Engine Oil Issues??

iskinbash · Mar 13, 2016

I've been kind of freaking out and need some direction here. I've been searching and searching and cant find anything similar to my concerns.

I very recently purchased a used 2014 Jeep patriot sport 4x4 - 2.4L FD1, with 14,000 miles from a reputable dealer. After purchase, I got the oil changed and the car inspected, all was great. I then took it on a week long, 700 mile trip with my family through the mountains. When we got back I went over the vehicle and checked everything out. When i checked the oil, it seemed to be very, very high and smelled of gas. The motor was cold. I then ran it for just a moment, pulling it out and back into my driveway, checking the oil again after I turned the car off. The oil level at this point showed to be in the "safe" range, but still smelled of gas. The next morning after the car had been sitting all night, the oil again showed as way too full on the dipstick. I didnt notice any froth or milkyness at any point, but i only checked the oil by using the dipstick.

I haven't necessarily noticed any issues while driving it, i thought it did great on our trip. No warning lights on the dash panel and it's been operating at proper temperatures.

Am i freaking out about nothing here? This is my first almost new car so I'm a bit paranoid about everything.

Any thoughts/ideas??

That phucker · Mar 13, 2016

Chrysler recommends always checking the oil level right after turning the engine off.
AFAIK, they are the only ones that do.
I was surprised when I read that in my Owner's guide.

iskinbash · Mar 13, 2016

Yeah, I saw that too, and was thinking maybe that's just what you get when you take a cold reading. But I've seen other threads here where users say their hot and cold readings are almost the same. I'm seeing a huge discrepancy between the two, to the point where I'm too concerned to drive it at all. I would take it into the dealership but everybody is closed on Sundays.

Ignatz · Mar 13, 2016

Strange, very strange indeed.
Pardon me for asking an obvious question, but is your Jeep parked on level ground? That would affect your dipstick level.
What color is the oil? With only 700 miles since the change it should still look clear/light amber.
I never heard of checking the oil when its hot. I usually check it before I start it for the day figuring any oil up in the cylinders will drain down overnight. I wonder what FCA's thought process is in recommending that?

As for me, I don't worry much, and with a vehicle as new as yours it seems unlikely you'd have a significant problem. Still, if you're nervous, it probably wouldn't hurt to have the dealer look at it. God forbid it develops a serious problem,at least you'll establish a paper trail that says you didn't neglect an unusual symptom. And I'd call what you're having unusual.

Treegrower · Mar 13, 2016

Unless you checked the oil immediately after the change, you have no idea if maybe they over filled it to start out with. It does happen.

iskinbash · Mar 13, 2016

Thanks for the responses. Yes, it was parked in my garage on level ground when I checked it. The color is still pretty light. And I did just get it up to operating temperature and checked it again and it was still high, and i did see a few bubbles on the dipstick, so maybe treegrower is right and it was overfilled when I got the oil change - I'll now always be checking myself in the future.

But the oil still seems to smell of gas, and when compared to my 2008 mazda 3, the exhaust smells pretty rich. Is it possible for unburnt fuel to leak into the oil pan? Maybe a VVT or injector issue?

If it is just overfilled, what kind of damage might I have done driving it that way for 700-1000 miles?

nth256 · Mar 13, 2016

iskinbash said:
But the oil still seems to smell of gas, and when compared to my 2008 mazda 3, the exhaust smells pretty rich. Is it possible for unburnt fuel to leak into the oil pan? Maybe a VVT or injector issue?

Although I've never heard of anyone else here having an issue suimilar to yours, its entirely possible that something is up w/ your fuel system; maybe a stuck injector.

I'd get it to a reputable mechanic for an inspection. If there's gas in the oil, especially in the amounts you're seeing, it could certainly do some damage.

Ignatz said:
I never heard of checking the oil when its hot. I usually check it before I start it for the day figuring any oil up in the cylinders will drain down overnight. I wonder what FCA's thought process is in recommending that?

I'm in the opposite boat - I've never owned a vehicle that DIDN'T want you to check it hot. I was under the impression that you always check oil with the engine off, at operating temp. Unless you're desperate and just want to make sure there's actually oil in there.

Ignatz · Mar 14, 2016

nth256 said:
I'm in the opposite boat - I've never owned a vehicle that DIDN'T want you to check it hot. I was under the impression that you always check oil with the engine off, at operating temp. Unless you're desperate and just want to make sure there's actually oil in there.

My only 'formal' training on checking the oil was the checklist before rolling the company truck in the morning -- tires, lights, etc. Oil was on the list. Other than that it was just Dad showing me where the dipstick was, and we always worked on cars when they were cold. He was a car mechanic back in the day (early 1950s), though moved out of the trade when I was still quite young. Maybe the wisdom on that has changed over the years.

Davetac1 · Mar 14, 2016

Engine oil in any application is always,"ALWAYS" checked "COLD ENGINE" and with the vehicle/equipment parked on a "LEVEL SURFACE".

DJMurphy · Mar 14, 2016

There is no way you're putting unburned fuel into the oil without a check engine light. Follow the correct oil level check procedure that's in the owners manual. If it's higher than it should be it was overfilled.

JeepCares · Mar 14, 2016

iskinbash said:
I've been kind of freaking out and need some direction here. I've been searching and searching and cant find anything similar to my concerns.

I very recently purchased a used 2014 Jeep patriot sport 4x4 - 2.4L FD1, with 14,000 miles from a reputable dealer. After purchase, I got the oil changed and the car inspected, all was great. I then took it on a week long, 700 mile trip with my family through the mountains. When we got back I went over the vehicle and checked everything out. When i checked the oil, it seemed to be very, very high and smelled of gas. The motor was cold. I then ran it for just a moment, pulling it out and back into my driveway, checking the oil again after I turned the car off. The oil level at this point showed to be in the "safe" range, but still smelled of gas. The next morning after the car had been sitting all night, the oil again showed as way too full on the dipstick. I didnt notice any froth or milkyness at any point, but i only checked the oil by using the dipstick.

I haven't necessarily noticed any issues while driving it, i thought it did great on our trip. No warning lights on the dash panel and it's been operating at proper temperatures.

Am i freaking out about nothing here? This is my first almost new car so I'm a bit paranoid about everything.

Any thoughts/ideas??

Hey iskinbash,

Have you brought this behavior to the attention of your servicing FCA dealership?

iskinbash · Mar 14, 2016

JeepCares said:
Hey iskinbash,

Have you brought this behavior to the attention of your servicing FCA dealership?

Yes, and I'll be bringing it in today hopefully. No service centers were open yesterday and I kind of wanted to get an idea of what might be the issue or see if anyone had experienced something similar. I appreciate the responses from everyone.

Wooden Dog · Mar 15, 2016

Davetac1 said:
Engine oil in any application is always,"ALWAYS" checked "COLD ENGINE" and with the vehicle/equipment parked on a "LEVEL SURFACE".

Except when the owner's manual says check it 5 minutes after engine shutdown, like mine does....
But I don't notice a difference in level on mine either way.

JeepCares · Mar 15, 2016

iskinbash said:
Yes, and I'll be bringing it in today hopefully. No service centers were open yesterday and I kind of wanted to get an idea of what might be the issue or see if anyone had experienced something similar. I appreciate the responses from everyone.

Hey iskinbash,

Please keep the forum updated on the status of your vehicle. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via private message.

nth256 · Mar 16, 2016

Wooden Dog said:
Except when the owner's manual says check it 5 minutes after engine shutdown, like mine does....
But I don't notice a difference in level on mine either way.

Exactly.

Get engine up to operating temp, shut off engine, wait for oil to drain from head and galleries, then check oil level.

Checking cold makes sense in the same way, except that checking hot allows you to see any suspended particles that would have settled in cold oil.

Ignatz · Mar 16, 2016

nth256 said:
checking hot allows you to see any suspended particles that would have settled in cold oil.

Hmm, I suppose so. Then again, if you've got particles in the oil something tragic is happening to your Patriot.

iskinbash · Mar 16, 2016

JeepCares said:
Hey iskinbash,

Please keep the forum updated on the status of your vehicle. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via private message.

I took it in, I told them I was concerned the oil was too high, and that I thought it smelled of gas but not exactly sure what's normal. They said it was a bit high but nothing to worry about and that they didn't have any other concerns. They changed the oil, rotated tires, standard included inspection, etc. All covered by Mopar.

They also recommended that I get my 15k mile service completed, but there is no 15k service listed in the maintenance schedule. Hmm.

I hope they're right and everything is fine. Thanks all.

DJMurphy · Mar 16, 2016

There's 2 maintenance schedules. The manufacturer's schedule as listed in your owner's manual, and the Dealers Service Department schedule as listed on their big sign in the drive-in bay.

The Manufacturer's schedule is designed to keep your vehicle in factory operating condition.

The Dealerships schedule is designed to extract every possible dollar out of you for the life of the vehicle. Follow the Manufacturer's schedule...

JeepCares · Mar 17, 2016

iskinbash said:
I took it in, I told them I was concerned the oil was too high, and that I thought it smelled of gas but not exactly sure what's normal. They said it was a bit high but nothing to worry about and that they didn't have any other concerns. They changed the oil, rotated tires, standard included inspection, etc. All covered by Mopar.

They also recommended that I get my 15k mile service completed, but there is no 15k service listed in the maintenance schedule. Hmm.

I hope they're right and everything is fine. Thanks all.

Hey iskinbash,

You can access your vehicles maintenance schedule using this link: http://www.jeep.com/en/owners/manuals/. If your concern persist please don’t hesitate to reach out via private message.

Engine Oil Issues??

iskinbash

That phucker

iskinbash

Ignatz

Treegrower

iskinbash

nth256

Ignatz

Davetac1

DJMurphy

JeepCares

iskinbash

Wooden Dog

JeepCares

nth256

Ignatz

iskinbash

DJMurphy

JeepCares

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