Oil Smells Like Gas – Reasons Why Gas is Getting Into the Oil

There are times when you notice that your engine oil has a strong scent of gas when you replace it, and what might come as a blow at you is that this is quite common in most gas engines.

You might have some questions about why this is happening, and what are the causes of this issue, well you are at the right place, so continue reading to find out.

Oil and gas are both important components that help run the engine basically, and if they both add up, then it is not a good math equation.

You will probably need to get into the depths of this issue by getting to know about your engine more, and as oil and gas never mix together, so if they do accidentally, then you will notice that your oil smells like gas.

As common as this problem is, the more serious it can be for your engine and its durability, so you should know how bad this problem is what to do to stop further damage.

Why your oil smells like gas?

Now that you know your oil smells like gas, you would want to know what the root problem is. To find out, you will have to obviously get to know the causes of why your gas is getting into the oil compartment.

Here in this article, we are going to help you out dutifully and let you know about the major reasons why your oil smells like gas:

Fuel leaks:

The first and major reason is a fuel leak, which is quite common in engines but causes long term damage.

There are many cylinders and pistons in an engine, and the major one seals the combustion chamber basically and from usually the crankcase with the help of the piston rings.

But a tiny amount of fuel leaks into the engine oil through that piston seal, and this is where the oil and gas mix up and cause the stir in the first place.

Here nobody knows at the moment that the oil is mixing up in the gas, and a huge amount of fuel flows into the oil tank when the piston rings are out of order, or the cylinder chamber doesn’t ignite properly.

This reason is dangerously correct and will provide a huge loss to the car owner and provide a lot of damage as well, so it should be checked immediately.

Read Also: Can I Use 10w30 instead of 5w30

Faulty piston rings:

The second reason is a similar one with a twist. So basically, when your piston rings are faulty or are badly damaged, only then do they leak the fuel in the oil tank.

This causes a huge stir in the engine and makes the fuel leak directly into the oil tank for a long time.

Not only will you lose a lot of your fuel and bills on refills but also stake up your vehicle as it will be ruined in some time.

The damage takes time, but the rides will get bumpier, and you will have to spend a lot of dollars on daily repairs, so why not consider actually getting the whole engine repaired once and for all?

Routinely check-ins are also a good idea, so you know if your fuel is not leaking.

No frequent oil changes:

This reason is quite a relevant one because if you are not changing your oil at least once a week, then you are certainly doing the wrong deed to your car.

On average, every car owner is supposed to change the oil in your vehicle every 4-5000 miles, and if you don’t change the oil, then you won’t be able to get rid of any gas in your oil if there is any.

Basically, oil changes are a solution and cause at the same time because if you do not change your oil regularly, then you won’t be getting rid of any gas in them and also at the same time oil changes help to separate the ways of gas and oil so your oil will not smell like gas.

Bad fuel injector:

The function of a fuel injector is to spray atomized fuel into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine.

Fuel injection became the primary fuel delivery system in automobiles a long time ago, and the spray from the injector is continuous, so if there is anything faulty going on in them, then it can be a big issue.

You see, fuel injectors need to stay persistently accurate in their function, and if anything goes wrong in them, then you can expect the fuel supply to go haywire.

The right amount of gas that goes in the cylinders is basically possible because of the fuel injectors, and if they are faulty then a lot of gas can leak into the oil tank, and if the solenoid sticks to be open, then you can expect the gas to mix up with oil and relatively you will notice the smell of oil in your gas.

Read Also: Best Fuel Injector Cleaner Review

Engines with carburetors:

A faulty carburetor can send a lot of gas into the carburetor, and the overflow will eventually wash down the cylinder walls into your oil tank.

This also tends to foul the spark plugs and cause your engine to misfire, leading to bigger damage and risk at the same time, so it’s better to check your carburetors at the right time.

There is a way to check for this problem, and it is to take out the plugs and look for any dullness or blackening on it and do expect it to be washed out, but even if there are any traces, you will know.

Cars that are quite old usually have mechanical fuel pumps, and this way, you will have to work harder on getting the plugs out, but you have to try to avoid your oil getting mixed with gas.

Short distance driving:

When you are frequently driving out and about to the nearest grocery stores or run up errands, then it is possible that a tiny amount of gas will always end up in the oil tank.

Basically, it can wash out when the high temperature is prominent in the oil tank, but if the distances covered are short, then your oil tank will not heat up at a high pace, and eventually, your gas and oil will start mixing up.

If you frequently cover shorter distances when driving around, then you will need to maintain your weekly oil changes as well and also get more efficient while doing so in order to filter out any gas that is left in the oil tank.

What happens when oil mixes with gas?

Some people are often confused that if this is even an issue that their fuel is flowing into the oil tanks, and the smell is weird enough.

So here we are going to let you know about some prominent signs to look for when the oil in your car is mixing up with gas, and this will lead you to understand that this is actually a bad thing.

Emission of thick white smoke from the exhaust rather than transparent and clear smoke while driving or starting the car. Well, this is a common sign that drivers mostly ignore so better look out for this sign next time when you are out and about.

A strong scent of fuel sensed while driving the car even inside the vehicle.

Your dipstick relatively smells more like a gas than regular oil, which is strange on so many levels, and only a true driver knows.

Oil is coming out of your dipstick and leaving a trail on your porch whenever you take the car out. This is also a common symptom that is very dangerous to ignore, and most drivers know that for sure.

The oil pressure gauge is showing signs of low oil pressure, and you should know that it is not a sign to ignore.

So, whenever you are following your routine oil changes, you come to notice that the oil is not viscous anymore, and that is because gas is mixing up in it, so you should instantly notice the sign.

Now that you know all the signs of oil mixing up with gas, you should focus on these symptoms whenever your vehicle does something like that.

This way you will be able to know about the issue right away and fix it before its too late and you should never ignore any of these issues and leave it on later because these symptoms can be observed easily by anyone, but most of the time people get lazy and leave them to be seen later.

This way, you are not only destroying the durability of your engine but also making things worse.

Why not get serious and spend some of your time looking out for your car’s well being and seeing as to why this sign is showing up? If the car is producing white smoke, then you should definitely see your fuel injectors or your dipstick because that is where the problem lies.

Read Also: Best Oil Filter Wrench Review

How to fix it?

Whenever a car owner comes to notice one of the symptoms listed above, they try to maintain a cool composure and research about the causes, and now that we have already laid out the causes of oil and gas mixing up, we can move on to the solution.

Do you obviously know that it is not a good sign that your oil and gas are mixing up, so how about fixing it up before its late?

The first thing you can do is approach a car professional or go to the manufacturer’s store to get a checkup so you can save some dollars as well.

If your mechanic says otherwise and that your engine is fine, then this means either the piston rings have been worn out completely, or the carburetors are faulty, and what you can do is easily get them replaced with new ones.

This way, you will easily get back on track and save your engine from a huge problem.

As we have already discussed earlier that piston rings play a big role in keeping the oil from the oil pan from getting inside the cylinder and keeping the gasoline from dripping into the oil pan, so we should see to it that the piston rings are in a perfect mode.

Also, when it comes to the carburetors, then you can also easily take out the plugs and either clean them or replace them with new ones, which is not that much of a hassle. You will be saving some money as well and doing it in the comfort of your home.

Mechanics can take quite a while on replacements and also charge a lot of cash that is not even reasonable if you may ask.

So just follow some simple instructions by a look at the manual of your car and replace them yourselves, but if the case is not simple and needs more thorough check-ins, then you need to immediately rush to the mechanic.

Read Also: How Oil Slows Down Rusting of Iron

Final Thoughts

Here we go! A complete guide to know about a mix-up between oil and gas in a vehicle and what the causes of this problem are basically.

Then coming on to the very solution of this mixture, we have thoroughly discussed the available and effective solutions, so if you had any queries regarding this problem, we hope they have been solved.

Additionally, this issue is a very concerning one, and if it’s not taken care of in time, then we must say it can be bad for the grace of your car and heavy on your pocket as well for the long term.

So why not maintain your car in good shape, keep up with the oil changes and also get a routine checkup with your mechanic.

This way, you will be saving both your car and also your precious savings, so buckle up and go on the right track, leave your laziness behind.