger 3053 miles on the dash, oil level seems high and smells of fuel, going to change at 5000 and do a sample

 

[dalekinder]

Found an interesting technical article I wanted to share with you all. Concerning GTDI engines.

https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2015-01-0967/

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