Fuel in oil

[N. J. Jim]

I brought that up with the service writer, and he told me he looked into it and that there is not a replacement engine available.

I don't buy that, it's ashame they make it this difficult to get this issue resolved. If mine is not fixed I will never buy another Ford. And just like you I do like the truck. They need to do a better job of taking care of their customers! Just because the issue isn't widespread doesn't mean it should be taken lightly, because it is very troublesome to us who are experiencing this problem!

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[P. A. Schilke]

I don't buy that, it's ashame they make it this difficult to get this issue resolved. If mine is not fixed I will never buy another Ford. And just like you I do like the truck. They need to do a better job of taking care of their customers! Just because the issue isn't widespread doesn't mean it should be taken lightly, because it is very troublesome to us who are experiencing this problem!

Hi Jim,

Call back to Ford Customer Care and demand your problem be elevated to a supervisor and if the supervisor balks, demand a manager.

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

 

[N. J. Jim]

Hi Jim,

Call back to Ford Customer Care and demand your problem be elevated to a supervisor and if the supervisor balks, demand a manager.

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

Thanks Phil, going to give them one more shot at it. Taking the truck back in a couple hundred miles. If it is not fixed in this trip I will be taking your advice.

 

[Dsc]

I am new to the forum and have not yet made any entries,until now. I have read over a good deal of this forum and all 52 pages of this thread as well as to numerous other threads related to the making of oil in the Rangers crankcase. I have yet to hear about a definite cause other that perhaps a few replaced HPFP or injectors. This from the threads I have read does not appear to be a definitive fix to the problem. I seriously doubt that the few individuals here are the only ones experiencing this issue. There are exponentially more out there that will buy their new truck and assume its fine till there next oil change at 10,000 miles. And likely even then not be made aware if the fuel issue until a serious problem occurs. I in fact owned my previous truck 19 years and likely only checked the oil in it maybe 20 or 30 times. Never once had any issue with the oil. Not a drop dripped from it and never any issue with fuel dilution. And she went all over the country and was rode hard at MOAB and many other locations. I was only prompted to check after reading some of these threads here on the forum. And yes there is serious fuel in my engine and the dipstick is showing up well above max after sitting level for hours. The truck is my daily driver for now as my 19y old Tundra is needing a little service. Going to send a sample off to Blackstone next week when I get the kit in and planning on taking her in to the dealer next week. She's at 1,600 miles now and not sure how long the level has been this high. Really smells strongly of fuel but the issue really is the level its at. She does mostly short drives of only 7-10 miles at a time so really really getting warmed up to speed.
Looking at these 52 pages it appears the only certain fix is a different truck. A replacement HPFP and injectors might fix the problem for a little while. But who here that has had this problem is willing to drive their truck 10,000 miles without checking the oil every few hundred miles for fuel.
A quart of gas in the engine block is not something that gives the owner the warm and fuzzies. I really do like this truck but would I have been better off had I gotten the TACO. Certainly would have had a better opportunity to blow loads on additional accessories. Something I am glad I have yet to do on this Ranger. Although I do have a long list of mods ready for the right opportunity and vehicle. This thread is now 1 years old and I don't see the solution anywhere on these pages. Hoping that changes in the next few months or will certainly have to consider this fuel thing a BIG FAT LEMON.?

This is very similar to my experience. Received my 2020 XLT in mid August (February build). Wife only does daily short drives which really doesn’t get the engine hot. In late September after reading this I checked the oil for the first time. Mileage was just over 600km (400 miles). Oil level was about at the twist or 3/8in above top hole. Also seemed diluted but that is subjective. Took the truck for a couple of hour highway run, about 400km. Recheck of level had it go back to just about the top hole, maybe 1/16in above. After another week of short drives oil level is back up to about 1/4in above top hole.
Am I concerned, yes. I will shut off the auto start/stop for short drives, as a precaution. I also expect to be replacing the oil at far less than 8000km (5000 miles) since it probably won’t see half that in a year. But I have faith in Ford Engineering over a dealership and will watch for a TSB. I’ve had bad dealership experiences in the past and it will be only be my choice to go there if forced to.
In my past career working for a tier one supplier, I had a number of dealings with Ford Powertrain and they do take warranty pretty seriously. If they identify a problem a TSB will be issued. If the problem appears after five years, I would doubt it unless it is safety related. But what is strange is I have yet to see a failure relating to this posted anywhere.

 

[SomeJoDude]

Well predicatively my dealership was not unlike most have had with this fuel in the oil issue. They drained out 6.7 quarts of oil (16oz. of fuel) and put in 6.2 fresh 5W-30 and marked the dipstick ,checked DTC's found none. Performed high & low fuel pressure checks and both passed. Told me to check back in about 2 weeks to see what it looks like. Will likely put that off for a few weeks as I am likely going to be driving my 2001 Tundra for a bit the next few weeks as I have done some work on her and need to see how she's gonna behave.

 

[MotoWojo]

Update..........I am very unhappy. Dealer called, told me to pick up the truck, they did not fix anything. The Ford Engineer recommended I drive the truck until the next oil change (at least 5000 miles) and that they wanted an oil sample with at least 5000 miles on the oil. Mind you, I already have 2 samples, taken by the dealer, that show 12% & 13% fuel dilution at as little as 500 miles. I was told not to worry about the rising level and to not even check the oil. Supposedly from the Ford Engineer, "tell the customer not to worry, his warranty goes out plenty far enough". WTF, I said I need to get it in writing that the truck is safe to drive no matter how high the fuel dilution or oil level gets. The dealer would not give me that. In fact, since it is an "open" line, they refused to give me any paperwork. I got pretty steamed, and made them print off the email from the Ford engineer stating I should drive the vehicle for at least 5000 miles before bringing it back in. They deleted the contact information, but copied the one line that stated the above.

To boot, they said they changed the oil, but I did not get the typical window cling sticker, or the oil reset, and when I got home to check the oil, it is about a 5/16in above the max mark, very thin, and darker than expected, very close to the level it was at when I dropped it off? I contacted the dealership and they guaranteed me it was changed and that it goes dark after just running the engine a little while. I told them they were talking to a guy that has been checking his oil daily for the past 7 months, thru 6 oil changes in that time, and that I knew what a fresh oil change looked like on the Rangers dipstick.

I contacted Ford Customer Service and explained that I will need something in writing that indicates that the truck will not become a fire hazard or a stalling hazard, as I am not willing to put myself or my family in danger. I am sure it probably is not much of an issue when the level rises to where it has been rising in the 500 - 1000 mile range, but 5000 miles seems ludicrous at this point? Not to mention, the oil level is well over the max level, just below the twist, as it sits.

Oh and they said they fixed the AC, it was only low on Freon, which made me wonder why I didn't have AC all summer, when the fix was that easy (I have been asking them to fix it for quite some time)? Well, the AC still does not work, had it on max all the way home, 20+ miles, and it was 59F outside, I don't think it even reached that temp? Not a good day, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

 

[dtech]

Somejoe, FYI the newer Tacos have bad fuel pumps also and they wont be available for months.

Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Subaru all have recalls owing to low pressure denso fuel pump failures. Not many have actually failed but can cause the vehicle to stall.

 

[2020FX4]

Unreal Moto.... Sorry to hear about your latest issues.

 

[MotoWojo]

This is very similar to my experience. Received my 2020 XLT in mid August (February build). Wife only does daily short drives which really doesn’t get the engine hot. In late September after reading this I checked the oil for the first time. Mileage was just over 600km (400 miles). Oil level was about at the twist or 3/8in above top hole. Also seemed diluted but that is subjective. Took the truck for a couple of hour highway run, about 400km. Recheck of level had it go back to just about the top hole, maybe 1/16in above. After another week of short drives oil level is back up to about 1/4in above top hole.
Am I concerned, yes. I will shut off the auto start/stop for short drives, as a precaution. I also expect to be replacing the oil at far less than 8000km (5000 miles) since it probably won’t see half that in a year. But I have faith in Ford Engineering over a dealership and will watch for a TSB. I’ve had bad dealership experiences in the past and it will be only be my choice to go there if forced to.
In my past career working for a tier one supplier, I had a number of dealings with Ford Powertrain and they do take warranty pretty seriously. If they identify a problem a TSB will be issued. If the problem appears after five years, I would doubt it unless it is safety related. But what is strange is I have yet to see a failure relating to this posted anywhere.

In my case, I never use the auto/start stop, as I added a nightlight very early on to circumvent it. I never take short drives, as I live out in the country and it is 12 miles to the nearest small town and 25 miles to where I work. While I don't think this is a widespread problem, I believe if you have the issue and it is rising as far as the twist, you have a bigger issue than just short trips. The issue is even worse when it is cold out. For reference, I (dealer) had 2 oil tests done, both were just below the twist, and they came back 12% and 13% fuel dilution and viscosity was way under spec. As far as failures go, I believe there was one person on one of the Facebook groups who had an engine failure. I believe he replaced it with another Ranger.

 

[OWSportninja]

Well Im back to 3.0% fuel dilution and just checked my dipstick after coming to work this morning and letting it sit about 20 minutes and it was almost to the twist on the dipstick. Having one of my advisors write me a ticket so the tech can write to Ford Hotline. I want to keep documenting the issue that way if something does happen to my motor I will have something to fall back on like them telling me its "normal operation" for these motors. Blackstone still says I should be fine as long as I keep the intervals for oil change around 4k. Because the fuel dilution is killing the viscosity on the oil they don't recommend me going much over 4k. Im at just under 16k miles on the truck and just averaged 20.25mpg on this last tank of gas. The most concerning thing about all this is the crankcase being over full and causing harm to my motor.

 

[dtech]

Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Subaru all have recalls owing to low pressure denso fuel pump failures. Not many have actually failed but can cause the vehicle to stall.

I think Toyota, while still maintaining healthy sales volume has been on a decline with respect to overall value and reliability, the latter despite being notoriously slow to incorporate newer technologies. Couldn't convince my son of that though as he plunked down $30k for a 2016 TRD Taco with 60k miles on it, I enjoyed showing him my 2019 Ranger Lariat, pretty well equipped that I picked up for $34.2 with 700 miles on the odo. But in Colorado Toyota remains the overall sales leader, I see many many Tacos and a good many Tundras.
Also see a lot of the FJ cruisers - which Toyota quit making but a lot of makers back in the specialized off road segment (Bronco) , wonder if they'll bring it back .

 

[2ford]

Update..........I am very unhappy. Dealer called, told me to pick up the truck, they did not fix anything. The Ford Engineer recommended I drive the truck until the next oil change (at least 5000 miles) and that they wanted an oil sample with at least 5000 miles on the oil. Mind you, I already have 2 samples, taken by the dealer, that show 12% & 13% fuel dilution at as little as 500 miles. I was told not to worry about the rising level and to not even check the oil. Supposedly from the Ford Engineer, "tell the customer not to worry, his warranty goes out plenty far enough". WTF, I said I need to get it in writing that the truck is safe to drive no matter how high the fuel dilution or oil level gets. The dealer would not give me that. In fact, since it is an "open" line, they refused to give me any paperwork. I got pretty steamed, and made them print off the email from the Ford engineer stating I should drive the vehicle for at least 5000 miles before bringing it back in. They deleted the contact information, but copied the one line that stated the above.

To boot, they said they changed the oil, but I did not get the typical window cling sticker, or the oil reset, and when I got home to check the oil, it is about a 5/16in above the max mark, very thin, and darker than expected, very close to the level it was at when I dropped it off? I contacted the dealership and they guaranteed me it was changed and that it goes dark after just running the engine a little while. I told them they were talking to a guy that has been checking his oil daily for the past 7 months, thru 6 oil changes in that time, and that I knew what a fresh oil change looked like on the Rangers dipstick.

I contacted Ford Customer Service and explained that I will need something in writing that indicates that the truck will not become a fire hazard or a stalling hazard, as I am not willing to put myself or my family in danger. I am sure it probably is not much of an issue when the level rises to where it has been rising in the 500 - 1000 mile range, but 5000 miles seems ludicrous at this point? Not to mention, the oil level is well over the max level, just below the twist, as it sits.

Oh and they said they fixed the AC, it was only low on Freon, which made me wonder why I didn't have AC all summer, when the fix was that easy (I have been asking them to fix it for quite some time)? Well, the AC still does not work, had it on max all the way home, 20+ miles, and it was 59F outside, I don't think it even reached that temp? Not a good day, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Wow and the owners manual says do not over fill the crankcase else engine damage will occur and they have no problem with that. I would definitely demand documentation to protect your interests. Don't give up and good luck.

 

[N. J. Jim]

Update..........I am very unhappy. Dealer called, told me to pick up the truck, they did not fix anything. The Ford Engineer recommended I drive the truck until the next oil change (at least 5000 miles) and that they wanted an oil sample with at least 5000 miles on the oil. Mind you, I already have 2 samples, taken by the dealer, that show 12% & 13% fuel dilution at as little as 500 miles. I was told not to worry about the rising level and to not even check the oil. Supposedly from the Ford Engineer, "tell the customer not to worry, his warranty goes out plenty far enough". WTF, I said I need to get it in writing that the truck is safe to drive no matter how high the fuel dilution or oil level gets. The dealer would not give me that. In fact, since it is an "open" line, they refused to give me any paperwork. I got pretty steamed, and made them print off the email from the Ford engineer stating I should drive the vehicle for at least 5000 miles before bringing it back in. They deleted the contact information, but copied the one line that stated the above.

To boot, they said they changed the oil, but I did not get the typical window cling sticker, or the oil reset, and when I got home to check the oil, it is about a 5/16in above the max mark, very thin, and darker than expected, very close to the level it was at when I dropped it off? I contacted the dealership and they guaranteed me it was changed and that it goes dark after just running the engine a little while. I told them they were talking to a guy that has been checking his oil daily for the past 7 months, thru 6 oil changes in that time, and that I knew what a fresh oil change looked like on the Rangers dipstick.

I contacted Ford Customer Service and explained that I will need something in writing that indicates that the truck will not become a fire hazard or a stalling hazard, as I am not willing to put myself or my family in danger. I am sure it probably is not much of an issue when the level rises to where it has been rising in the 500 - 1000 mile range, but 5000 miles seems ludicrous at this point? Not to mention, the oil level is well over the max level, just below the twist, as it sits.

Oh and they said they fixed the AC, it was only low on Freon, which made me wonder why I didn't have AC all summer, when the fix was that easy (I have been asking them to fix it for quite some time)? Well, the AC still does not work, had it on max all the way home, 20+ miles, and it was 59F outside, I don't think it even reached that temp? Not a good day, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Does Ford still want to sell vehicles, it doesn't look that way because if this this is how your going to treat your customers you will end up not selling many in the future. I am getting pi__ed just reading your posting. If my situation is handled similarly I will not be very happy either.This is not a few dollars these vehicles are very costly and this is a big investment we're talking about and should be viewed that way by Ford motor company.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I took mine in this morning for its 1000 mile checkup after getting the HPFP replaced due to fuel dilution.

Oil level has not risen at all so it appears that mine is (hopefully) resolved.

@MotoWojo, I hope you get your situation resolved soon.

It sucks when you spend your hard earned $$$ for a vehicle and then get the runaround when a problem crops up.

 

[MotoWojo]

Does Ford still want to sell vehicles, it doesn't look that way because if this this is how your going to treat your customers you will end up not selling many in the future. I am getting pi__ed just reading your posting. If my situation is handled similarly I will not be very happy either.This is not a few dollars these vehicles are very costly and this is a big investment we're talking about and should be viewed that way by Ford motor company.

Yes, this whole ordeal is really troubling. Because Wisconsin's lemon law requires everything to happen in the first year of ownership, it looks like I am SOL there. Per the dealership, the Field Service Engineer wants me to put 5000 miles on the truck before bringing it back in for service, even though the oil level is just at the start of the twist now. Ford Customer Care says they cannot do anything and the Field Service Engineer calls the shots. I am not allowed to speak with or contact the Field Service Engineer and no one will give me anything in writing that indicates that Ford is directing that I drive the truck with an oil level that is substantially above the max mark, even though the Owners Manual states:

"Note: Do not add oil further than the
maximum mark. Oil levels above the
maximum mark may cause engine damage."

The dealership told me that the Field Service Engineer wants to have the oil tested after it has had at least 5000 miles on it. I asked why, does he know the 2 oil sample tests the dealer has already taken are quite alarming at 12% and 13% fuel dilution and oil viscosity out of spec? The 12% was at 500 miles! The dealer claimed the Field Engineer has all that information and this is what he is instructing. I get no say in the matter?

I've tried to find out if there is another Ford department I can contact, but I am coming up empty. I did speak with a supervisor in the Ford Customer Care department, and while she was very nice and understanding, there wasn't anything they could do further. She did suggest I could go to another dealership, but it would have to be quite a drive to get out of the territory that the current Field Service Engineer is responsible for. Unreal, I am not going to drive a couple hundred miles to a dealer in Minnesota to start this all over again?

I am spent, I guess I will just continue to slowly ruin the engine, at Ford's direction, in my 40k+ truck and hope that it does not become a safety concern. This is tough, every new vehicle I have ever purchased in my life time has been a Ford, 3 new F150s, a new Mustang, a new Focus, and now this Ranger Lariat, which, ironically, was the most expensive.

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