Fuel smell on engin oil cap

Shonuff1140 · January 12, 2016, 09:47:42 PM

I was going to add oil to the car, as it was ever so slightly low. Take off the cap and I smell gasoline, I did this with my wife's Focus ST and the same only stronger fuel smell. I drive the cars aggressively, but is anyone else noticing this, and is it because of DI, Forced Induction, or both?

ZSHO · January 13, 2016, 10:19:14 AM

Since no one replied think this could be related to your spark plugs,check to see if there is any grime on the electrode,she could be running lean and if so install a fresh set of plugs to see if the smell goes away,do you smell it inside the cabin??and are there any codes set? Z

glock-coma · January 13, 2016, 12:26:27 PM

With di you get fuel dilution in the oil. That one of the main reasons to get a catch can.

Vortech347 · January 13, 2016, 09:31:38 PM

Related but doesn't answer your question and I'm home sick/bored. LOL

Reminds me of a funny story when I worked at a tire/ASE shop. A little old lady (yes true, not just saying) Had a 90's Subaru with only 20k on it and she said the engine was running though when she came in for tires. Tech checked the oil and found it super diluted and way high. Recommends we do an oil change. I bring the supplies over and we pull the drain plug. What had to have been damn near a gallon of fuel came out into the catch pan. We also noticed that the date/mileage from the last oil change was 3 years ago when she first bought the car.

The cause? She only drove the car 1-2 miles at a time. The grocery store, her kids, and church all lived within a mile range. The car never warmed up and because of this fuel never burned out of the oil and the piston/piston rings would never expand out to correct operating temp.

Shonuff1140 · January 13, 2016, 09:54:57 PM

I don't smell fuel in the cabin, and the Focus only has 2K l=miles and the SHO has 36K.

FoMoCoSHO · January 13, 2016, 11:59:02 PM

I have smelled fuel every time I've had the oil cap off on both SHO's.

I've just come to accept it as part of direct injection.

From what I've read, if it amount was abnormal your crankcase level might actually go up.

Just another reason a high quality oil at necessary intervals is a necessity when owning an Ecoboost.

FoMoCoSHO · January 14, 2016, 12:00:56 AM

Chad, that handcannon in your AV looks to be as long as the users arm, lol.

ZSHO · January 14, 2016, 07:15:16 AM

I would check your pcv. Z

Frozen Blue · January 14, 2016, 11:40:05 AM

My old Focus ST had the same thing. I assumed it's just a byproduct of blow-by due to being forced induction. I know a couple guys on the Focus forum sent their used oil out to be analyzed and everything came back normal.

93Cobra · January 15, 2016, 12:29:00 PM

This is a standard problem across the 3.5 ecobbost applications. There is also a TSB on this and also suggests replacing the HPFF.

AJP turbo · January 15, 2016, 12:36:50 PM

Quote from: 93Cobra on January 15, 2016, 12:29:00 PM
This is a standard problem across the 3.5 ecobbost applications. There is also a TSB on this and also suggests replacing the HPFF.

What does blow by or oil contamination have to do with the high pressure fuel pump lol?

93Cobra · January 15, 2016, 01:07:28 PM

Go have a look at the TSB - that's what Ford wants to change to lessen the problem.

SHOdded · January 15, 2016, 01:22:02 PM

Which tsb is this? I know there's a valve cover replacement tsb ...

93Cobra · January 15, 2016, 03:03:31 PM

I can't get my hands on it right now, but the HPFP is what was replaced.

SHOdded · January 15, 2016, 07:19:27 PM

There is one TSB that I know of re: the High Pressure side of the fuel system:
http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,3836.msg79032.html#msg79032
and here's the PCV ones:
http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,3836.msg79067.html#msg79067
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMOTOR/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=187145
http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,3836.msg79174.html#msg79174