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Engine oil increasing

44K views 100 replies 32 participants last post by  TyGurr86 
#1 · (Edited)
I bought my 2018 LX in Nov. in Ontario. Everything is fine except the engine oil is increasing. I found this issue in last month, mileage was 2500 kilometers. The engine oil exceeded the whole plastic part of the dipstick and with strong gasoline smell.

I told this to my dealer, they reported to KIA Canada and told me no any other user reported similar problem. After I complained to KIA Canada directly, they agreeded to changing oil for free and recording engine oil consumption after driving another 1000 kilometers. Today I checked the dipstick, the oil level exceeded the F mark again.

I was wondering there is no one found this issue until now. Since in China, as I know, many people found this problem and Honda CR-V Hybrid has same issue.
Engine oil increasing with gasoline smell means gasoline leaking into oil. It is no a good thing. Even the user manual says, "Don not overfill the engine oil. It may damage the engine."

I don't want the bad thing happened on me, and to you guys neither.

Check your engine oil, if it's same as me, report to your dealer and KIA.
 
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#3 ·
Congrats on the car, sorry to hear about your issue. Sounds like a problem with the fuel injector to me. Somehow when your engine is turning off, the injector is remaining open, allowing fuel vapours to trickle into your engine. This is a very dangerous situation and you should not to continue to drive the car with this problem going. Not only do you risk damaging the engine if it is overfilled, but the mixture of oil and gasoline is extremely flammable/explosive.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Same issue.



About same mileage and same problem. Only difference - no strong gas smell. My Niro was at upper oil lever since July but after period of two weeks of temps in teens oil is about quarter inch high on dipstick. Engine is not getting fully warm when this cold anyway, drops to single bar on scale when running electric. Went to dealer for check up - said all OK. It maybe some moisture trapped in oil pan since I did no long trips recently. Going to do oil change just to be safe.
 
#8 ·
I'm concerned about this as well. I've had the car three months. From the beginning it seemed like the level was high. However, with new oil it is so clear, its hard to be sure. Plus I wasnt sure if the car was absolutly level in my parking lot. So, using a level, I ensured the car was on a flat driveway, and the oil seems to be above the plastic part of the dip stick. I've put 4400 miles on the car. The oil seems a little too dark now too. Smells of gasoline, but my old car oil smelled of gasoline. What kind of damage could have been done due to the overfill situation.
 
#41 ·
Update-high oil

I'm concerned about this as well. I've had the car three months. From the beginning it seemed like the level was high. However, with new oil it is so clear, its hard to be sure. Plus I wasnt sure if the car was absolutely level in my parking lot. So, using a level, I ensured the car was on a flat driveway, and the oil seems to be above the plastic part of the dip stick. I've put 4400 miles on the car. The oil seems a little too dark now too. Smells of gasoline, but my old car oil smelled of gasoline. What kind of damage could have been done due to the overfill situation.
I've since been to one dealership twice. They drained the oil from the car and got 3.92 quarts after letting it drain over lunch. They put in the specified about. Don't know if they checked the dipstick. I checked it latter in the week when I knew i was on a level surface and it was still "off the scale", completely over the dip stick. I took it back. They say they did it again (no paperwork given). Same result. I asked if it was ok to drive this way. They said yes, at next scheduled oil change they will check to see if there is something wrong with the dip stick tube. So thats where I'm at. Have to say, I'm not able to enjoy this new car driving around with oil level so high. Any suggestions?
 

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#9 ·
If it's really getting gasoline in the oil, I'd be more concerned about the tendency of the gas to thin the oil and diminish its lubricating ability than I would be about the fill level. Mine was a tad over the full mark at 300 miles, and I assume it was like that from the dealer.


If you're in South Carolina, I don't imagine you've been subjected to the kind of cold temperatures that often cause people in colder climates to experience hard starting, engine flooding, etc, so that probably doesn't explain your situation. You haven't told us how your gas mileage is faring though: a dripping fuel injector might cause this symptom over time. You also haven't told us where you purchase fuel. Some of the pricier brands put detergents in their fuel that can help to avoid problems with fuel injectors. The owners manual recommends that you purchase gas from one of the brands listed on toptiergas.com, but if I had any concerns that the fuel system might be needing some cleaning, I'd put a full tank of Chevron in it.


If you're at 4400 miles and you haven't had an oil change yet, you might want to have one. Yes, the manual says you can go to 7500 unless you are in a "severe usage" situation, in which case you should change it at 3750 miles. And then they go to describe just about everything I think of as "normal" as their definition of "severe usage".


After your oil change, check your oil cold on level ground before the engine has run, and wipe the stick and reinsert it before you take a definitive reading. Whoever changes your oil is likely to overfill it slightly. On cars I've had previously, having the oil slightly over full didn't seem to be a problem, but having it contaminated with water or gas is almost always a problem.
 
#10 ·
Oil level

Thanks for the response. I do use top tier gas (Valero) almost all of the time. The top tier logo is on the pump near my work. My mileage has been pretty good, avg 49 on interstate, but only about 43 recently in town since it has gotten chilly. I think it is suppressed somewhat since most of my in town trips are short, 3-5 miles so the engine barley warms up. But, I must consider the possibility of some kind of fuel system problem too. My dealer says they can't look at it until February. I'm still going to take it by and at least get the issue documented in case there has been engine damage. Then I'll get the oil changed.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the response. I do use top tier gas (Valero) almost all of the time. The top tier logo is on the pump near my work. My mileage has been pretty good, avg 49 on interstate, but only about 43 recently in town since it has gotten chilly. I think it is suppressed somewhat since most of my in town trips are short, 3-5 miles so the engine barley warms up. But, I must consider the possibility of some kind of fuel system problem too. My dealer says they can't look at it until February. I'm still going to take it by and at least get the issue documented in case there has been engine damage. Then I'll get the oil changed.

A few people have mentioned having this problem but I thought it was just 2017's. Please keep us up to date on what you find out. So many times people don't provide an update and then the people that have similar problems are left hanging. Thanks!
 
#12 ·
Noticed same with my 2018 Hev, @ 10,000 mi 3rd oil change. Past full on dipstick and you can smell fuel. Dealer wasn't concerned. I still am! Documenting all, gonna keep tabs on oil level and condition. From my experience, this has never has happened and can not be healthy for the long term life of the engine.
 
#13 ·
Used Oil Report

Hey guys,

I had some info that I thought would be beneficial both this particular post and for all Niro Owners. I own a 2018 EX and I also noticed the same issues as described here, over filled dipstick when I had changed the oil and ensured it was not full, fuel smell when starting the car and changing the oil. So I sent in my oil change to Blackstone labs to get it professionally analyzed. What they found was an increase in fuel in the oil. My oil was made up with about 3.3% fuel which as others stated did lower my viscosity and have some other affects. I made contact with KIA corporate and they are waiting for me to go another 7,500 miles to see if it happens again or if it was just the rings and other components settling in.

I tried to make a dedicated post about my oil report but the admin team did not approve it nor did I receive a reason why it was denied so I hope this get's through and helps.
Thanks,
Ron
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UhuXG8H92uXVXeg96
 
#14 ·
Hey guys,

I had some info that I thought would be beneficial both this particular post and for all Niro Owners. I own a 2018 EX and I also noticed the same issues as described here, over filled dipstick when I had changed the oil and ensured it was not full, fuel smell when starting the car and changing the oil. So I sent in my oil change to Blackstone labs to get it professionally analyzed. What they found was an increase in fuel in the oil. My oil was made up with about 3.3% fuel which as others stated did lower my viscosity and have some other affects. I made contact with KIA corporate and they are waiting for me to go another 7,500 miles to see if it happens again or if it was just the rings and other components settling in.

I tried to make a dedicated post about my oil report but the admin team did not approve it nor did I receive a reason why it was denied so I hope this get's through and helps.
Thanks,
Ron
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UhuXG8H92uXVXeg96

That's a GOOD point! If the dealer tries to argue with you, get your oil analyzed by a lab and then they can't argue with you. I think some kits come with a syringe and a long tube so you can just suck a little oil out of the dipstick tube and don't have to do an oil change.
 
#17 ·
Year later, next winter - it is moisture condensing in oil - engine not getting warm enough in low temperatures to cook it off. We had polar vortex cold (-20°F) for few days. I was only driving to and from work (8 miles each way). Checked oil and to my horror - dipstick and oil cap were coated with foamy espresso colored goo. I almost suspected blown head gasket - at 5k miles. But next day took the car for nice 25 miles highway trip at 65 to 70 miles per hour. When I checked oil that day it was looking good little darker than new with no contamination visible. Now with temps back in 40-ies issue doesn't seem to be a problem any more.
 
#19 ·
Interesting. Noticed my car had some unburned gas smell when engine was cold during the sub-zero weather too. I haven't checked the oil though. In addition to your point, all cars are allowed to dial back some of the emission controls during engine warmup (hence the VW scandal....they tricked the car to believe it was in warmup stationary mode).
 
#18 ·
Wacio: Yes that is a common problem with ICE in any climate with sub freezing temps and short drives where the engine doesn't get warm enough to boil off the condensate. However in my experience that phenomena doesn't cause the oil level to appear to rise on the dipstick.

Unfortunately, previous posts strongly suggest that some cars may be experience gas getting into the crankcase. Until several folks who are noticing a rising oil level have an oil analysis, we won't know for sure.

Cost for oil analysis is $28 at Blackstone w prepaid shipping. They need about 1/4 cup of oil.
 
#20 ·
Hey folks update on my oil increasing. Still have problem. A big one in my opinion and diagnosis. Recap...Discovered problem 3rd service 10,104 mi. Dealership blew me off. Asked them to capture oil and measure, watched them do it and they didnt capture all and didnt include filter. Did 4th service myself just 2000mi later (again high on dipstick).11,950 mi on vehicle. 132 oz of oil in, 140 oz of oil out. Done the math thats 6% oil dilution. Goggled oil dilution, anything over 2 is problematic. I have aprox 12%( if doubled to a 4000 mi interval.)Went back to dealer, again they dont want to recognize that the problem exists. They told me to call KIA. 2 weeks later, customer service reponds that they cant do anything without dealer diagnosis. Back at dealership next day. Again same treatment but.... They booked an appt for 2 weeks from now. I will keep updating. If you have this problem try this, my last oil chg. I put in aprox 8 oz. Less oil so i could see oil level better on dipstick. ( half up etched part of dipstick). Noticable increase in just 500 mi.
 
#22 ·
Thanks for sharing this information, I hope you'll continue to keep us updated.


My theory is that one factor that might contribute to this problem is the number of times that the ICE has to start and stop on your daily drive, and in particular, the number of start/stop cycles it goes through when the ICE is cold.


I think you said that you're driving an HEV, so you probably don't have much control over the start/stop cycles, aside from trying to deliberately keep the ICE on at a stop by turning on the heat or maybe engaging sport mode, neither of which is likely to be good for fuel economy, which most of us were thinking about when we decided to buy a Niro. What part of the world do you live in (what climate do you live in)? What is your daily drive like? For example, if I was commuting to work from where I live, I would have at least six stops with ICE shutdown/restart every day before I hit the highway and got up to normal operating temp. (My theory is that restarts at normal temp are less likely to contribute to oil dilution, vs restarts at cold temp).


Other ideas that occur to me: a brand new car might have more oil dilution than one that has had a chance to break in (but it sounds like yours is probably sufficiently broken in); I wonder if something trivial like a clogged PCV valve might exacerbate this?; obviously a manufacturing or design defect in the rings might cause this. Another thing that might cause this would be a weeping fuel injector: if you shut the car off, the injectors are supposed to shut down tight, leaving high pressure fuel in the fuel line. If you have a weeping injector, it could dribble fuel into the cylinder while the car is off, and given time, that fuel could seep down past the rings into the crankcase oil. If this is going on with your car, one possible indication might be that the fuel pump runs immediately when you get in the car, maybe even before you turn the car on. In other cars I've owned, the fuel pump made an audible noise, either from under the hood, or from the gas tank area near the underside rear of the car.


If you've got a malfunctioning fuel injector or PCV valve, it's just a matter of getting a dealer to recognize it and provide warranty service. But if the design is defective or your particular ICE has mildly defective rings, I think it would be hard to get anything done about that under warranty, even if you could prove it. We all know that it's wrong to get a lot of gas in your oil, but until you have an engine failure that can be attributed to that, I don't think you'll have much traction on a warranty claim.


I don't have a dilution problem (so far) but I drive a PHEV, and I usually drive in EV mode, and when I'm not doing that, I usually take steps to minimize the number of start/stop cycles while the ICE is cold, something that might be harder to do with an HEV.
 
#23 ·
Thanks for the input, and yes it could be any one of the issues mentioned. I do pretty much all city driving just outside Las Vegas. But that doesn't make this condition any less unacceptable. This vehicle is taylor made for this environment. Gets best mileage in these conditions. No matter gonna be interesting to see if dealer finds anything. Others has posted this problem. I haven't seen a solution yet?
 
#24 ·
I had another thought on this. If there is anything to my idea that one of your fuel injectors might be dripping when the ICE is off, a symptom might be a bigger than usual puff of exhaust when the ICE starts after it's been off for a while. Of course, that begs the question of "what is usual?" and I don't know the answer. Most engines put out a puff when they start and are stone cold: part of that is from moisture that has condensed inside the system while it was cooling down, and part of that is from the engine running rich when it's cold. To investigate this question, you'd want to have a friend in the driver's seat while you're behind the car and safely off to the side, observing the tail pipe. Then you'd ask your friend to turn it on and, with their foot on the brake, shift into drive and put it in sport mode to encourage the ICE to start.



So while it would be interesting to look at this when the ICE is stone cold, perhaps it makes more sense to look at it after it's reached normal operating temp and then been shut off for about an hour (an hour so that if it is dripping fuel, it has sufficient time to drip enough to create noticeable exhaust, and so that it hasn't had time to cool back down to stone cold... maybe... as I think about this, perhaps a half-hour would be a smarter choice).


If you try this and you see a noteworthy cloud of exhaust, then you'll want to compare your observation with someone else's so that you can begin to gauge if your car's behavior is "usual" or not. If you do see significant visible exhaust, you might even want to take a picture of that. If nothing else, it might help to persuade your service garage that they should evaluate the injectors.
 
#27 ·
Someone upthread mentioned getting an oil analysis. That's an excellent idea and would tell you definitively if your oil is being diluted with gas, coolant or something else. If the dealer blows you off even after the oil analysis you need to find another dealer.

There are several companies that do oil analysis, Blackstone Labs being one:

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/products/free-test-kits/

They'll send you a free sample return kit and the basic analysis is ~$30. That's peanuts compared to the cost and hassle of a thrashed engine due to oil contamination.
 
#28 ·
I agree to some point on the oil analysis however dealership already told me they wont do one. I already know based on volume in versus out. And it can only be fuel for the following reason. No coolant loss and if coolant was present it would turn oil milky. Plus coolant doesnt smell like fuel. If no action is taken by dealership, I will consider analysis.
 
#30 ·
Not to sound like a doomsayer but driving around with engine oil contaminated by fuel is a recipe for disaster. Gasoline is a fantastic solvent and degreaser that will quickly cause excessive engine wear. Cylinders and pistions especially will be damaged because the fuel will wash the oil off the walls. Bearings will also wear more quickly due to the reduced viscosity thinning the oil wedge that supports them under load. The Niro runs a thin oil to reduce friction so the margins are already slim. That's probably the main reason the recommended change interval is only 7500 miles. Thin oil combined with a lot of stops and starts means that any reduction in oil performance will be bad.

If you are sure that you have fuel in the oil you need to get the car to a competent dealer ASAP. If it were me I would spend the $30 for an oil analysis that I could take with me to the next dealer I had work on the car. Every rotation of the ICE is doing exponentially more damage than it should and will reduce the life of the vehicle. If you plan to keep the car for a long time that will make a big difference in maintenance costs in the future.
 
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#31 ·
Got car back from dealer. They did nothing to diagnose oil dilution. Looked at spark plugs, dipstick and looked for nonexistent codes. I explained when I dropped vehicle that oil level had risen on dipstick from the middle of dipstick to full in 600 mi. They didnt even change the oil. Kia corparate told them not to perform any further work till issue is duplicated. So I changed oil again. Just 750 mi since last change. Got 5oz more than put in. Gonna go back again. Also called kia corporate again. They said they would elevate the case and someone would be in contact.
 
#32 ·

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