Engine oil has slight odor of gasoline

[BobsTrail]

I wimped out and had a mechanic install my Bilstein 5100s yesterday. We talked about the 10K oil change interval and he thinks that's way too long. He pulled the dipstick and we noticed a faint odor of gas. Oil had a little color, but looked OK. I'm at 5,600 miles.

Do I need to worry??

 

[1engineer]

I wimped out and had a mechanic install my Bilstein 5100s yesterday. We talked about the 10K oil change interval and he thinks that's way too long. He pulled the dipstick and we noticed a faint odor of gas. Oil had a little color, but looked OK. I'm at 5,600 miles.

Do I need to worry??

No I don't think so. 10K is not too long as long as you don't pull a heavy trailer a lot or go hundreds of miles on dirt roads. I just had my 10K change and I checked it before and after. Slight color, very slight petroleum odor. You can change it as often as you like but based on my research and knowledge 10K is just fine. I have spoken at length with engineers who design engines, both gas and diesel, and all agree the synthetic oil is not even the limiting factor for a 10K change, it's the filter needing the maintenance. Now, if you don't put 10K miles on it in a year I would change it every year though, just to be safe.

 

[rigtec]

I wimped out and had a mechanic install my Bilstein 5100s yesterday. We talked about the 10K oil change interval and he thinks that's way too long. He pulled the dipstick and we noticed a faint odor of gas. Oil had a little color, but looked OK. I'm at 5,600 miles.

Do I need to worry??

Don't think so Bob,

Back in my day (when "Moses" was just a boy), and working as an auto mechanic, the fuel pump was operated mechanically, by an extra lobe on the camshaft. Every so often, you'd get a car with a bad fuel pump where the diaphram would tear, and the fuel would flood the crankcase.

The smell was unforgettable, as was the way the oil felt between your finger tips. Well, there's not much chance of that happening today with the fp in the tank, and it being electric).

If there is a slight odor of gasoline, it may be due to the fact that the oil and gas are working in such close confines, via the "combustion chamber" and the "crankcase". Not only that, but the "fuel vapor system" and "exhaust gas recirculation systems" aren't completely separate; even the exhaust from the tail pipe can, at times, give just a hint of gasoline...imho. "Enjoy your truck!!" :hatsoff:

rig

 

[BobsTrail]

Thanks for your quick replies. I can relax now and plan my next trip or mod.