oil levels?

[fourbanks]

Having just had my first service by Lexus Gatwick, I've noticed the level a little higher than normal also a smell of petrol this I'm told by the Lexus master Mechanic of 20 years as being normal 

does anyone have any views on this that differ from above 

thanks 

[therealrjp]

I’ve owned 5 Lexuses - CT, IS, RC, GS,RX. I would be inclined to bow to the experience of a Lexus Master Mechanic, but I’ve never had a whiff of petrol in any of my cars.

[fourbanks]

7 minutes ago, therealrjp said:

I’ve owned 5 Lexuses - CT, IS, RC, GS,RX. I would be inclined to bow to the experience of a Lexus Master Mechanic, but I’ve never had a whiff of petrol in any of my cars.

thanks rich 🙂 

[Scotlex]

Assuming that the petrol smell goes away it should be fine.

Could it even be petrol/oil off their boots that is on your car mat??

[fourbanks]

40 minutes ago, Scotlex said:

Assuming that the petrol smell goes away it should be fine.

Could it even be petrol/oil off their boots that is on your car mat??

i'm talking about the smell off the dipstick Alistair 🙂 

[Scotlex]

2 hours ago, fourbanks said:

i'm talking about the smell off the dipstick Alistair 🙂 

That does sound a bit odd

[peniole]

Yes there is a slight whiff of petrol, not just in lexus direct injected engines. It's a characteristic of these engines. If you do only short journeys, with the engine not really coming up to operating temperature, smell will be worse.

[fourbanks]

45 minutes ago, peniole said:

Yes there is a slight whiff of petrol, not just in lexus direct injected engines. It's a characteristic of these engines. If you do only short journeys, with the engine not really coming up to operating temperature, smell will be worse.

Sounds about right I only do 4000 miles a year mostly local 

[Gary H]

That does sound a little odd, I have to say. 🤔

I will admit I’ve not gone out of the way to smell the dipstick in my UX, but I don’t recall ever getting a whiff of petrol from it whenever I’ve done my semi-regular checks. I can only assume mine either doesn’t or my sense of smell isn’t what it once was!

[Don C]

Some engines dilute the oil with fuel but it shouldn’t smell directly after a service.  

[LenT]

On 7/30/2023 at 3:38 PM, fourbanks said:

Having just had my first service by Lexus Gatwick, I've noticed the level a little higher than normal also a smell of petrol this I'm told by the Lexus master Mechanic of 20 years as being normal 

does anyone have any views on this that differ from above 

thanks 

It may be normal in so far as it’s indicative of engine wear or even - apparently - excessive periods of idling, but it’s surely not to be ignored.  And in a new car with presumably a low mileage - and sufficient to actually raise the oil level!- I would not have thought it something to casually dismiss!

Introducing fuel into the oil reduces its viscosity, dilutes the effects of the additive package, increases metal-to-metal contact on start-up and generally accelerates wear rate.  
This article by a Castrol engineer gives more detail.  It’s in response to a diesel related question, but the principle still applies.

I believe that there is something called a flash test which labs use to check fuel contamination.  And I note that some commercial diesels have cited a 4% level of contamination as ‘acceptable’.  

But I’d be inclined to get a second opinion!  There may well be a cause of the contamination that isn’t going to get better by itself.
 

https://www.castrol.com/en_us/united-states/home/heavy-commercial-vehicles-oil-and-fluids/hd-focus-newsletter/engineering-solutions/fuel-dilution-and-its-impact-on-engine-oil.html

[peniole]

I think he meant the level was a little high after the service (a bit too much put back in, or not allowed to fully drain). If on the other hand, it was at a normal level after the service and then later on it raised due to fuel contamination, then yes that would be of concern.

[LenT]

3 hours ago, peniole said:

I think he meant the level was a little high after the service (a bit too much put back in, or not allowed to fully drain). If on the other hand, it was at a normal level after the service and then later on it raised due to fuel contamination, then yes that would be of concern.

I suspect that most mechanics simply tip the recommended volume of oil back in without waiting to see if it overfills.  After all, why would it?

Lab tests can confirm what noses suggest.  And as you rightly say, any subsequent fuel contamination sufficient to noticeably raise the total level should be investigated.  But whatever the cause - and unlike two-stroke engine oils and with all due deference to a Master Mechanic - four-stroke engines are not best served by oil that’s been diluted with fuel!