Rep Power: 0

Hi. I have a 2013 Honda Civic. I baby the car and drive is on the highway mostly as I commute 60+ miles a day for work. I have 61,000 miles on the car and there are no signs of trouble except recently I had to get the timing chain tensioner cover resealed. I was checking the oil recently and happened to smell the paper towel i was using to wipe the dipstick. It smelled like gasoline. I did the check a few more times and the oil on the rag smelled like gasoline. Is this normal? Does the oil on your dipstick smell like gasoline?

I checked my wife's car and her oil also smelled like gasoline on the rag i used to wipe the oil. Called my dad and he tested his 2014 Honda Civic and he said he did not smell gasoline on the paper towel he used to wipe the oil from the dipstick, but my mom said she smelled gasoline on the paper towel.

So... what do you think? Can you check your cars oil and let me know what you smell? Anyone heard of anything like this??

 
Rep Power: 222

i've noticed alot of cars that when i changed the oil it would smell a bit like gas. not all of them but maybe 30%.

 
Rep Power: 518

It is definitely normal to smell some gasoline odor in the oil.

As long as the engine isn't mysteriously and drastically increasing the oil level out of nowhere, it's not a problem.

 
Rep Power: 102

google blackstone labs. they'll send you a free container you then fill with oil and send back. for $35 they will do an oil analysis and tell you all about the condition of your engine, what they find, and why it's there.. normally gas in the oil is caused by driving it like it's a racecar, an injector that sticks open, constant short trips where the car does not get hot enough to boil out moisture and excess fuel, or waiting too long between oil changes.

thought 1 is you may have smelled the oil close to 3000 miles after changing it, so you smell gas, it's fine, normal, and due to be changed anyhow. i'm basing that on the fact nobody bothers to check the oil 500 miles after it was changed.
thought 2 is that maybe you all hit the gas a little harder than you realize and there's nothing wrong.
thought 3 if an injector is sticking partially open, a $3 can of berryman's dumped in the tank may fix it.
thought 4 is if you have a son that drives the cars, somebody isn't babying things. i floor it constantly without beating on it(and the oil analysis people called me on it, "normally the higher concentration of gas in the oil is seen on cars that are raced")

if it were me i'd do the oil analysis. it's kinda interesting reading the report. it's like a personal forensic scientist for your car....or just call them and they'll likely explain it free. they're nice people.

the dipstick in our 2015 civic si smells like oil after 2500 or so miles and is usually about 1/2 quart low. this tells me my girlfriend is having fun driving it, which makes me happy.