2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

oil smells like gas

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Old Jan 23, 2007 | 09:43 PM
  #26  
micah's Avatar
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From: Newberg, Oregon
Gas in your oil is not normal. You need to rebuild your engine. A car running rich cannot cause this.

This is most likely caused by leaky oil control rings... gas is getting in, and oil is getting out (burning). You can run for a while like this... but things will only get worse. Start saving for a rebuild.
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Old Jan 23, 2007 | 10:03 PM
  #27  
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OR--------- Your injectors are leaky after like 20 years of service... They are leaking fuel and it seeping past the seals. Your motor is probably fine... i don't know why everyone thinks everything means a rebuild.lol Question: my lightbulb burnt out in the drivers side turn signal. Rx7club answer- you'd better start saving for a rebuild.
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Old Jan 23, 2007 | 10:10 PM
  #28  
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From: Newberg, Oregon
If that were the case, he would suffer from severe flooding...

Are you getting severe flooding every time you start the car?
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Old Jan 24, 2007 | 06:01 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by RRTEC
OR--------- Your injectors are leaky after like 20 years of service... They are leaking fuel and it seeping past the seals. Your motor is probably fine... i don't know why everyone thinks everything means a rebuild.lol Question: my lightbulb burnt out in the drivers side turn signal. Rx7club answer- you'd better start saving for a rebuild.

i got my injectors cleaned + flow tested + all that jazz. i changed my oil the other day + it still smells like gas.

(wow for some reason i typed tastes instead of smells. hahaha)
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Old Jan 24, 2007 | 06:08 PM
  #30  
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Then I guess you have your answer. Sucks dude.
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Old Jan 24, 2007 | 08:43 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by micaheli
Then I guess you have your answer. Sucks dude.
Not really. Plenty of 7 owners have oil that smells like gas and run for 10's of thousands miles like that. Plenty of owners with fresh rebuilds have oil that smells like gas. I've got ~10k on my engine and 120 psi compression cold and my oil smells like gas. I also have problem running rich and only get 17mpg.

Gassy oil has to do with blow-by as RX-Heven. This doesn't necessarily mean you're going to flood out all the time

A rebuild is really only necessitated by:

1. low compression
2. coolant seal failure
3. high oil consumption and burning from failed oil control seals/o-rings/springs
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Old Jan 24, 2007 | 09:06 PM
  #32  
micah's Avatar
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Originally Posted by alexdimen
Not really. Plenty of 7 owners have oil that smells like gas and run for 10's of thousands miles like that. Plenty of owners with fresh rebuilds have oil that smells like gas. I've got ~10k on my engine and 120 psi compression cold and my oil smells like gas. I also have problem running rich and only get 17mpg.
Yep.... and.... your point is? Still means that in somewhere around 10kmiles from now, if he's lucky, he'll need a rebuild.

I could see a fresh rebuild doing it.... seals aren't broken in... ***** gonna leak... after its broken in, it stops... if it starts doing it again, thats failure... if it never stops doing it... I would say thats failure. Nowhere in the FSM does it say that your oil should smell like gas.

Originally Posted by alexdimen
Gassy oil has to do with blow-by as RX-Heven. This doesn't necessarily mean you're going to flood out all the time
Never said it would.. I did, however, say that it would IF it was his injectors sticking open.

Originally Posted by alexdimen
A rebuild is really only necessitated by:

1. low compression
2. coolant seal failure
3. high oil consumption and burning from failed oil control seals/o-rings/springs
What happens when oil control rings leak? Oil gets into the combustion chamber.... gas gets into the oil.... Number 3 sounds a lot like this.


Carl 9_9: Don't worry about my previous statements.. I'm sure your car will be fine.
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Old Jan 24, 2007 | 09:08 PM
  #33  
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I have a low mileage JDM engine sitting around right now and the oil smells like gas.

My brand new engine doesnt really have a gas smell but before i put it in my car it inly ran for about 20 minutes.

My old engine had terrible gas smells from the oil, bearings look great after taking the rear rotor out.

If you're that concerned and it wont go away, change the oil, take off the oil cooler return line and plae it in a 1 quart container, run the engine until the container is full, add another quart to the engine, repeat until all oil comes out clean, then run the engine for a while and let it warm up, drain all of the oil and refil again, i'm sure it will have nearly disappeared.
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Old Jul 23, 2016 | 09:38 PM
  #34  
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From: San Jose
Almost 10 years later. How long did this car last or did you figure out the problem?
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Old Jul 24, 2016 | 10:45 AM
  #35  
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Wow, what a terrible thread.

"RX-7s run rich". Nope, they don't. They run at 14.7 under cruise, about 13:1 under WOT and about 12.5:1 at idle. Like most other vehicles of the era. If the car is working fine, then it's not running rich. If the car is broken, then it's running rich.

Which could be the reason for the fuel oil pollution. Excessively rich due to bad injectors, poor tune, or something broken like the PCV system. Or just many short trips.

People complaining about poor mileage with big injectors. That's why aftermarket ECUs need to be tuned.

Saying smelly oil is a sign of a rebuild needed...what the hell? All it means is fuel in the oil, from any of the causes mentioned above.

Fix the car!

Have injectors professionally cleaned and tested.
Spark plugs and wires original? Replace!
Test the PCV as per the FSM/Haynes.
Loads of vacuum hoses disconnected or catch cans? Fix it.
Make sure the ECT sensor is reading correctly.
Make sure the idle mixture is adjusted correctly.
TUNE the ECU if possible.
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Old Jul 24, 2016 | 11:02 AM
  #36  
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From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by micah
Nowhere in the FSM does it say that your oil should smell like gas.
the FSM doesn't mention many things that people/the engines tolerate, like premixing fuel and modified emissions/crankcase ventilation systems, or big turbos running lots of boost on safe tunes to allow for fuel system failure mode buffers.

i don't even necessarily agree that running slightly rich means the car is broken either, now if it is running excessively rich then yes.



edit: not sure why i replied now, since this is a necro thread.

Last edited by RotaryEvolution; Jul 24, 2016 at 11:08 AM.
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