Fuel in oil

[Blue Streak]

So after opening a case and dealing with Ford they denied the buy back stating there is not a issue with a 3.8% fuel dilution in 500 miles. The dealer called up blackstone and the guy Brian told him that 3.8 was higher than normal but at 2200 miles on the clock there was no concern.
The oil sample I sent to them only had 500 miles on the clock. This is like a dog chasing its tail as I was told by dealer that the engine is not broke in????
So they gave me a 84 month,100,000 power train warranty so guess I will drive it like i stole it , but in all seriousness I just cant fight em anymore . and so it goes.

I was told by dealer that the engine is not broke in???? So I & others never having an issue purchased trucks with engines that were pre broke in. Makes no sense. We may never know the answer.

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[Texasota]

I plan to start using 5W-40 semi-synthetic oil, change the oil every 4000-5000 miles and not worry about it. I love my Ranger too much to let this one issue be a deal breaker for me.

If I got rid of my Ranger, then I could not feud with Dave (@AzScorpion) about dampers and my life would not be worth living.

 

[MotoWojo]

More evidence that short trips are the most common cause of oil dilution issues.

This is not a logical conclusion? I have this issue, and I never make short trips. Would that then be evidence that long trips are a cause of oil dilution issues?
Sure, short trips, without time for everything to get up to temperature, are likely to create conditions that would make this issue worse, but that certainly is not the issue plaguing those of us with serious oil dilution.

 

[MotoWojo]

I was told by dealer that the engine is not broke in???? So I & others never having an issue purchased trucks with engines that were pre broke in. Makes no sense. We may never know the answer.

I believe dealerships just spew out whatever think may sound plausible. My truck was rock solid, oil level never budged, up to ~10,000 miles, and then the flood gates opened and I now have almost 23,000 miles and Ford is still trying to figure it out. Double digit fuel contamination in every test, at 500 miles on oil, 2100 miles on oil, and 900 miles on oil. I will soon find out how bad it is with 5000 miles on the oil, which I expect to be 15-20%. On the plus side, truck has ran well, for the most part. I do not expect that to last though.

 

[Texasota]

This is not a logical conclusion? I have this issue, and I never make short trips. Would that then be evidence that long trips are a cause of oil dilution issues?
Sure, short trips, without time for everything to get up to temperature, are likely to create conditions that would make this issue worse, but that certainly is not the issue plaguing those of us with serious oil dilution.

I know your issue is different. I tried to be careful/accurate by saying " the most common cause of oil dilution"

 

[CO2Ranger]

Thanks! LOTS and LOTS of highway miles! (106 mile daily commute on Interstate) I also run her pretty good on a daily basis. Not crazy but when I pull in the garage in the evening....you hear that ting....ting....of the superheated exhaust cooling down
I need to wrap that downpipe...lol
I am not a track guy....I do not run any E85, just straight 91 octane all the time from Sam's or Costco.
Mobil 1 5w-30 Extended Performance with a Motorcraft filter.
I plan on doing another Blackstone analysis @ 50K

May be coincidence but I started using that Mobil1 extended performance as well around the same time I put the tune on. After that change, the fuel smell never came back. I didn't bother with an oil analysis so this is all anecdotal.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

I plan to start using 5W-40 semi-synthetic oil, change the oil every 4000-5000 miles and not worry about it. I love my Ranger too much to let this one issue be a deal breaker for me.

That's pretty much where I'm at too after getting a total of four blackstone tests ranging from 2.5-2.8 dilution. This has been the nicest truck I have ever owned. I'm going to do one more test the next oil change and if the dilution has gone down or stayed the same I'm going to quit worrying about it. Plus my truck is covered for 100,000 miles or 8yrs bumper to bumper. With my short trips I won't even get close to that 100,000miles.

Dan

 

[Ranger_RH]

Add me to the list of fuel in oil problems. My oil level was steady until about 18,000 miles. I had checked the oil level after getting it changed at 16,500 and it was good. 2,000 miles later I replaced the air filter and checked the level again. Oil was about a quarter inch higher and above the max fill line. Brought it to the dealership today and the “engine specialist” claimed they had overfilled it last time it was changed stating that ecoboost engines take about an hour to fully drain into the pan after operation. They removed some oil and claimed the problem was fixed. Guess I’ll just have to take photos and check often. Now I’m just debating if I trade it in now for a Toyota or wait for the tundra redesign.....

 

[JTDay]

Who knows the AFR targets for the stock tune? I wonder if tuned trucks run a lot leaner.

 

[AverageWhiteGuy]

Got a link to the one you bought? I don't want to gunk up my brake line vacuum stuff so I'll get something specifically for this.

And looking at the fuel in oil poll, we're starting to get a curve... you have to wonder if the strange peak in the curve at <.5% is all the service techs that just grabbed some out of the used oil. But that last time I had some pulled the oil was still warm, so I might be ok.

Your supposed to get oil in the middle of the draining process. If you use a vacuum pump, your going to get either the stuff floating on top, or the carbonized sticky stuff at the bottom.

FYI, I got my oil report, apparently I have high-risk gas dilution, 3% at 2,250 miles... (I only use high detergent 93 octane premium costco gas in North America.) On the plus side, at least they didn't detect a coolant leak or any other issues. I guess I should be like you folks, and submit a ticket immediately with Ford Support, either I need new fuel injectors, coilovers, or new piston rings. Who knows?! I sure don't...

 

[txquailguy]

I'm really curious what the latest engine build date is on here with this oil dilution issue/fuel in the oil issue? Have we determined that from folks posting their numbers? Or is it all over the place?
Anyone have this issue with a build date on or later than 10/28/2019?

Update: Has one of you folks with this issue put together a spreadsheet to try and get a handle on some of the easy data points that might pinpoint this stuff.....I can be guilty of not looking through threads good enough...maybe someone is already way past me on this....would love an update.

 

[N. J. Jim]

I've been running 5/40 W for almost 1700 miles now don't know if it actually helped out or if it just got better on its own. Now if I throw in about a 30 mile trip a week and I can keep it down to the top hole or below. With the 5/30 It didn't make any difference what I did it would rise above the top hole sometimes to the twist. Yesterday I took about a 100 miles trip and it actually came down to about an eighth of an inch above the full mark. Don't know what changed for sure but I hope I can keep a handle on it. For awhile I thought I was heading down the same road as MotoWojo!! I'm starting to wonder if some of the rise in my case is condensation . I read some articles that stated once the fuel is diluted in the oil it doesn't burn or evaporate off. I sent a sample to Blackstone that only had 500 hundred miles on it but the level on the dipstick was above the top hole and it came back 1% fuel dilution. I had done that oil change and I had it right on the full mark!

 

[Texasota]

I've been running 5/40 W for almost 1700 miles now don't know if it actually helped out or if it just got better on its own. Now if I throw in about a 30 mile trip a week and I can keep it down to the top hole or below. With the 5/30 It didn't make any difference what I did it would rise above the top hole sometimes to the twist. Yesterday I took about a 100 miles trip and it actually came down to about an eighth of an inch above the full mark. Don't know what changed for sure but I hope I can keep a handle on it. For awhile I thought I was heading down the same road as MotoWojo!! I'm starting to wonder if some of the rise in my case is condensation . I read some articles that stated once the fuel is diluted in the oil it doesn't burn or evaporate off. I sent a sample to Blackstone that only had 500 hundred miles on it but the level on the dipstick was above the top hole and it came back 1% fuel dilution. I had done that oil change and I had it right on the full mark!

I think it would be difficult to reach any conclusions about the 5W40 reducing the rise on your dip stick, but I do think it will help maintain a better viscosity when oil dilution does occur. With 5W30 the dilution thins the oil so that it more closely resembles 5W20. With 5W40, hopefully the thinning approaches 5W30. This "hope" is why I plan to start using 5W40.

 

[Langwilliams]

Has anyone thought about trying one of those "friction reducing additives"? The ones they claim bond to the parts an prevent metal on metal friction?

 

[txquailguy]

Has anyone thought about trying one of those "friction reducing additives"? The ones they claim bond to the parts an prevent metal on metal friction?

Don't do it...bad juju
As Always...IMHO

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