SAM-I-AM

I was recently getting my oil changed at the local quik lube(yes I could do it myself but much less hassle this way), the tech noticed that the filter smelled of gasoline and that I should have the dealer check the fuel system for possible leaks into the oil pan.

The car runs fairly well, but very hot. Thermostat usually reads middle of the gauge, but coolant continues to boil after a few minutes of idle/cooldown

I don't trust any Mazda dealership mechanics, but that's about all we have here in SE North Carolina. I am moving to San Diego soon, whcih might help in terms of finding good mechanics

Any Ideas of what could be happening or what I should do?

Any input is appreciated.

-Sam

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Fuel smell in the oil is normal. In fact, the fuel is one reason the oil gets thinner as it accumulates mileage, which is one reason why more frequent oil changes make sense for an FD.

JConn2299

^ +1

A certain amount of fuel contamination of the oil is the nature of these engines. I think I read someplace it runs around 10%. And it seems to happen fairly soon after an oil change. You could always send a sample to one of those oil testing places. If the % of gas in the oil is running abnormally high you might want to investigate further.
We all spend a lot of time fussing over our oil, but to put your mind at ease, FD engine failures due to an oil related problem appear to be extremely rare. It's the cooling system you gotta worry about.

d1rx7

dont be to worryed about it. just keep up to date with your oil changes and you'll be fine.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...=fuel+dilution

also when i first got the car and had some work done on it, the shop keep on going on about it, thinking it wasnt normal. they ended up doing one of those test, and here is what i got. never going to them again

petex

it's ok for oil to be little diluted after 3000k miles. if your engine has somewhere close to 100k miles it's understandable?

i suggest shorter oilchange interval.

it's not ok "coolant continues to boil after a few minutes of idle/cooldown"

i suggest you presurize coolant system to 1.3 bar and check for leaks (internal leaks too)

JConn2299

Your oil analysis was interesting. Thanks for sharing that. Only 5%. Doesn't sound too bad to me. As I say, I remember someone else reporting 10%. My guess is the longer drives you take the more gas that will evaporate out. But with blowby and a fuel rich startup I imagine a lot of short trips would result in a higher concentration.

SAM-I-AM

Thanks guys. Appreciate the reassurance. That advice alone will keep me from getting fleeced.

I do plan to get the cooling system checked out. Its my #1 worry at the present.

-Sam