Newly updated take 2 video link: ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=vH-QJ6d7e5H2zSqs On the Auto Stop/Start function recommendations to prevent engine damage.
That’s great to hear! Glad that there are some who find the answers… whereas the manufacturers just stay silent and deem it a non-issue. Thanks for commenting! Cheers!
2018 honda crv 1st owner.. i never use econ mode since i bought.. until now i dont experience any oil dilution. i used costo 87 always.. and during winter most of the time sports mode for faster heat cabin..never shut down the engine immediately after drove. just wait for 1-2mins.. this is base in my experienced..
Hey, thanks for watching. While it is true that you probably get better mpg with your colt… unfortunately, these new vehicles are heavy AF, and the CRV is in a different class of vehicle. More power, more capacity and more weight= less mpg… but 30mpg average for a medium sized suv is pretty good.
I installed a Auto-Eliminator and use top tier gas , and full syn 5/30 oil, and if I just drive around town I keep it in a lower gear in my 22 CRV. I haven't noticed any gas smell or rise of oil level , but when I drive it ,I drive it Italian style and I change oil at 50 % of oil life indicator , have been changing oil that way for forty years ,no engine problems ever .
That’s great to hear! Many of the fellow UA-camrs don’t understand why we are fretting over this and doing something about it… Congrats on a great purchase! Have you seen the new prices of the 2023 CR-Vs? And in general, the inflated prices for other cars too? I’m almost certain this will be my last 2 ICE vehicles. Will miss it for sure and want to make it last:)
There are 3 civics in the family. My younger brother's 2018 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport with CVT filled with 92 octane, my Dad's 2017 Honda Civic EX-T with CVT filled with 87 octane and my 2023 Honda Civic Si with a six speed manual filled with 92 octane. My brother's and my Dad's car have oil dilution but no engine issues. I on the other hand have little to no oil dilution with no engine issue and I drive it on shorter trips than my other 2 family members. We don't always drive our vehicles hard and we live in the Pacific Northwest.
Good to know! Honda sold and are still selling these 1.5s in the millions… I’m in the same area upper west with moderately cold winters. I’m going to stick with Mobil 91-93 octane and frequent fuel additives as they seem to really help with engine tick. A lot of commenters are saying to just trade it in for a Toyota. But from Honda to Honda owner, Toyota Corolla and RAV4 just isn’t my cup of tea.
I drove my friend's 2021 Toyota RAV4 LE AWD and a 2021 Honda CR-V LX. The CR-V feels responsive and planted on the road in comparison to the RAV4. Offroad, I can't say because the CR-V I drove was a rental and I had no reason to take it on a trail. I rode in the same RAV4 in offroad situations. It handled that environment just fine. I also have driven my friend's 2016 Scion iM with the CVT and I did have a 2018 Honda Civic LX sedan with the six speed manual. Fuck that Corolla hatchback when it comes to comparing it to the Civic. The only thing that the iM had going for it is its size. It is smaller than the Civic and the rear independent suspension helped it handle better than the other Corollas but the Civic wins it hands down. Now for today's Corolla vs Civic. This current Corolla is definately an improvement over the previous generations and that 2 litre is good for what it is. Once again though, the Civic is better in comparison. Unless you are trying to parallel park in the city. Fuck the Civic and take the Corolla because that car is still smaller than the Honda. I am not blind to Honda's issues with their products but the oil dilution is not as terrible as people think it is. My brother has like 127 something thousand miles on his Civic and my Dad's Civic has like 51 something thousand miles. I took the oil dilution thing seriously when those two got their cars new. Nothing happened to them. Now here I am taking care of a newer 1.5 litre turbo engine with VTEC with 11 something thousand miles on it. No problems and I'm the aggressive driver in my family. All we do is do the routine maintenance and fill these vehicles up with Chevron. We tried other brands like Arco, 76 and Shell. Chevron did the best out of them all.
I'm in Tampa Fl area with 2017 CRV 1.5, been lucky no drivability issues, 94k bought w 13k I use Top Tier 87 for years but I do fresh full synthetic every 3.5 to 4k, and also Lucas Low Viscosity Oil Stabilizer every oil change- you may want to try it- never had anything make an engine run smoother for $12 bucks @kidsfuturesareworthit.8673
Great vid! I just bought a 2024 Civic SI, I had a 2005 Civic 5sp that lasted 300k miles, I sold in that in 2018. I was worried about the turbo, but sounds like premium fuel and short interval oil change are all it really needs.
Yes, these engines with turbo and GDI is high maintenance! With that said, the whole industry is doing the same thing with this tech… Keep up the service and it should be fine, cheers! And great choice btw!
I try premium fuel in my 2 crv and it made it worst actually. Synthetic Oil last twice as less in these engine. They can barely heat up in the winter, temp are going way down when you are waiting at a red light One thing is sure is that these 1.5 turbo engine won't be lasting long with the maintenance suggested by Honda, which is good news for Honda but bad news for consumer.
Bond a lubricant to the metal and it will fix most of the lubrication issues: You should be able to do normal oil change intervals instead of the short intervals being recommended. 🙂
I'm a retired mechanic and have owened honda cars since 1991. I agree with your comments. I would not use sea foam on gdi engine. You need a fuel injector cleaner with the chemical that has PEA in it for gdi engines. Oil dilution is normal, but the 1.5 in short stop go driving in a cold climate is terrible for oil dilution. I also run my crv with the 1.5 in sport mode to get engine up to operating temp on stop and go short drives. If you put your heater on high and idle the 1.5 on cold winter day watch your engine temp drop. Engine can not stay at operating temp.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I agree with using sport mode to help the engine, warm up quicker and make longer trips… Recently, I have found that disabling the auto stop start and using high octane fuel combined with frequent use of marvel, mystery oil or seafoam is helping. And while I understand that those additives don’t necessarily get injected into the back of the valves like port injection, in these GDI engines, the additives, and fuel mixture will make it into the gas recirculation system, and hopefully it will, in the long run, help clean And keep clean the backs of the intake valves. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
Great video! Please keep updating your experience with your Hondas I’m very happy with my 2018, 10th gen Civic EXT with the 1.5 liter, GDI, turbo. Despite my dealerships persistence in getting me to trade in my Civic for the new 11th gen model, I refuse. I prefer the 10th gen over the 11th gen in every way. While the 11th gen is a great car, anyone that’s owned the 10th gen for any length of time will attest to why the 10th gen is superior. Why? No start/stop garbage, a larger trunk, larger glove compartment, larger arm rest with the extra large cup holder, one more USB port, and the wonderful side-view camera. Anyway, I bought my Civic new back in June 2018. I live in fairly temperate NY (Westchester county) so not too cold compared to my northern neighbors. After over five years and 163,500 miles I have had zero problems, so far (except for the AC under extended warranty for a known issue). I take every precaution to insure longevity. 1. I only use top-tier fuel…specifically Shell Nitro 93 Octane because of the purportedly highest detergent additive to mitigate carbon deposits. 2. I change the oil/filter early…every 4,000-4,500 miles. 3. I rarely drive short distances. 4. I rarely exceed 4k rpm. 5. I drive at least 60% highway earning excellent fuel economy…36 mpg (combined city/highway). 6. I change the engine air filter every 10k miles.
Thanks for the kind comment and watching my videos! Your 10th gen civic is one of the reasons why I went back to Honda for our second car:) we have a Mini Cooper and it was nice… but wanted a bit more room and the design of your car is much more inspirational and exciting. Sort of like the 2022 CR-V we got as our main family hauler. The latest Honda designs are more “grown up” but I do prefer the livelier last gen design language like the 10th gen civic. Anyways, yes, I will keep updating my experience with our 2 Honda 1.5t vehicles- good or bad. So far, I do enjoy the 2 a lot. Only one thing is that I wish I got manual for the civic. Would have been so much fun:) And it is awesome to hear that you are taking care of your car: 93octane and highway driving, frequent oil changes is was this car needs. I’m sure it will continue to serve you well! Cheers!
The computer controls the detonation timing in modern engines. Knock isn't happening, it's the gasket design. I saw a video explaining this and where the flaw is located. It's the narrow edge of the cut-out rings that fail. It's a serious problem that isn't easy to avoid by changing the octane rating.
Thanks for commenting. While I agree that the engine design: both gasket and block design (coupled with weak head bolts) are the culprit… Check this video out: ua-cam.com/video/G5bJlFHKOX0/v-deo.htmlsi=6DQ0Ai-epN4a6iOa We do have knock sensors in modern day engines (for a reason) and it enables the engine to run at the edge of Knock to have best efficiency.. Octane will help with engine Knock calibration limits. Cheers and thanks for watching!
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I've read on several forums that switching to a 0W16 oil, especially in winter or cold climates will reduce the oil dilution problem. The reason being that the engine will get up to proper temperature quicker then maintain it leading to the proper evaporation of the fuel vapors from the oil, and getting burned by the PCV system. Additionally, having a tuner permanently turning off the engine stop-start in the ECU will definitely help too. I hope that helps
Robert, it’s not counterintuitive at all to switch to the 0w-16 oil… I also watched a vid with Scotty Kilmer mentioning that this will help the 1.5’s oil dilution issue. Only issue is that finding 0w-16 oil with an ILSAC GF-6A (not GF-6B) designation is very difficult, I’ve looked. GF-6B oil is not compatible with the current 1.5T L-series engines. Anyways, my oil dilution is fixed (remedied) currently by the 3 things I’m doing as mentioned in the video. Also, I’ve found a great deal on Kirkland full synthetic 0W-20 with the GF-6A designation… so I’m stocked up for now to keep her running well:)
@@vlxneutron2835then Scotty led us in the wrong direction… can’t use 0w-16 then! Gf6B is not backwards compatible with engines requiring Gf6A certification. Thanks for commenting.
I used to have a 2018 CRV, I noticed the oil dilution as well. After much reading and research, I used 0w-16 oil and 91 octane gas = No more oil dilution! Even during winter, oil level was maintained. I don't know why Honda claims it's okay to use 87 octane fuel. I did my own oil change as well 2x a year (
Yes, 0w-16 is another great suggestion! It’s just hard to find the ILSAC GF-6A certification instead of GF-6B… and I prefer to change the oil in quicker intervals. And yes, 91 octane and over is what this engine runs best on. I believe Honda doesn’t do the recommendation because of the optics and competition. Imagine if they actually Changed the fuel recommendation to 91 and over? There’d be another class action suit. And the competition would gain an edge over Honda because their cars can use regular fuel, even though I believe Premium should be recommended for all Turbo GDI cars… all in the name of saving $at the pump and satisfying CAFE standards, but at the cost of expensive repairs (blown head gaskets, injectors) and sacrificing oil (more frequent oil changes) etc.
@@JanetVaughn-cm3etthanks for commenting! Yes, these new engines with GDI and turbo and Auto-idle-stop is a “high maintenance” but with a few of the aforementioned remedy-fixes, the engines can hit a few hundred thousand miles no problem. Just gotta give it TLC. And I agree that Toyota is superior for longevity. Honda has lost some of that lustre… but still love driving their cars! Cheers
How is using 0w-16 helping anything? That doesn't make any sense to me. 0w-20 and 0w-16 are both very thin oils, and the problem is gasoline going past the rings into the crankcase due to the high compression from the turbo. How is oil weight doing anything about boost pressure? My 2021 Civic has had bad oil dilution issues, especially in the winter, but all 12 months. The only solution is to change the oil every 3K miles. Mine will show over-full within 500 miles of an oil change, though. The gasoline destroys the protection the oil provides the engine. Long-term, I don't think I'm keeping this car. It has 33K now, I will likely trade it at 50K, which is extremely unfortunate. This car doesn't have auto-stop/start, and I've been using 89 and 91 octane gas, which is expensive and obviates the point of owning an economy car. It's all so stupid. My other big disappointment was when I bought a brand new 2014 Subaru Legacy and it had oil consumption problems within the first 5K miles. Brand new car was using quarts of oil. Subaru said "normal" and refused to do anything about it. That car was the first one I owned that used 0w-20. All these light oils are just an attempt to squeeze out fuel mileage in exchange for longevity. The Legacy had bad rings, basically. A design flaw. These Honda 1.5L engines have a design flaw, that's the deal. Contrast all this with my '17 4Runner and '17 TLX--both vehicles have rock solid V6 engines that don't use oil or get oil dilution, which is how every other car I ever owned was--the amount of oil in the engine should not change, period!
Ethanol in fuel is responsible for some of the lubrication issues in engines... including GDI engines. Stay away from fuel with ethanol in it and your lubrication issues will improve. 🙂
Ive been hearing bad things about seafoam anymore. Especially on gdi. May wanna use some crc turbo /intake cleaner too. Helps clean valves on gdi. Also after a bunch of research and talking to a honda tech, i found pcv valves need changed every 30k to help prevent oil dilution . I use liqui molly fuel system cleaner mostly. I mostly use premium fuel. Changed plugs and pcv valve . Keep up on oil changes. Let car warm up slightly before driving. So far no oil dilution on my civic.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673I agree on the crc intake valve and turbo cleaner. Do it right before an oil change. Been using it since my car was new. I also like their MAF cleaner, I clean my MAF atleast 4x a year.
I have a Toyota 1.2 Turbo GDI and it has the same problem, although the engine oil level does not increase, I smell a gas smell on the engine oil dipstick, I started to do oil changes every 6 months, I live in Europe and I make very short trips with it, about 8 km every day to and from work, I only do more kilometers on weekends, this is a problem that should affect all GDI engines, no matter the brand from the manufacturer, especially in these more recent models, I use the 0w20 oil recommended by Toyota 
Thanks for chiming in and watching! Yes, GDI and Turbo is a high maintenance combo regardless of the maker. Sucks because no one really knows this and follows the silly manufacturer oil change schedule and uses regular pump gas… coupled with the stop-start function, it is a recipe for a great expensive$ trip to the dealership. Wow
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 yes it's true, I forgot to mention that I only use premium gasoline since I purchased it, I bought it used, I don't know what kind of fuel the previous owner used, but I only use premium gasoline, I have good general knowledge of mechanics, and I always save some money by doing things myself on my cars, such as maintenance, and diagnostics with software
@@viktorpt1999great to hear that you are taking good care of your engine! Before you know it, regular petro cars won’t be available to buy and we will all be lined up to charge and electricity will be increased$ and limited
I think it might help to try 0w16 in place of the usual 0w20 oil. I do not have a Civic but I heard that it may help. Also, change your oil more often. The oil dilution problem is exactly why I will not buy one. I do not want the hassle of having to change my oil more often and I don't want to have premature wear to the bearings in the engine. If your oil gets too full, it puts pressure on the seals of the engine as well. Everyone talks about how great these Civics are, do they know about this? Plus, turbos put a lot more pressure on the engine and cause it to wear out sooner. That is so messed up you have to deactivate the auto stop function so it does not cause more issues, something you paid more money for. I could smell the fuel in the oil when I checked it on a Civic I was test driving about a month ago. So glad I did not buy one of these!!! Just bought a 2.4L VTEC NA 2021 Acura ILX for me, LUV IT and laugh at anyone who bags on it. Good luck with it and check into the 0w16. You could sell it and buy a Toyota or Lexus.
Thanks for chiming in! I agree with the things that you have said, and eventually will try 0W 16 oil as I heard it can help as well, especially from Scotty Kilmer. And true that I should not have to disable the auto idle stop function. Actually, they should have not put That in the car in the first place. I had a 2.4 TSX a while back and that engine was perfect, smooth, good power, and decent fuel economy. Unfortunately, the days of naturally aspirated engines are gone since there is a mad race for new green technologies that Cause more problems with broken parts, which actually causes more greenhouse, gases, and waste. Crazy world… Thanks again, cheers
Put dexos approved 5W-30 Kirkland or SuperTech synthetic in it. Change it often. Do it yourself. New oil filter. Definitely turn the start-stop button to off...turn it off every time. That water thin 0W-20 oil does you absolutely no good whatsoever. Going up a grade will not harm it. 5W-30 synthetic fixed my Ford EcoSport's mazda based 2.0 GDI Duratec engine's fuel dilution. The oil level went WAY too high, and smelled strongly of gasoline. It doesn't anymore. I'm even going to try 10W-30 Meijer brand synthetic in the spring. It's the same as Kirkland and SuperTech, made by Highline Warren LLC. 10W-30 has more base oil. Less, weak (easily sheared) polymer viscosity improvers.
Honda has been chasing their “earthdreams” green initiative/ CAFE regulations for years… and this 1.5t is the product of all that forced innovation. What a bunch of €}£
I must have lucked out. My 2016 Civic Touring had the ‘fix’ back when for the oil dilution issue, but never really suffered from it in the first place.
Hi, thanks for your message! I’m glad that you don’t have this issue with your civic. I originally bought these cars based on the legendary Honda reliability- so I never even bothered to checked the engine(s) until I had the Ticking sound on the CRV. I thought I had a panel loose! I truly think that there’s a subset of owners that are having this issue, but are not aware… not saying that you are one of them :-)
Honda is no longer the legendary car maker it once was. I’ve been shocked the past couple used Hondas I have driven and how poorly they held up over just a few years. Sad to see the giant fall.
@@brianneu6489yes, sad to see Honda’s quality in their designs falter- and capitulate towards questionable setups like GDI and full electric… seems like this is the way the industry is moving and not completely Honda’s fault. Although, I will say that Toyota has both Port and Direct Injection and doesn’t have the carbon buildup compared to Honda and bmw etc… Blame it on the flawed ideas on pushing for greener tech. Tech like this can’t really be “green” - the re is decrease fuel consumption but at the cost of burning oil or fuel dilution. Dum-dum-dum-dum-Dumb!🎉
You need to allow the engine to warm up. You should let it idle for a few minutes before driving off. Also short commutes are bad for turbo DI motors. You could also change your oil more frequently. Starting and stopping of the engine would be terrible for the Turbo.
Thanks for commenting! And Bingo! This is exactly what Honda (and others like Kia and Ford and BMW) doesn’t really want you to know prior to buying the car that gives you amazing 36mpg in the city with a small turbo engine… More maintenance More work More $$ leases/ buyouts and planned obsolescence. Push everyone to EV, then raise EV rates. Double Bingo🎉
Ive just got in the habit of changing my oil every 3500 miles. I use castrol , or pennzoil platinum ultra. Install a catch can, and keep an eye on your pcv valve. Even if im going for just a short trip ill let it warm up completely. Let it get really hot, rev it a bunch etc. honestly ive never noticed any oil dilution issues and i have a 2019 civic coupe ex-t. Even when i was doing 5,000 mile oil changes. Had it since new, and at around 10,000 miles i started doing oil changes every 3500 miles. I switched oil filters too. Ive been using oem honda filters, that was until i found out theyre made by fram. I now use wix the ones made in usa. Or purolater boss. Auto start stop is so stupid if you ask me, doesnt save much gas, and adds wear and tear to the starter. Holy crap...esso gas still exist? I too use ONLY 93 octane. Idc what honda says, ive owned many turbo cars, and they all have required 91-93. I also run techron fic very often. Swap my air filter out every spring, and late fall early winter. I also change my spark plugs once a year.
Thanks for commenting! I wish I met you and talked to you right after buying my 2 1.5ts, that way, I would know not to listen to Honda and their crazy reg fuel/oil change schedule. Great to hear you take care of your car. Most ppl don’t. Cheers!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 you're at super low miles. You'll be fine. Just keep doing what you're doing. Especially if you plan on keeping the cars for a long time. I plan on keeping mine for the rest of my life. No joke. I would install a catch can, change the pcv valve at 40-50k miles, and do your plugs maybe every 2 years? I do mine after a full year. Only because I'm strange like that lol. The air filters get dirty quick, so I do them x2 with in a year. Spring, and end of fall. Best thing for the actual car is to fluid film undercoat it every fall. Doesn't have to be fluid film. You can use any brand you prefer. Wool wax , used oil, used oil mixed with bar and chain, whatever. I just use fluid film black. Make sure to spray the back sides of the brake dust shields. I cover just about everything underneath. Some areas in the engine bay too. Which I then clean back off in mid spring during my first full detail of the year lol. I wax the inside of my engine bay too. As for the outside, having a professional ceramic coating is a good idea. However you can do it yourself. Then using a nice ceramic spray detailer, with a super soft large microfiber to dry after washing. Use the 2-3 bucket method, foam cannon, all that stuff. Rock auto is where I get most of my parts fyi much cheaper, and the same parts or better than OEM. I'm at 54,000 miles and I'm just now needing brakes. Other than that I haven't had anything else need work. Just basic tune up stuff like I've mentioned, and oil changes. It's a good thing too since I spend so much money on just keeping the car clean, and protected. Inside and out. 😆
@@vermontvermont9292great points! For the oil catch can, I’ve always been worried about the install and quality of set up… Then the dealership may say that it will avoid the warranty as they always do. Such a pain lol. As for the undercoating, I used to use the oil trick in my Integra back in the day love that car and worked on it every week, change the oil every few thousand miles: excessively by myself as oil and filters were cheap back then. Then I leased cars for a number of years years, and now I have purchased these two Hondas. I actually applied a 3M marking film to the bottom (unconventional) and is holding up well! Keep up the great work!!! Vheers
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I just realized something. Your engine shows VTEC, you're in Canada right? Are all the 1.5t engines VTEC up there? I know here in the USA we didn't get VTEC just VCT or whatever Honda is calling it lol. The UK also got VTEC. It's only on the exhaust cam, but still. It just seems odd they would have separate engines for North America like that. My 19 coupe ex-t was made in Canada for the US market. I believe all coupes for the US and Canada were made in Canada too. I live pretty close to Canada too, in Vermont. Just an observation
@@vermontvermont9292Great observation:) and you’re right, it doesn’t have full VTEC: no lift and no intake vtec since it has turbo*… officially it is called Honda VTC, but marketed using “EarthDreams VTEC Turbo”. Then after 2019(I think) they dropped all those EarthDreams VTEC turbo badges when they had their oil dilution fiasco/recall/then update. Anyways, I bought 2 badges 1 original EarthDreams one for the Civic and the Turbo VTEC badge for the CRV because the blank spot was a silly omission/cop-out on Honda’s part. They should have owned it… just like they are still using this engine in everything. I’m pretty sure all of the CRV L15bE engines are the same with VTC. This red badge is for the Asia markets I think. So great catch! Cheers mate!
Most Hondas in the 90’s to early 2000s were built with bare minimum components. Non premium vehicles. Nowadays Honda overbuilding their vehicles thinking buyers will buy a “premium” vehicle.
I used liquid moly with molygen 0-20 . Wix xp oil filter. The molygen coats the internals ,,coat the cylinder walls and seals the crank case from fuel blow by. Better turbo response ,,quieter ,runs cooler and all over better engine protection and performance. Change oil every 4-5 thousand miles. Don't listen to your oil change reminder,,never go 10000 miles between changes. Oil will still be good past 5000, but 4-5000 mls is best. Theres 2 tranny filters replace the upper cylinder filter every. 20000 the one in the pan every 50000. You'll get a lot of good performance for thousands of miles. What's ruining a lot of engines out there whether it's Honda or other manufacturers is the 10,000 mi oil changes,, and crap oil use the best, and change it every four to five thousand.
You may use Shell Helix Ultra 0W-30 ECT C2/C3 instead using oil additive against oil dilution and valve ticks. You may use injektor cleaner which do not make smoke like seafoam To keep injektors, EGR, PCV and oxijen sensor clean.
Issue is not "fixed" all Honda done was a update that sent more heat to engine at startup. That was after the 17-18 year models started experiencing oil dillution. Honda wanted to claim it was small numbers and mostly in very cold climates but that's not true.i battled oil dillution in my 22 crv 1.5. to much high pressure and a small engine with a turbo not a great mixture. My oil was always about 6% Saturated with gas when I would send samples off. It would have been around 2% max. Only long term will we see the damage this causes on these engines. Also there is a current class action lawsuit against Honda for this issue .(,same kind of lawsuit the 17-18s had)
Yes, I agree that it is not fixed per se… I should rephrase it using the word remedy. We basically have the exact same car, same year… And I feel your frustration because we got a Honda because of previous bulletproof K-series engine or like bulletproof examples of engineering. And yes, it is unfortunate that most of us battled this issue, and even worse, some are left in the dark. GDI and turbo, low tension piston rings… Is a relatively newly implemented technology and seems like most examples of this type is experience some dilution, oil burning, failed injectors, all sorts of issues that regular engines did not have in the past. Not to be a Honda apologist, but cars are getting heavier and expectations on fuel economy is getting higher and higher… So I know why the industry did what they did. The bright side is the remedies that I have mentioned did help me on my two vehicles with this engine, from baseline, there is no more fuel dilution, and no more gas smell in my dipstick and crank case cover. Hope this can help you too!
I hate that they used the 1.5 T in the CRV. This little engine is working too hard for the weight of the vehicle, All our 4 Fits had no issues up to about 150K other than recommended maintenance. Looking at the new CRV hybrid with the 2.0 L
Thanks for commenting! Yes, higher octane fuel is certainly one of the main things that help the dilution issue… the auto makers should really just come right out and all recommend premium fuel if they all going to do DGI and turbo.
I just bought a used 2022 Honda Civic Touring with 13000 miles on it. I bought it based on all I’ve heard about Honda quality. Had I known about this oil dilution situation I probably would never have pulled the trigger. What a disappointment. I’m really concerned now. I want a car that I don’t have to baby to keep it running. I’m not a “car guy” and I don’t change my own oil. Don’t want to have to do that. I drive 95% short distances. I’ve had the car about 3 weeks now and the oil is about a quarter of an inch above the full mark on the dipstick. Don’t know if that’s because the place where I bought it from overfilled it or because of oil dilution. I’m having the oil changed at a Honda dealer tomorrow. I will then keep a close eye on it to see if it rises. I’ve decided to have my oil changed every 6 months no matter how many miles I drive (which is usually very little. Probably less than 3000 miles a year). Do you think this is a good move?
Hey, thanks for commenting… And Sorry to hear that you have buyers remorse. This is the main reason why I started this series of videos on my two Hondas: both have the exact same engine 1.5 GDI turbo. I will make another video to in-depth explain why I am disabling the auto stop start. Changing the oil frequently definitely is a good idea on the series of Engines especially if you have shorts. Disable the auto stop start and use high octane fuel will mitigate the fuel Dilution. Give it a try after the oil change… Because before I made these changes, I definitely had a lot of dilution Within even a week, which is crazy. Please subscribe as I promise to make a video to explain further into the fixes I have found. PS, while your Honda service people, well, ultimately, they will stand on the side of where they work, and may not have too much to offer to help regarding this issue: At least this is what I have found with my dealership.
Had the oil change today. I voiced my concern about the oil level being about a quarter of an inch above the full mark on the dip stick. Mechanic told me not to worry, as I was taking the reading when the car was cold (I was) and all of the oil had drained and the level would be higher. I drove directly home - far enough to get the engine warm - and checked my new oil after about 3 - 5 minutes. The oil was just a tiny bit above the full mark. I don’t believe the drive home was enough for the dilution problem to manifest itself so I am assuming that tomorrow morning when I check again the level should be even higher on the stick. I was told not to worry about this. Will update tomorrow. Thoughts?
Hi, thanks for the followup. I just uploaded a new video on when to check the oil: yes, 5-10min after shut down is good… if you check it overnight, then more oil will drain down from the engine and give a higher reading. Use this point as a reference. The smell is very important: note the current oil smell. In the future checks, try to note any increases in chemical smell/ solvent-gas smell. I had major solvent-gas smell in mine prior to my last oil change and changing a few key things that have fixed the oil dilution issue(for now-over 3000kms). Mainly, I’d go with turning off the start-stop and high octane: 91or higher if your wallet permits.
OK. I checked my oil level this morning. The car sat all night and I didn't not start it up. I've included a picture. The blue arrow shows approximately where the level was when I drove home from the dealer after they changed my oi - the engine was still warm. The red arrow is where the level was tomorrow after sitting all night and not starting the car. As you can see, BOTH are above the orange plastic indicator. The tech at the dealer said a little bit is nothing to be concerned about (they, themselves filled it above the orange thing!). So, there is a difference after the car sits - it does rise. I guess I should be concerned if it now rises above where the red arrow is. Well, I just realized I don't know how to add a picture :(. Suffice it to say, the blue arrow was about an eighth of an inch above the orange indicator and the red arrow is about 1/4 to 3/8's of an inch above. @@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673
Hi, yes, you’re correct what you have right now is a baseline for you to do a comparison later on when, and if you’re oil level rises. With this particular engine, if it does rise, most likely it is fuel getting into your oil… Also, ensure that you check your oil at the same spot every time, as your car should be completely flat.
Thanks for watching! Honda has been putting these engines in their Civics, Accords, CRVs for over 5yrs now and there’s probably a few million out there. Don’t get me wrong, the engine is decent… it just needs more maintenance, high octane fuel and driven on the highway for extended periods of time at least once a week. lol it does sound like a bad engine - but really, it isn’t. Watch some of my other vids and you’ll see that I’m quite enjoying these 2 cars… and getting good performance/efficiency.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673so if you mainly drive highway miles (I do 45 miles one way to work) would you still worry about oil dilution? I have a 22 accord with about 11k miles on it.
@@ConstantGreen Thanks for commenting! And yes, if you plan to keep your accord long term, past the warranty, then it is something to at you should took at. The thing is, most ppl don’t have any idea what is going on with their car, and the car makers know this. Heck, when I lease my cars, I never check the oil… and worry only about cosmetic things. Check your oil frequently so you know what is going on. If you change your oil, then check the level and note the level on the dipstick and use it as a baseline for comparison… The oil dilution issue is really an inherent problem with Turbo DGI engines. Longer drives help but all drive cycles have cold starts and also carbon deposits etc. Turn off your AIS: auto idle stop feature religiously and that will help. Also ensure your injectors are clean and buy top tier fuel/91 octane min, cheers!
I was shopping for a new car two months ago and test drove a Honda Civil and Accord. The Civic has very uncomfortable driver seat compared to that of the Accord. A small engine coupled with turbo is not gonna make the engine last. And CVT? Thank You, but no thank you, Honda.
Yeah, I agree on the engine part… unfortunately, because of CAFE standards and the push for Greener tech, all of the manufacturers are going with GDI, turbo and cvt lol… most anyways. I just wish that they’d tell us to use Premium fuel if it actually needs it to prevent carbon buildup… but that would mitigate their efforts to gain that few percent of efficiency. Annoying really. This movement towards planned obsolescence actually spells the earlier doom of ICE vehicles… pushing and forcing us closer to EVs. Then, the upper powers will increase electricity lol- what a plan!!!🎉
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 yes, high compression ratio requires premium fuel. On the other hand, the ruling knows useful life of the Petrodollar is near its end. They've got to come up with a plan to either mitigate inconvenient aftermath or even better come up with a Chipdollar.
I had my 22 civic si re tuned and switched to 0w30 Valvoline full synthetic. My gas mileage has up to 34mpg from 30mpg and no dilution anymore. Also 93 octane gas
Thanks for commenting! Great job for fixing your dilution. Honda recommends premium for the Si correct? I think they really should recommend 91+ for all their turbo DGI engines. This will fix so many issues including even the blown head gaskets that have been an issue for a long time now. Cheers!
Hi, thanks for commenting! I’m in the Vancouver area in Canada. I would have been buying premium all along, but wasn’t aware that the problem persisted past the 2019 “fix”… that Honda reported.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 ahh that makes sense now. Another cold climate dilution case. I just purchased a 23' integra with the L15 and was curious. I'm in a much hotter climate and refuse to use low grade gas. These oil companies like pretty much everyone are taking short cuts. The low grade gas is watered down, I'd be surprised if the octane rating is what it claims. Profits over morals
@@stevenpoynter4950 I agree! Also, I was getting dilution in the summer time too… Congrats on the Integra! I had a 96gsr and loved it! We have the 22 civic Sport Touring and is a great car too:) other than the fuel dilution, which is under control now. Cars: something happened when they were forced to adjust all designs to satisfy Cafe standards, carbon credits… and cost cutting. Nuts! Cheers!
I believe 2017 and newer (including 2024), the some trim CRVs get the L15 1.5turbo engine, which has most of this fuel dilution issue among other issues. Cheers!
To understand the issue fully is to understand how this and other engines work. There's a tremendous amount of misinformation out there, ripe for the picking, as people try this remedy or that because someone on UA-cam recommended it. I understand the frustration that people have while seeking answers too. Just be careful of just following along because someone on UA-cam claimed something worked. First off, let me say that I have looked into this issue also, being an owner of an '19 Accord 1.5T and moreover being a long-time owner of all things Honda. First, GDI engines are utilized as fuel control is enhanced over port or TBI systems. But GDI requires very high pressures, that pressure, especially while an engine is cold and using a richer mixture of fuel/air can lead to more fuel getting past the rings before it is burned completely. This is more commonly an issue with all GDI engines. My Accord, and Accords in general, seem to be less affected by the problem, why? Well, they are tuned differently, producing a bit more power and torque than the CR-V and Civic 1.5T engines. I've not found an explanation for this otherwise but Honda's solution to the problem is first to refrain from driving in cold weather and taking short trips and also a software update. In regard to fuel octane grade, there's nothing in a higher-octane fuel that in any way would help with this issue. Higher octane fuels simply resist ignition to a higher temperature inside the cylinder. None of the 1.5T engines require anything above regular grade. All premium fuels will do is add to your operating costs. The other aspect worth noting about GDI is that fuel never passes over the backside of the intake valves. That means the cleaning agents in fuels or additives never can act on the accumulated buildup on the back of the valve heads or inlet ports. That's what leads to that issue. The deposits that build up come from blowby from the combustion chambers and oil mist which then is mostly separated out by the EGR system. Some engines do a better job at minimizing the amount of oil that makes its way back to the cylinders. VW's seem to be more stricken by this than Hondas tend to be. Again, premium fuels and additives will not affect this issue as fuel never passes by the valves and ports to help clean them. There are oil catch cans available that seek to catch more of the oil mist before it's introduced back into the intake manifold to be burned but I'm not sure they're worth the expense or added maintenance. Best advice, do not warm up a car by letting it just sit and idle. Engines warm very slowly that way and extends the length of time an engine runs at sub-normal operating temperature, increasing the chance of more fuel making its way past the rings. Enter the car, start the engine, after that tend to your seatbelt, adjust seating, mirrors, radio, etc. and then put into gear and drive off moderately. That will warm the engine more quickly, getting it to operational temps sooner, minimizing fuel getting past the rings. Then, drive at least until the engine is fully warmed. If unable to do so then make a point to get the car out on a longer trip more regularly, even by just taking the long way to the store and back. Lastly, if fuel dilution seems to be a problem, plan to change the oil more frequently.
Thanks for chiming in. I do agree that there is a lot of misinformation and it can lead you down the wrong path… I started this series to help the same way some of the other UA-camrs did a few years back with oil tests from Blackstone Labs, advice and things that they have found worked for them. Those vids are a few years old now and certainly, have some good info and advice to take into consideration. That’s what I’m trying to mimic as there aren’t too many new information out there and I’ve done many hours of research into this and have successfully mitigated the oil dilution in both my 1.5L Honda turbo engines. I hope this can help others and report what my experience was with researching and dealing with Honda on the issue. Honda dealer service centers will tell you what Honda Corp tells them to say… knowing that the issue is still out there and they’ve already produced these L-series engines for many years now with hundreds of thousands of them out there. As for telling us to drive longer trips and don’t drive in cold temps (You Are Using It Wrong) is not a solution for us Honda owners with Families and a life to live. High octane fuel- actually, with these turbo DGI engines, preventing pre-detonation and knock on the engine is extremely important. Take a look at this mechanic’s video: ua-cam.com/video/age8_Mi5sEU/v-deo.htmlsi=Xvtg3cqOwE3cwFXA He names multiple accords and CRVs (and only a few civics) to have head gasket rebuilds due to their higher Turbo pressure to get 190-200hp… also, he’s mention that the hasn’t seen Civic SI’s since those cars’ owners tend to buy high octane fuel as it requires it? Same with Integras with the 1.5t : it recommends premium fuel. He specifically shows issues with failing head gaskets due to customers using low octane fuel and getting knock, damaging the heads, getting coolant leak into the combustion chamber. Fuel additives… this is more meant for preventative and a form of “upper cylinder” lube. Yes, it won’t go and clean the backs of the intake valves, but according to Savage Geese, fuel additives help and keep the injector clean which prevents issues with atomization of the fuel. Thanks again for watching and sharing.
I have a 2017 si coupe and after 42k miles no oil dilution(updated pcm for oil dilution with ktuner years ago) did that fix it or sm i not beating the car hard enough
New sunscriber from Montreal, Canada, here! Do you think going with 2.0L NA is a smart move, because I am thinking about gettting a 2024 Civic Hatch in a couple of months?
Hey! Fellow Canadian:) thanks for the sub! Yes, the NA 2.0 is port fuel injection and will be much more “low maintenance” than the 1.5t. Only issue is that you’ll miss out on some of the higher model upgrade options like heated steering wheel, exterior trim, leather, upgraded audio etc. if you don’t mind, then the 2.0 is cheaper too. But if you have the extra$ - I’d still say the civic with 1.5t is a good choice amongst other cars out there. Just know that you’d need to use 91octane min and do the oil changes at 5000km. Also, your driving habits need to be adjusted. All in all, we are still happy with the 2 cars so far. It’s been about 2 years into ownership. Only thing we’d change is to get the manual 6sp for the civic instead of the cvt… but, the cvt is very smooth. Cheers!
In theory it should… but recently, my fuel eco on 93octane Mobil fuel is getting worse average numbers by about 2mpg. Maybe winter driving… Thanks for commenting!
@@renelopez3110haven’t checked for carbon buildup yet… but I should for sure. Get the equipment and make some vids for you guys. I do use fuel injection cleaner and started using PEA based Gumout recently… so hope it is helping keep everything clean, especially worried about the injectors because it seems like these engines can go through injectors if now maintained. Cheers
Uk owner of used 2018 1.5 vtec turbo, bought from Honda 2 months ago. Checked oil after a few weeks of ownership, oil level was 3/8 inch above max level with a strong smell of petrol. Car went in 3 days ago to Honda dealer as its under warranty, they confirmed oil level high petrol smell. Solution was to simply drop oil level back to maximum level. (Unbelievable). I was not happy with this and requested a oil change and filter which they did the day after and which I was charged for. I was told the new oil was filled to the maximum level on the dipstick. 2 days later 30 miles driven and the oil level is 1/4 inch above maximum and stinks of petrol. Any suggestions, thanks.
Hi there from across the pond! I totally understand your frustration because I had EXACTLY the same issue with the dilution/ Honda dealer response! I have both crv and civic with the 1.5T and they both had* major oil dilution. Unfortunately, the dealer won’t help much and try to charge you for everything even tho they shouldn’t. Thankfully, there’s a UA-cam community here that has helped me immensely and I’m trying to relay the “fixes” with a few things that I’ve added. Pls check out this vid: ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=zTIJee1Bbsw08Tvi And a few of my other vids on my channel that is for the oil dilution issue. There’s a lot there, but I promise you that these solutions will at least slow down your dilution 50%… don’t mean to sound like a salesperson lol. If it is too much info, here’s a Cole’s note: 1. Turn off your Auto-Idle-Stop function every time you drive. Put a sticky note beside your audio system to remind yourself. 2. Buy only Top Tier fuel (like Chevron or alike as I’m can’t remember the UK petrol stations- was only there once a few years ago) and you must buy Premium grade. Not regular or regular plus. 3. Use a PEA based fuel injection cleaner in your fuel often… like once a month. -lastly, understand that this is an inherent problem with the design of these new small engines with DGI and Turbo tech (plus, this engine has it worse than others). So you do have to change your driving habits (minimize short trips and take the long route once in a while)… and then finally, shorten your oil change intervals. I’m changing mine every 5-6000 kms. How many KMs do you have? Hope this helps! Cheers
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Thanks so much for the reply. Bought from Honda as a approved Honda 33k miles full service history, we have a 4 year warranty. My next choice car for years now has been a 2.0l vtec crv for the reliability, we went to a Honda dealer and the wife had a test drive in one liked it then the sales guy said test drive this 1.5l turbo, she loved it especially the new interior. Our dealer who is 70 miles away wants us to take the car back this week for repair as the oil change was done at our local Honda dealer, they will give us a car to drive home in which is great, but after doing my research their is no fix to this oil dilution problem only ways to limit it. We've had the car 2 months and to be honest due to the oil level rising I hate it, it drives great but my instinct tells me its going to be a headache and money pit. We always turn off stop start, always warm the car on starting, our driving is mixed some short trips some long, I've not tried premium fuel yet. I've had many cars and vans over the years and only problem I've had is the oil level going down, I have zero confidence in this car it needs to go ASAP, I will take a hit and lose some money but have learned a lesson never to buy a direct injection turbo modern car again and will go with the reliable 2.0 vtec. Again thanks for the reply much appreciated.
@@49Stitch ugh… I feel for you man! So we have the exact same CRV except it is a 2022 and already have 36500kms on it - which means that most likely, your car’s prev owner drove it around the city, short trips. If you decide to get rid of it, it may not be a bad idea, but it is hard to find something that matches this CRV (for the$) in overall usage, size, decent handling and decent fuel economy unless you go hybrid. Great to hear that you don’t use the AIS system because it is NFG for turbos. Do try premium fuel: I know it is like 10% more $ but it should be recommended for Turbo-DGI engines. Think about this: the very similar 1.5T engine in the Acura Integra and Civic Si recommends premium high octane fuel! If you do an induction system cleaning for the valves and run a few tanks for PEA injection cleaner, you may be able to solve most of the fuel dilution issues. You do have warranty, so you can also call Honda out on it. Also, they shouldn’t have charged you for the oil change… I told my dealership to do it without charge - yes, I was a bit of a Karen, but a polite one… most service managers know to take care of the customer. Anyways, I change my own oil now - Baldwin oil filter is $13 and Kirkland Full Synthetic bought bulk is only $12 Canadian. So it is like $25 a pop and 1hour of my time (less than driving to dealer and back). Do you guys get Marvel Mystery Oil there? I’d suggest to put some of that detergent into the crank case too: will clean up the sludge that the short trips have caused thru the years. Good luck!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I bought the car from a rural area 70 miles from my home where road traffic is light, Lake District, England, I live in the City of Manchester where a 8 mile commute can take 1 to 2 hrs each way each day.. Ive always though a city car with 30k miles can be classed as at least 60k. As for the hybrid, very complex cvt gearbox, battery and other tech, we don't need that. Miles per gallon is not really a issue for us, we just want a nice reliable suv for drives to coast when the sun is shining. As for the warranty which I've read, I'm not sure whats covered, its very unclear. Driving around with a litre extra of oil in your engine could make the warranty worthless. Imo modern hondas are no more reliable than anything else on the road. When I had my oil changed a elderly guy with a new hybrid was waiting with me
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I bought the car from a rural area 70 miles from my home where traffic is light. I live in the City of Manchester where a 8 mile commute can take 1-2 hours each way. Ive always thought a city car with 30k miles has really done 60k. We just wanted a nice reliable suv for sunny day drives to the coast. As for the hybrid with the cvt auto box, battery, and other tech, we don't need that. Miles per gallon isn't really a issue for us. As for the warranty I'm not sure whats covered, especially driving around with a extra litre of oil in your engine. I don't think modern hondas are any better than any other car. I just want this car gone.
Thanks for commenting. Yes, I intend to change it every 3000miles. Not a problem. But, freq oil changes is not going to fix the issue & why not do more if you can? FYI, these 1.5turbo/gdi engines need high octane fuel for many reasons - of which will help prevent blown head gaskets. Don’t want that… don’t want excess wear on the moving parts either. So in conclusion, a multi-pronged approach is the solution to keep these engines running well… especially when in my case, I bought these 2 vehicles outright. Cheers!
Any gdi-turbo engine has the same problem toyota has port injection that will help the carbon build up on valves.Honda has a law suit in California,and of course anybody out of state cannot join.
Thanks for chiming in. I agree, GDI and turbo will yield all sorts of maintenance challenges long run. I just wish Honda or someone would tell everyone not to use reg pump fuel and change their oil every 3k miles. And stop using the auto-stop function bs. I guess that’s what lawsuit precedence is for…
Thanks for commenting! Possibly… look it up and keep an eye on your levels. These new engines that use GDI and Turbo will have a higher chance of oil dilution because of its design and the fact that the Piston rings don’t have a perfect seal until the engine is fully heated up. Cheers!
Unfortunately, issues with DGI and low tension Piston rings that lead to oil dilution and or burning too much oil isn’t limited to Honda cars. Hyundai, Ford, BMW, even Toyota has these issues. It is a testament to how regulations are forcing manufacturers to implement things that may satisfy the regulations (like CAFE) but doesn’t actually provide a net positive to us the consumers or the environment itself.
Thanks for commenting! 6000kms on the Cr-v and 3500kms on the Civic, no noticeable rise in oil, no fuel smell in oil. I’ll keep you guys posted. FYI, I have about 3 followup vids to this one already. Pls check them out if you got time. Thanks!
They probably just overfilled your oil. There are techs who still think these engines take 4.5 quarts. Drain it and put 3.7 quarts in it. Also if you drive short distances and never let the engine get up to operating temp long enough you’re going to have more issues with dilution.
Yes, that’s what Honda originally said about the CRV (as I used another car service to do 1 “free” oil change), so I actually had to pay them to drain out an amount to get it to exactly the full line. I drove it like that for 2 full tanks and got the same gas smell and increase in oil levels, albeit not a huge amount. I brought it back in and had them do a drain and fill… then did a bunch of research and changed a number of things. Currently, I got my fuel dilution under control: no more fuel smell and exact full readings when I check 5-10 min after shut down. Yes, I do agree with the longer trip/ full warm up tip. Turning off the Auto Stop Start religiously, filling up only on Premium fuel and using fuel additives every other tank has gotten both my CR-V and Civic 1.5s running well, no oil dilution for about 4000kms (2500 on Civic) now. I’ll do an oil change shortly and keep you guys updated, thanks for watching!
Also, if you are an Acura tech, can you chime in on the other video that I’ve made and my hypothesis on the Auto Start/stop function that I believe is causing blowby : since the pistons can be positioned in full compression with air fuel mixture… engine stopped at that position multiple times for a duration of a stop light… causing the air fuel mixture to seep into the crank case (considering these engines have low tension piston rings)? Cheers Link: ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=U-a-cnt8fa_h_zmD
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I don’t think this is an issue because that would mean every time you shut off the engine by pressing the start/stop button theoretically any cylinder could be on the compressions stroke with fuel still in the cylinder. Also the amount of fuel being sprayed into the cylinder at idle is so small. These engines are running up to 16:1 fuel ratio. I still would suggest turning off the idle stop feature though. We are seeing a lot of issues on the v6 engines. Doing a lot of starters and software updates due to engine last not restarting after idle stop turns them off.
I'm glad I got a 2021 Corolla SE Hatch 6spd over this. 91 is nearly $0.40 more per gallon vs. 87 where I live. The only weird thing I found with my car is that 80W90 dino gear box oil works way better than the expensive synthetic 75W stuff.
Hey, thanks for watching and commenting. Toyota was my first choice (RAV4 hybrid) but was a wait and expensive. And yes, 91 is quite a bit more than 87 and I’m actually using 93! lol - but it is worth it as the engine is quieter and much smoother on 93, plus it is peace of mind to not worry about blown head gaskets due to years of engine knock/ sludge and carbon buildup. As for your oil weights,, not sure what you mean as those viscosities seem very high. Anyways, overall, I’m happy with both the Civic hatch and CRV. I got them for a good price prior to Honda increased prices. I did a bunch of sound proofing to both cars, switched out the silly Bose 8” sub for a RF 10” and RF power amp/low profile box, and replaced the front 6.5” woofers with Infiniti Kappas and it is sounding perfect:) I’ll make a vid on that shortly, cheers!
Yes, higher frequency oil changes will help the situation… but it is only one thing that we can do to mitigate premature wear and other future issues with all DGI turbo engines. I am planning to change my oil soon as it is at 50% oil life and I got a great deal on some Penzoil Ultra Platinum. Will keep you guys updated on how this oil works with this engine as I also have some valve tick noise. Thanks for commenting and watching!
Get rid of those cars best suggestion i avoided those models cause there crap u were better off getting a 2016 CRV with a 2.4L k24 engine not these small lawn mower engines they put in witj turbos also using 0w20 another big mistake too thin and the oil dilution wont go away i know mechanics that work at honda they advised they are trash get rid of it
Forgive my confusion brother but why are you using additives? Those are new engines carbon deposits shouldn't be the problem. It would help if you were using 0w-16 oil. Honda is recommended for those engines. Run premium gas too.
Hey sure, I agree and mentioned that after finding out I have the fuel dilution issue… I’ve switched to 93octane Mobil gas. The reason why I’m using these 2 fuel additives- cleaners is to attempt to reverse the damage and other issues like carbon deposits and many other issues from low quality gas and short trips, and worse of all, using auto-stop/start! I’ll be sticking with 0w-20 for now as my fuel dilution seems to be tempered for now in both cars. I’ll be trying Penzoil ultra platinum and maybe adding BestLine… will be making a new vid on that shortly. Also, if the fuel dilution comes back, I’ll try 0w-16 as per Scotty Kilmer vid:)
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673I wouldn't use 0W16 motor oil 🛢️. I would only use whatever it says on the cap. As for the gas ⛽ I would 87 octane. It's what I use in my 2014 Honda Civic 2014 l. I've got 60,450 miles currently. No oil dilution so far.
lol That’s what Honda service told me… 😂 So yes, I did rule that out by getting both CR-V and Civic to baseline oil level: proper fill at full mark. Then after about 1000kms, both of them had fuel dilution, and gasoline smell in the oil. So that’s then I did my research in the whys and luckily, there’s lots of fellow UA-camrs that shed light on the situation. The Honda forums were good too. Anyways, hope this info helps you guys out there with similar issues with turbo GDI. Thanks for commenting
30mpg and you think that's good,,,,I have a 2011 1.2 Mitsubishi colt MPI engine non forced induction,,,,I get 58mpg and I can get 64mpg if I drive very lightly....
Yeah, but your Colt is a total slug in traffic, while the current Civic performs like it has a V6. Also, you're obviously not in the US or Canada (where that car hasn't been sold for over 20 years), and where our US gallons are smaller than the imperial gallons used in the UK and commonwealth.
Hey mate, try the above video link for updated and “quicker”. Have you dealt with dealer service people on issues that have a pending class action law suit before? They aren’t very helpful. I have a coworker with the oil burning issue on his Hyundai Tucson and he’s getting the same BS: within normal operating limits and to even ignore the engine light and warning message lol. I currently don’t have any warning lights and my dilution is not noticeable with the fixes implemented, outline on my vids. Hopefully, you don’t have one of these 1.5s that is getting fuel dilution.
Yeah… more reliable for sure. However, the RAV4 had a waiting list and more$. Also, the interior was really plasticky and just mediocre. The Corolla hatchback is smaller and the redesigned civic-hatch is quite nice, smooth and sporty. Aside from the fuel dilution, these 2 Hondas are quite good overall. I’ve made several mods that made them even better! Audio and sound deadening related, which I will make a video on soon! Thanks for watching.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I just rode in my neighbors loaded CRV hybrid and was not impressed. The ride was pretty rough and it seemed pretty cheap with allot of plastics as well. Compared to my BMW X3 it rode like crap. I mean I expect the Bimmer to beat it out in every category but I expected the CRV to do better then that. Hell my 2012 Sentra SL had a much nicer ride and was quieter. Not a fan of over compressed tiny engines. Not a fan of those 3 cylinders either. The bimmer having a 2 liter puts out over 250 HP with about 250 torque which is matched to a ZF 8 speed transmission with primary drive in the rear with Xdriver AWD system. Not a fan of FWD cars and definitely don't like CVT's. Just too much tech that Honda uses is a hard no. Honestly don't know why so many want the CRV and rav 4 when Mazda makes a better SUV with the CX5 that is one of the most reliable on the road. And it has a real 6 speed gear box. Probably costs less as well and will last longer. Don't get me wrong I do like some of Toyota's offerings overseas like their Prado. Their D4D diesel is the best motor on the planet.
The oil dilution is 100% due to running low octane fuel. Hence the notice in the gas cap of some to use premium. Use 93 and you will get no dilution. You should not change the weight of the oil as other recommended. Disabling auto stop and start is not needed. Also your analysis of the functionality of auto start and stop should be removed since it is entirely inaccurate. Nothing wrong with running the fuel additives but neither of what you listed should be used. If someone cannot get the valves cleaned the manual way then it should not be done.
Thanks for commenting! Both my ‘22 Civic Sport Touring and CR-V (same L15 series engine) doesn’t have a gas cap… and the Honda manual says to use 87 octane or higher. Only the Civic SI and Integra recommends premium 91 or higher. As for oil weight, I agree not to change from the recommended viscosity. As for Auto-Idle-Stop function, please elaborate on what is inaccurate. Also, I’ve made some new vids on the detrimental effects of the AIS system on the Turbo (oil coking and lack of oil cooling issues)… link: ua-cam.com/video/Vs7cTrx9ykU/v-deo.htmlsi=6bF1ttpEaEwdaz78 As for the fuel additives, I have started to use PEA based cleaners: Gumout and Royal Purple so far. Thanks for watching, Looking forward to your response. Cheers🎉
Dude I use 93 Oct ALWAYS, now I have a 10th Gen si 1.5 sedan, I'd change my oil (3.7qts. lol) and not a week later my oil dipstick would read DOUBLE THE AMOUNT REQUIRED! So let's check off high octane fuel ✔️
@@camsofly86 hmm that’s crazy! Have you tried disabling the Auto Idle Stop function? I really dislike that and it does more harm to the engine and turbo than anything else. Also, your SI requires or “recommends” premium 91oct or higher anyways. How long are you driving intervals? Diving habits shouldn’t be an issue because it is your car and you can’t really be “using it wrong”… but it unfortunately does. Have you tried engine cleaners? You also may be having stuck piston rings from carbon etc… Thanks for watching!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Ummmm the SI doesn't have the auto idle stop function, you mean when u come to complete stop foot on brake it shuts off then cuts back on once I release brake? If so negative it's a 6 speed no shut off unless you just idk DK how to operate a manual tranny lol, my ma dukes Audi has that function and it sucks my opinion lol but thanks for all the help
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 oh and update lol but smdh I knew it but anyways, got my hondata flashpro, flashed the SI not even x2 days stock clutch totally blew up, no good! Just a heads up to all 10th Gen SI owners don't flash if ur not beefed up, ACT is the way I'm going soon as I can get some funds, y'all guys\gals stay safe 🫡
Newly updated take 2 video link: ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=vH-QJ6d7e5H2zSqs
On the Auto Stop/Start function recommendations to prevent engine damage.
These are exactly the steps we are taking with our 2021 Accord 1.5T. Oil is staying much cleaner with very little dilution. No more predetonation.
That’s great to hear! Glad that there are some who find the answers… whereas the manufacturers just stay silent and deem it a non-issue. Thanks for commenting! Cheers!
2018 honda crv 1st owner.. i never use econ mode since i bought.. until now i dont experience any oil dilution. i used costo 87 always.. and during winter most of the time sports mode for faster heat cabin..never shut down the engine immediately after drove. just wait for 1-2mins.. this is base in my experienced..
Hey, thanks for watching. While it is true that you probably get better mpg with your colt… unfortunately, these new vehicles are heavy AF, and the CRV is in a different class of vehicle. More power, more capacity and more weight= less mpg… but 30mpg average for a medium sized suv is pretty good.
I installed a Auto-Eliminator and use top tier gas , and full syn 5/30 oil, and if I just drive around town I keep it in a lower gear in my 22 CRV. I haven't noticed any gas smell or rise of oil level , but when I drive it ,I drive it Italian style and I change oil at 50 % of oil life indicator , have been changing oil that way for forty years ,no engine problems ever .
That’s great to hear! Many of the fellow UA-camrs don’t understand why we are fretting over this and doing something about it…
Congrats on a great purchase! Have you seen the new prices of the 2023 CR-Vs? And in general, the inflated prices for other cars too?
I’m almost certain this will be my last 2 ICE vehicles. Will miss it for sure and want to make it last:)
There are 3 civics in the family. My younger brother's 2018 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport with CVT filled with 92 octane, my Dad's 2017 Honda Civic EX-T with CVT filled with 87 octane and my 2023 Honda Civic Si with a six speed manual filled with 92 octane. My brother's and my Dad's car have oil dilution but no engine issues. I on the other hand have little to no oil dilution with no engine issue and I drive it on shorter trips than my other 2 family members. We don't always drive our vehicles hard and we live in the Pacific Northwest.
Good to know! Honda sold and are still selling these 1.5s in the millions… I’m in the same area upper west with moderately cold winters. I’m going to stick with Mobil 91-93 octane and frequent fuel additives as they seem to really help with engine tick.
A lot of commenters are saying to just trade it in for a Toyota. But from Honda to Honda owner, Toyota Corolla and RAV4 just isn’t my cup of tea.
I drove my friend's 2021 Toyota RAV4 LE AWD and a 2021 Honda CR-V LX. The CR-V feels responsive and planted on the road in comparison to the RAV4. Offroad, I can't say because the CR-V I drove was a rental and I had no reason to take it on a trail. I rode in the same RAV4 in offroad situations. It handled that environment just fine. I also have driven my friend's 2016 Scion iM with the CVT and I did have a 2018 Honda Civic LX sedan with the six speed manual. Fuck that Corolla hatchback when it comes to comparing it to the Civic. The only thing that the iM had going for it is its size. It is smaller than the Civic and the rear independent suspension helped it handle better than the other Corollas but the Civic wins it hands down. Now for today's Corolla vs Civic. This current Corolla is definately an improvement over the previous generations and that 2 litre is good for what it is. Once again though, the Civic is better in comparison. Unless you are trying to parallel park in the city. Fuck the Civic and take the Corolla because that car is still smaller than the Honda.
I am not blind to Honda's issues with their products but the oil dilution is not as terrible as people think it is. My brother has like 127 something thousand miles on his Civic and my Dad's Civic has like 51 something thousand miles. I took the oil dilution thing seriously when those two got their cars new. Nothing happened to them. Now here I am taking care of a newer 1.5 litre turbo engine with VTEC with 11 something thousand miles on it. No problems and I'm the aggressive driver in my family.
All we do is do the routine maintenance and fill these vehicles up with Chevron. We tried other brands like Arco, 76 and Shell. Chevron did the best out of them all.
I'm in Tampa Fl area with 2017 CRV 1.5, been lucky no drivability issues, 94k bought w 13k
I use Top Tier 87 for years but I do fresh full synthetic every 3.5 to 4k, and also Lucas Low Viscosity Oil Stabilizer every oil change- you may want to try it- never had anything make an engine run smoother for $12 bucks @kidsfuturesareworthit.8673
Great vid! I just bought a 2024 Civic SI, I had a 2005 Civic 5sp that lasted 300k miles, I sold in that in 2018.
I was worried about the turbo, but sounds like premium fuel and short interval oil change are all it really needs.
Yes, these engines with turbo and GDI is high maintenance! With that said, the whole industry is doing the same thing with this tech… Keep up the service and it should be fine, cheers!
And great choice btw!
I try premium fuel in my 2 crv and it made it worst actually. Synthetic Oil last twice as less in these engine. They can barely heat up in the winter, temp are going way down when you are waiting at a red light
One thing is sure is that these 1.5 turbo engine won't be lasting long with the maintenance suggested by Honda, which is good news for Honda but bad news for consumer.
Bond a lubricant to the metal and it will fix most of the lubrication issues:
You should be able to do normal oil change intervals instead of the short intervals being recommended.
🙂
I'm a retired mechanic and have owened honda cars since 1991. I agree with your comments. I would not use sea foam on gdi engine. You need a fuel injector cleaner with the chemical that has PEA in it for gdi engines. Oil dilution is normal, but the 1.5 in short stop go driving in a cold climate is terrible for oil dilution. I also run my crv with the 1.5 in sport mode to get engine up to operating temp on stop and go short drives. If you put your heater on high and idle the 1.5 on cold winter day watch your engine temp drop. Engine can not stay at operating temp.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I agree with using sport mode to help the engine, warm up quicker and make longer trips… Recently, I have found that disabling the auto stop start and using high octane fuel combined with frequent use of marvel, mystery oil or seafoam is helping. And while I understand that those additives don’t necessarily get injected into the back of the valves like port injection, in these GDI engines, the additives, and fuel mixture will make it into the gas recirculation system, and hopefully it will, in the long run, help clean And keep clean the backs of the intake valves. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
Trade it in for a toyota
@@Mabeylater293Mabeylater, maybe I’ll trade it in for a Toyoda later:)
Love my K20C2, yea yea it's slow, but no issues. I've seen injector, head gasket and turbo failures on these L15s.
Eric9249. What motor is the k20c2 from
Great video! Please keep updating your experience with your Hondas
I’m very happy with my 2018, 10th gen Civic EXT with the 1.5 liter, GDI, turbo. Despite my dealerships persistence in getting me to trade in my Civic for the new 11th gen model, I refuse. I prefer the 10th gen over the 11th gen in every way. While the 11th gen is a great car, anyone that’s owned the 10th gen for any length of time will attest to why the 10th gen is superior. Why? No start/stop garbage, a larger trunk, larger glove compartment, larger arm rest with the extra large cup holder, one more USB port, and the wonderful side-view camera.
Anyway, I bought my Civic new back in June 2018. I live in fairly temperate NY (Westchester county) so not too cold compared to my northern neighbors. After over five years and 163,500 miles I have had zero problems, so far (except for the AC under extended warranty for a known issue). I take every precaution to insure longevity.
1. I only use top-tier fuel…specifically Shell Nitro 93 Octane because of the purportedly highest detergent additive to mitigate carbon deposits.
2. I change the oil/filter early…every 4,000-4,500 miles.
3. I rarely drive short distances.
4. I rarely exceed 4k rpm.
5. I drive at least 60% highway earning excellent fuel economy…36 mpg (combined city/highway).
6. I change the engine air filter every 10k miles.
Thanks for the kind comment and watching my videos! Your 10th gen civic is one of the reasons why I went back to Honda for our second car:) we have a Mini Cooper and it was nice… but wanted a bit more room and the design of your car is much more inspirational and exciting. Sort of like the 2022 CR-V we got as our main family hauler. The latest Honda designs are more “grown up” but I do prefer the livelier last gen design language like the 10th gen civic.
Anyways, yes, I will keep updating my experience with our 2 Honda 1.5t vehicles- good or bad. So far, I do enjoy the 2 a lot. Only one thing is that I wish I got manual for the civic. Would have been so much fun:)
And it is awesome to hear that you are taking care of your car: 93octane and highway driving, frequent oil changes is was this car needs. I’m sure it will continue to serve you well! Cheers!
The computer controls the detonation timing in modern engines. Knock isn't happening, it's the gasket design. I saw a video explaining this and where the flaw is located. It's the narrow edge of the cut-out rings that fail. It's a serious problem that isn't easy to avoid by changing the octane rating.
Thanks for commenting. While I agree that the engine design: both gasket and block design (coupled with weak head bolts) are the culprit…
Check this video out:
ua-cam.com/video/G5bJlFHKOX0/v-deo.htmlsi=6DQ0Ai-epN4a6iOa
We do have knock sensors in modern day engines (for a reason) and it enables the engine to run at the edge of Knock to have best efficiency.. Octane will help with engine Knock calibration limits.
Cheers and thanks for watching!
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I've read on several forums that switching to a 0W16 oil, especially in winter or cold climates will reduce the oil dilution problem. The reason being that the engine will get up to proper temperature quicker then maintain it leading to the proper evaporation of the fuel vapors from the oil, and getting burned by the PCV system. Additionally, having a tuner permanently turning off the engine stop-start in the ECU will definitely help too. I hope that helps
Robert, it’s not counterintuitive at all to switch to the 0w-16 oil… I also watched a vid with Scotty Kilmer mentioning that this will help the 1.5’s oil dilution issue. Only issue is that finding 0w-16 oil with an ILSAC GF-6A (not GF-6B) designation is very difficult, I’ve looked. GF-6B oil is not compatible with the current 1.5T L-series engines.
Anyways, my oil dilution is fixed (remedied) currently by the 3 things I’m doing as mentioned in the video.
Also, I’ve found a great deal on Kirkland full synthetic 0W-20 with the GF-6A designation… so I’m stocked up for now to keep her running well:)
0w16 and thinner will always be designated GF6B by definition..6A is reserved for 0w20 and higher
@@vlxneutron2835then Scotty led us in the wrong direction… can’t use 0w-16 then! Gf6B is not backwards compatible with engines requiring Gf6A certification.
Thanks for commenting.
I used to have a 2018 CRV, I noticed the oil dilution as well. After much reading and research, I used 0w-16 oil and 91 octane gas = No more oil dilution! Even during winter, oil level was maintained. I don't know why Honda claims it's okay to use 87 octane fuel. I did my own oil change as well 2x a year (
Yes, 0w-16 is another great suggestion! It’s just hard to find the ILSAC GF-6A certification instead of GF-6B… and I prefer to change the oil in quicker intervals. And yes, 91 octane and over is what this engine runs best on. I believe Honda doesn’t do the recommendation because of the optics and competition. Imagine if they actually Changed the fuel recommendation to 91 and over? There’d be another class action suit. And the competition would gain an edge over Honda because their cars can use regular fuel, even though I believe Premium should be recommended for all Turbo GDI cars… all in the name of saving $at the pump and satisfying CAFE standards, but at the cost of expensive repairs (blown head gaskets, injectors) and sacrificing oil (more frequent oil changes) etc.
Too many issues with this & sorry I bought the car. Will be looking to trade in on a 2025 toyota camry if I can make the deal
@@JanetVaughn-cm3etthanks for commenting! Yes, these new engines with GDI and turbo and Auto-idle-stop is a “high maintenance” but with a few of the aforementioned remedy-fixes, the engines can hit a few hundred thousand miles no problem. Just gotta give it TLC.
And I agree that Toyota is superior for longevity. Honda has lost some of that lustre… but still love driving their cars! Cheers
How is using 0w-16 helping anything? That doesn't make any sense to me. 0w-20 and 0w-16 are both very thin oils, and the problem is gasoline going past the rings into the crankcase due to the high compression from the turbo. How is oil weight doing anything about boost pressure?
My 2021 Civic has had bad oil dilution issues, especially in the winter, but all 12 months. The only solution is to change the oil every 3K miles. Mine will show over-full within 500 miles of an oil change, though. The gasoline destroys the protection the oil provides the engine.
Long-term, I don't think I'm keeping this car. It has 33K now, I will likely trade it at 50K, which is extremely unfortunate. This car doesn't have auto-stop/start, and I've been using 89 and 91 octane gas, which is expensive and obviates the point of owning an economy car. It's all so stupid.
My other big disappointment was when I bought a brand new 2014 Subaru Legacy and it had oil consumption problems within the first 5K miles. Brand new car was using quarts of oil. Subaru said "normal" and refused to do anything about it. That car was the first one I owned that used 0w-20. All these light oils are just an attempt to squeeze out fuel mileage in exchange for longevity. The Legacy had bad rings, basically. A design flaw.
These Honda 1.5L engines have a design flaw, that's the deal. Contrast all this with my '17 4Runner and '17 TLX--both vehicles have rock solid V6 engines that don't use oil or get oil dilution, which is how every other car I ever owned was--the amount of oil in the engine should not change, period!
Ethanol in fuel is responsible for some of the lubrication issues in engines... including GDI engines.
Stay away from fuel with ethanol in it and your lubrication issues will improve.
🙂
Ive been hearing bad things about seafoam anymore. Especially on gdi.
May wanna use some crc turbo /intake cleaner too. Helps clean valves on gdi.
Also after a bunch of research and talking to a honda tech, i found pcv valves need changed every 30k to help prevent oil dilution .
I use liqui molly fuel system cleaner mostly. I mostly use premium fuel. Changed plugs and pcv valve . Keep up on oil changes. Let car warm up slightly before driving.
So far no oil dilution on my civic.
I’ll give CRC a try in the near future, thanks for commenting!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673I agree on the crc intake valve and turbo cleaner. Do it right before an oil change. Been using it since my car was new. I also like their MAF cleaner, I clean my MAF atleast 4x a year.
@@vermontvermont9292thanks for confirming! The MAF is a great tip!
I have a Toyota 1.2 Turbo GDI and it has the same problem, although the engine oil level does not increase, I smell a gas smell on the engine oil dipstick, I started to do oil changes every 6 months, I live in Europe and I make very short trips with it, about 8 km every day to and from work, I only do more kilometers on weekends, this is a problem that should affect all GDI engines, no matter the brand from the manufacturer, especially in these more recent models, I use the 0w20 oil recommended by Toyota

Thanks for chiming in and watching! Yes, GDI and Turbo is a high maintenance combo regardless of the maker. Sucks because no one really knows this and follows the silly manufacturer oil change schedule and uses regular pump gas… coupled with the stop-start function, it is a recipe for a great expensive$ trip to the dealership.
Wow
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 yes it's true, I forgot to mention that I only use premium gasoline since I purchased it, I bought it used, I don't know what kind of fuel the previous owner used, but I only use premium gasoline, I have good general knowledge of mechanics, and I always save some money by doing things myself on my cars, such as maintenance, and diagnostics with software
@@viktorpt1999great to hear that you are taking good care of your engine! Before you know it, regular petro cars won’t be available to buy and we will all be lined up to charge and electricity will be increased$ and limited
I think it might help to try 0w16 in place of the usual 0w20 oil. I do not have a Civic but I heard that it may help. Also, change your oil more often. The oil dilution problem is exactly why I will not buy one. I do not want the hassle of having to change my oil more often and I don't want to have premature wear to the bearings in the engine. If your oil gets too full, it puts pressure on the seals of the engine as well. Everyone talks about how great these Civics are, do they know about this? Plus, turbos put a lot more pressure on the engine and cause it to wear out sooner. That is so messed up you have to deactivate the auto stop function so it does not cause more issues, something you paid more money for. I could smell the fuel in the oil when I checked it on a Civic I was test driving about a month ago. So glad I did not buy one of these!!! Just bought a 2.4L VTEC NA 2021 Acura ILX for me, LUV IT and laugh at anyone who bags on it. Good luck with it and check into the 0w16. You could sell it and buy a Toyota or Lexus.
Thanks for chiming in!
I agree with the things that you have said, and eventually will try 0W 16 oil as I heard it can help as well, especially from Scotty Kilmer. And true that I should not have to disable the auto idle stop function. Actually, they should have not put That in the car in the first place. I had a 2.4 TSX a while back and that engine was perfect, smooth, good power, and decent fuel economy. Unfortunately, the days of naturally aspirated engines are gone since there is a mad race for new green technologies that Cause more problems with broken parts, which actually causes more greenhouse, gases, and waste. Crazy world… Thanks again, cheers
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 9th gen civic ftw
Put dexos approved 5W-30 Kirkland or SuperTech synthetic in it. Change it often. Do it yourself. New oil filter. Definitely turn the start-stop button to off...turn it off every time. That water thin 0W-20 oil does you absolutely no good whatsoever. Going up a grade will not harm it. 5W-30 synthetic fixed my Ford EcoSport's mazda based 2.0 GDI Duratec engine's fuel dilution. The oil level went WAY too high, and smelled strongly of gasoline. It doesn't anymore. I'm even going to try 10W-30 Meijer brand synthetic in the spring. It's the same as Kirkland and SuperTech, made by Highline Warren LLC. 10W-30 has more base oil. Less, weak (easily sheared) polymer viscosity improvers.
WOW!! Its a real good thing Hond ditched the 2.0T for this 1.5T right?? Way to go Honda. They'll never know you were once reliable AND fun.
Honda has been chasing their “earthdreams” green initiative/ CAFE regulations for years… and this 1.5t is the product of all that forced innovation. What a bunch of €}£
I must have lucked out. My 2016 Civic Touring had the ‘fix’ back when for the oil dilution issue, but never really suffered from it in the first place.
Hi, thanks for your message! I’m glad that you don’t have this issue with your civic. I originally bought these cars based on the legendary Honda reliability- so I never even bothered to checked the engine(s) until I had the Ticking sound on the CRV. I thought I had a panel loose! I truly think that there’s a subset of owners that are having this issue, but are not aware… not saying that you are one of them :-)
Honda is no longer the legendary car maker it once was. I’ve been shocked the past couple used Hondas I have driven and how poorly they held up over just a few years. Sad to see the giant fall.
@@brianneu6489yes, sad to see Honda’s quality in their designs falter- and capitulate towards questionable setups like GDI and full electric… seems like this is the way the industry is moving and not completely Honda’s fault. Although, I will say that Toyota has both Port and Direct Injection and doesn’t have the carbon buildup compared to Honda and bmw etc…
Blame it on the flawed ideas on pushing for greener tech. Tech like this can’t really be “green” - the re is decrease fuel consumption but at the cost of burning oil or fuel dilution. Dum-dum-dum-dum-Dumb!🎉
You need to allow the engine to warm up. You should let it idle for a few minutes before driving off. Also short commutes are bad for turbo DI motors. You could also change your oil more frequently. Starting and stopping of the engine would be terrible for the Turbo.
Thanks for commenting!
And Bingo! This is exactly what Honda (and others like Kia and Ford and BMW) doesn’t really want you to know prior to buying the car that gives you amazing 36mpg in the city with a small turbo engine…
More maintenance
More work
More $$ leases/ buyouts and planned obsolescence.
Push everyone to EV, then raise EV rates. Double Bingo🎉
Ive just got in the habit of changing my oil every 3500 miles. I use castrol , or pennzoil platinum ultra. Install a catch can, and keep an eye on your pcv valve. Even if im going for just a short trip ill let it warm up completely. Let it get really hot, rev it a bunch etc. honestly ive never noticed any oil dilution issues and i have a 2019 civic coupe ex-t. Even when i was doing 5,000 mile oil changes. Had it since new, and at around 10,000 miles i started doing oil changes every 3500 miles. I switched oil filters too. Ive been using oem honda filters, that was until i found out theyre made by fram. I now use wix the ones made in usa. Or purolater boss. Auto start stop is so stupid if you ask me, doesnt save much gas, and adds wear and tear to the starter. Holy crap...esso gas still exist? I too use ONLY 93 octane. Idc what honda says, ive owned many turbo cars, and they all have required 91-93. I also run techron fic very often. Swap my air filter out every spring, and late fall early winter. I also change my spark plugs once a year.
Thanks for commenting! I wish I met you and talked to you right after buying my 2 1.5ts, that way, I would know not to listen to Honda and their crazy reg fuel/oil change schedule.
Great to hear you take care of your car. Most ppl don’t.
Cheers!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 you're at super low miles. You'll be fine. Just keep doing what you're doing. Especially if you plan on keeping the cars for a long time. I plan on keeping mine for the rest of my life. No joke. I would install a catch can, change the pcv valve at 40-50k miles, and do your plugs maybe every 2 years? I do mine after a full year. Only because I'm strange like that lol. The air filters get dirty quick, so I do them x2 with in a year. Spring, and end of fall. Best thing for the actual car is to fluid film undercoat it every fall. Doesn't have to be fluid film. You can use any brand you prefer. Wool wax , used oil, used oil mixed with bar and chain, whatever. I just use fluid film black. Make sure to spray the back sides of the brake dust shields. I cover just about everything underneath. Some areas in the engine bay too. Which I then clean back off in mid spring during my first full detail of the year lol. I wax the inside of my engine bay too. As for the outside, having a professional ceramic coating is a good idea. However you can do it yourself. Then using a nice ceramic spray detailer, with a super soft large microfiber to dry after washing. Use the 2-3 bucket method, foam cannon, all that stuff. Rock auto is where I get most of my parts fyi much cheaper, and the same parts or better than OEM. I'm at 54,000 miles and I'm just now needing brakes. Other than that I haven't had anything else need work. Just basic tune up stuff like I've mentioned, and oil changes. It's a good thing too since I spend so much money on just keeping the car clean, and protected. Inside and out. 😆
@@vermontvermont9292great points! For the oil catch can, I’ve always been worried about the install and quality of set up… Then the dealership may say that it will avoid the warranty as they always do. Such a pain lol.
As for the undercoating, I used to use the oil trick in my Integra back in the day love that car and worked on it every week, change the oil every few thousand miles: excessively by myself as oil and filters were cheap back then. Then I leased cars for a number of years years, and now I have purchased these two Hondas.
I actually applied a 3M marking film to the bottom (unconventional) and is holding up well!
Keep up the great work!!! Vheers
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I just realized something. Your engine shows VTEC, you're in Canada right? Are all the 1.5t engines VTEC up there? I know here in the USA we didn't get VTEC just VCT or whatever Honda is calling it lol. The UK also got VTEC. It's only on the exhaust cam, but still. It just seems odd they would have separate engines for North America like that. My 19 coupe ex-t was made in Canada for the US market. I believe all coupes for the US and Canada were made in Canada too. I live pretty close to Canada too, in Vermont. Just an observation
@@vermontvermont9292Great observation:) and you’re right, it doesn’t have full VTEC: no lift and no intake vtec since it has turbo*… officially it is called Honda VTC, but marketed using “EarthDreams VTEC Turbo”.
Then after 2019(I think) they dropped all those EarthDreams VTEC turbo badges when they had their oil dilution fiasco/recall/then update.
Anyways, I bought 2 badges 1 original EarthDreams one for the Civic and the Turbo VTEC badge for the CRV because the blank spot was a silly omission/cop-out on Honda’s part. They should have owned it… just like they are still using this engine in everything.
I’m pretty sure all of the CRV L15bE engines are the same with VTC. This red badge is for the Asia markets I think. So great catch! Cheers mate!
Most Hondas in the 90’s to early 2000s were built with bare minimum components. Non premium vehicles. Nowadays Honda overbuilding their vehicles thinking buyers will buy a “premium” vehicle.
I used liquid moly with molygen 0-20 . Wix xp oil filter. The molygen coats the internals ,,coat the cylinder walls and seals the crank case from fuel blow by. Better turbo response ,,quieter ,runs cooler and all over better engine protection and performance. Change oil every 4-5 thousand miles. Don't listen to your oil change reminder,,never go 10000 miles between changes. Oil will still be good past 5000, but 4-5000 mls is best. Theres 2 tranny filters replace the upper cylinder filter every. 20000 the one in the pan every 50000. You'll get a lot of good performance for thousands of miles. What's ruining a lot of engines out there whether it's Honda or other manufacturers is the 10,000 mi oil changes,, and crap oil use the best, and change it every four to five thousand.
@@angelicabrubaker1503 totally agree! And maybe I’ll try molten someday! Thank uou!
You may use Shell Helix Ultra 0W-30 ECT C2/C3 instead using oil additive against oil dilution and valve ticks. You may use injektor cleaner which do not make smoke like seafoam To keep injektors, EGR, PCV and oxijen sensor clean.
Thanks for the advice, cheers!
anyone know if this problem continues with the 24-25 civic or accord models
@@cantseeme383 yes
Nothing has changed at Honda for this 1.5t Lseries. Must take careful precautions if you are planning to keep long term, cheers!
Issue is not "fixed" all Honda done was a update that sent more heat to engine at startup. That was after the 17-18 year models started experiencing oil dillution. Honda wanted to claim it was small numbers and mostly in very cold climates but that's not true.i battled oil dillution in my 22 crv 1.5. to much high pressure and a small engine with a turbo not a great mixture. My oil was always about 6% Saturated with gas when I would send samples off. It would have been around 2% max. Only long term will we see the damage this causes on these engines. Also there is a current class action lawsuit against Honda for this issue .(,same kind of lawsuit the 17-18s had)
Yes, I agree that it is not fixed per se… I should rephrase it using the word remedy. We basically have the exact same car, same year… And I feel your frustration because we got a Honda because of previous bulletproof K-series engine or like bulletproof examples of engineering. And yes, it is unfortunate that most of us battled this issue, and even worse, some are left in the dark. GDI and turbo, low tension piston rings… Is a relatively newly implemented technology and seems like most examples of this type is experience some dilution, oil burning, failed injectors, all sorts of issues that regular engines did not have in the past. Not to be a Honda apologist, but cars are getting heavier and expectations on fuel economy is getting higher and higher… So I know why the industry did what they did. The bright side is the remedies that I have mentioned did help me on my two vehicles with this engine, from baseline, there is no more fuel dilution, and no more gas smell in my dipstick and crank case cover. Hope this can help you too!
How can we get involved in the class action lawsuit?
Nice info. Kirkland full synthetic is as good as Penzoil Ultra Platinum?
@@samchan9616 not as good… but for a short 5000kms oil change interval for a family vehicle, it is a great cost effective option.
I hate that they used the 1.5 T in the CRV. This little engine is working too hard for the weight of the vehicle, All our 4 Fits had no issues up to about 150K other than recommended maintenance. Looking at the new CRV hybrid with the 2.0 L
I swapped to 91 octan and I no loger have any issues.
Thanks for commenting! Yes, higher octane fuel is certainly one of the main things that help the dilution issue… the auto makers should really just come right out and all recommend premium fuel if they all going to do DGI and turbo.
I just bought a used 2022 Honda Civic Touring with 13000 miles on it. I bought it based on all I’ve heard about Honda quality. Had I known about this oil dilution situation I probably would never have pulled the trigger. What a disappointment. I’m really concerned now. I want a car that I don’t have to baby to keep it running. I’m not a “car guy” and I don’t change my own oil. Don’t want to have to do that. I drive 95% short distances. I’ve had the car about 3 weeks now and the oil is about a quarter of an inch above the full mark on the dipstick. Don’t know if that’s because the place where I bought it from overfilled it or because of oil dilution. I’m having the oil changed at a Honda dealer tomorrow. I will then keep a close eye on it to see if it rises. I’ve decided to have my oil changed every 6 months no matter how many miles I drive (which is usually very little. Probably less than 3000 miles a year). Do you think this is a good move?
Hey, thanks for commenting… And Sorry to hear that you have buyers remorse. This is the main reason why I started this series of videos on my two Hondas: both have the exact same engine 1.5 GDI turbo. I will make another video to in-depth explain why I am disabling the auto stop start. Changing the oil frequently definitely is a good idea on the series of Engines especially if you have shorts. Disable the auto stop start and use high octane fuel will mitigate the fuel Dilution. Give it a try after the oil change… Because before I made these changes, I definitely had a lot of dilution Within even a week, which is crazy. Please subscribe as I promise to make a video to explain further into the fixes I have found. PS, while your Honda service people, well, ultimately, they will stand on the side of where they work, and may not have too much to offer to help regarding this issue: At least this is what I have found with my dealership.
Had the oil change today. I voiced my concern about the oil level being about a quarter of an inch above the full mark on the dip stick. Mechanic told me not to worry, as I was taking the reading when the car was cold (I was) and all of the oil had drained and the level would be higher. I drove directly home - far enough to get the engine warm - and checked my new oil after about 3 - 5 minutes. The oil was just a tiny bit above the full mark. I don’t believe the drive home was enough for the dilution problem to manifest itself so I am assuming that tomorrow morning when I check again the level should be even higher on the stick. I was told not to worry about this. Will update tomorrow. Thoughts?
Hi, thanks for the followup. I just uploaded a new video on when to check the oil: yes, 5-10min after shut down is good… if you check it overnight, then more oil will drain down from the engine and give a higher reading. Use this point as a reference. The smell is very important: note the current oil smell. In the future checks, try to note any increases in chemical smell/ solvent-gas smell. I had major solvent-gas smell in mine prior to my last oil change and changing a few key things that have fixed the oil dilution issue(for now-over 3000kms). Mainly, I’d go with turning off the start-stop and high octane: 91or higher if your wallet permits.
OK. I checked my oil level this morning. The car sat all night and I didn't not start it up. I've included a picture. The blue arrow shows approximately where the level was when I drove home from the dealer after they changed my oi - the engine was still warm. The red arrow is where the level was tomorrow after sitting all night and not starting the car. As you can see, BOTH are above the orange plastic indicator. The tech at the dealer said a little bit is nothing to be concerned about (they, themselves filled it above the orange thing!). So, there is a difference after the car sits - it does rise. I guess I should be concerned if it now rises above where the red arrow is.
Well, I just realized I don't know how to add a picture :(. Suffice it to say, the blue arrow was about an eighth of an inch above the orange indicator and the red arrow is about 1/4 to 3/8's of an inch above.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673
Hi, yes, you’re correct what you have right now is a baseline for you to do a comparison later on when, and if you’re oil level rises. With this particular engine, if it does rise, most likely it is fuel getting into your oil… Also, ensure that you check your oil at the same spot every time, as your car should be completely flat.
can 93 octane fuel fix 1.5t engine problems
Why is Honda putting 1.5 Turbo engines in the Civic Touring if they're not good engines??
Thanks for watching! Honda has been putting these engines in their Civics, Accords, CRVs for over 5yrs now and there’s probably a few million out there.
Don’t get me wrong, the engine is decent… it just needs more maintenance, high octane fuel and driven on the highway for extended periods of time at least once a week.
lol it does sound like a bad engine - but really, it isn’t. Watch some of my other vids and you’ll see that I’m quite enjoying these 2 cars… and getting good performance/efficiency.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673so if you mainly drive highway miles (I do 45 miles one way to work) would you still worry about oil dilution? I have a 22 accord with about 11k miles on it.
@@ConstantGreen Thanks for commenting!
And yes, if you plan to keep your accord long term, past the warranty, then it is something to at you should took at.
The thing is, most ppl don’t have any idea what is going on with their car, and the car makers know this. Heck, when I lease my cars, I never check the oil… and worry only about cosmetic things.
Check your oil frequently so you know what is going on. If you change your oil, then check the level and note the level on the dipstick and use it as a baseline for comparison…
The oil dilution issue is really an inherent problem with Turbo DGI engines. Longer drives help but all drive cycles have cold starts and also carbon deposits etc.
Turn off your AIS: auto idle stop feature religiously and that will help.
Also ensure your injectors are clean and buy top tier fuel/91 octane min, cheers!
I was shopping for a new car two months ago and test drove a Honda Civil and Accord. The Civic has very uncomfortable driver seat compared to that of the Accord. A small engine coupled with turbo is not gonna make the engine last. And CVT? Thank You, but no thank you, Honda.
Yeah, I agree on the engine part… unfortunately, because of CAFE standards and the push for Greener tech, all of the manufacturers are going with GDI, turbo and cvt lol… most anyways.
I just wish that they’d tell us to use Premium fuel if it actually needs it to prevent carbon buildup… but that would mitigate their efforts to gain that few percent of efficiency. Annoying really.
This movement towards planned obsolescence actually spells the earlier doom of ICE vehicles… pushing and forcing us closer to EVs.
Then, the upper powers will increase electricity lol- what a plan!!!🎉
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 yes, high compression ratio requires premium fuel. On the other hand, the ruling knows useful life of the Petrodollar is near its end. They've got to come up with a plan to either mitigate inconvenient aftermath or even better come up with a Chipdollar.
@@viewlesswindhmm yes, interesting times ahead. Control is the key and be careful, good luck!
the more fuel efficient a car is, so more problematic will be.They think that are gonna save the planet.
Yes, more moving parts, more points of failure.
Thanks for commenting.
I had my 22 civic si re tuned and switched to 0w30 Valvoline full synthetic. My gas mileage has up to 34mpg from 30mpg and no dilution anymore. Also 93 octane gas
Thanks for commenting!
Great job for fixing your dilution. Honda recommends premium for the Si correct?
I think they really should recommend 91+ for all their turbo DGI engines. This will fix so many issues including even the blown head gaskets that have been an issue for a long time now. Cheers!
Enjoy your new headgaskets (i.e. multiple times) in the not too distant future.
You should have been buying premium gas from the onset. Where do you live? What is the weather climate like
Hi, thanks for commenting!
I’m in the Vancouver area in Canada.
I would have been buying premium all along, but wasn’t aware that the problem persisted past the 2019 “fix”… that Honda reported.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 ahh that makes sense now. Another cold climate dilution case. I just purchased a 23' integra with the L15 and was curious. I'm in a much hotter climate and refuse to use low grade gas. These oil companies like pretty much everyone are taking short cuts. The low grade gas is watered down, I'd be surprised if the octane rating is what it claims. Profits over morals
@@stevenpoynter4950 I agree! Also, I was getting dilution in the summer time too…
Congrats on the Integra! I had a 96gsr and loved it! We have the 22 civic Sport Touring and is a great car too:) other than the fuel dilution, which is under control now.
Cars: something happened when they were forced to adjust all designs to satisfy Cafe standards, carbon credits… and cost cutting. Nuts!
Cheers!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 thank you for the help, I appreciate the info
So previous iterations are okay? Found in the CRV and a like?
I believe 2017 and newer (including 2024), the some trim CRVs get the L15 1.5turbo engine, which has most of this fuel dilution issue among other issues. Cheers!
To understand the issue fully is to understand how this and other engines work. There's a tremendous amount of misinformation out there, ripe for the picking, as people try this remedy or that because someone on UA-cam recommended it. I understand the frustration that people have while seeking answers too. Just be careful of just following along because someone on UA-cam claimed something worked. First off, let me say that I have looked into this issue also, being an owner of an '19 Accord 1.5T and moreover being a long-time owner of all things Honda. First, GDI engines are utilized as fuel control is enhanced over port or TBI systems. But GDI requires very high pressures, that pressure, especially while an engine is cold and using a richer mixture of fuel/air can lead to more fuel getting past the rings before it is burned completely. This is more commonly an issue with all GDI engines. My Accord, and Accords in general, seem to be less affected by the problem, why? Well, they are tuned differently, producing a bit more power and torque than the CR-V and Civic 1.5T engines. I've not found an explanation for this otherwise but Honda's solution to the problem is first to refrain from driving in cold weather and taking short trips and also a software update. In regard to fuel octane grade, there's nothing in a higher-octane fuel that in any way would help with this issue. Higher octane fuels simply resist ignition to a higher temperature inside the cylinder. None of the 1.5T engines require anything above regular grade. All premium fuels will do is add to your operating costs.
The other aspect worth noting about GDI is that fuel never passes over the backside of the intake valves. That means the cleaning agents in fuels or additives never can act on the accumulated buildup on the back of the valve heads or inlet ports. That's what leads to that issue. The deposits that build up come from blowby from the combustion chambers and oil mist which then is mostly separated out by the EGR system. Some engines do a better job at minimizing the amount of oil that makes its way back to the cylinders. VW's seem to be more stricken by this than Hondas tend to be. Again, premium fuels and additives will not affect this issue as fuel never passes by the valves and ports to help clean them. There are oil catch cans available that seek to catch more of the oil mist before it's introduced back into the intake manifold to be burned but I'm not sure they're worth the expense or added maintenance.
Best advice, do not warm up a car by letting it just sit and idle. Engines warm very slowly that way and extends the length of time an engine runs at sub-normal operating temperature, increasing the chance of more fuel making its way past the rings. Enter the car, start the engine, after that tend to your seatbelt, adjust seating, mirrors, radio, etc. and then put into gear and drive off moderately. That will warm the engine more quickly, getting it to operational temps sooner, minimizing fuel getting past the rings. Then, drive at least until the engine is fully warmed. If unable to do so then make a point to get the car out on a longer trip more regularly, even by just taking the long way to the store and back.
Lastly, if fuel dilution seems to be a problem, plan to change the oil more frequently.
Thanks for chiming in.
I do agree that there is a lot of misinformation and it can lead you down the wrong path…
I started this series to help the same way some of the other UA-camrs did a few years back with oil tests from Blackstone Labs, advice and things that they have found worked for them. Those vids are a few years old now and certainly, have some good info and advice to take into consideration. That’s what I’m trying to mimic as there aren’t too many new information out there and I’ve done many hours of research into this and have successfully mitigated the oil dilution in both my 1.5L Honda turbo engines.
I hope this can help others and report what my experience was with researching and dealing with Honda on the issue. Honda dealer service centers will tell you what Honda Corp tells them to say… knowing that the issue is still out there and they’ve already produced these L-series engines for many years now with hundreds of thousands of them out there. As for telling us to drive longer trips and don’t drive in cold temps (You Are Using It Wrong) is not a solution for us Honda owners with Families and a life to live.
High octane fuel- actually, with these turbo DGI engines, preventing pre-detonation and knock on the engine is extremely important. Take a look at this mechanic’s video:
ua-cam.com/video/age8_Mi5sEU/v-deo.htmlsi=Xvtg3cqOwE3cwFXA
He names multiple accords and CRVs (and only a few civics) to have head gasket rebuilds due to their higher Turbo pressure to get 190-200hp… also, he’s mention that the hasn’t seen Civic SI’s since those cars’ owners tend to buy high octane fuel as it requires it? Same with Integras with the 1.5t : it recommends premium fuel. He specifically shows issues with failing head gaskets due to customers using low octane fuel and getting knock, damaging the heads, getting coolant leak into the combustion chamber.
Fuel additives… this is more meant for preventative and a form of “upper cylinder” lube. Yes, it won’t go and clean the backs of the intake valves, but according to Savage Geese, fuel additives help and keep the injector clean which prevents issues with atomization of the fuel.
Thanks again for watching and sharing.
I have a 2017 si coupe and after 42k miles no oil dilution(updated pcm for oil dilution with ktuner years ago) did that fix it or sm i not beating the car hard enough
New sunscriber from Montreal, Canada, here! Do you think going with 2.0L NA is a smart move, because I am thinking about gettting a 2024 Civic Hatch in a couple of months?
Hey! Fellow Canadian:) thanks for the sub!
Yes, the NA 2.0 is port fuel injection and will be much more “low maintenance” than the 1.5t.
Only issue is that you’ll miss out on some of the higher model upgrade options like heated steering wheel, exterior trim, leather, upgraded audio etc. if you don’t mind, then the 2.0 is cheaper too.
But if you have the extra$ - I’d still say the civic with 1.5t is a good choice amongst other cars out there. Just know that you’d need to use 91octane min and do the oil changes at 5000km. Also, your driving habits need to be adjusted.
All in all, we are still happy with the 2 cars so far. It’s been about 2 years into ownership.
Only thing we’d change is to get the manual 6sp for the civic instead of the cvt… but, the cvt is very smooth.
Cheers!
Higher octane gasoline provides better fuel economy in engines like Honda's 1.5L GDI Turbo. With regular gasoline, the average drops to about 27 mpg.
In theory it should… but recently, my fuel eco on 93octane Mobil fuel is getting worse average numbers by about 2mpg. Maybe winter driving…
Thanks for commenting!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Have you ever checked the intake valves for carbon buildup?
@@renelopez3110haven’t checked for carbon buildup yet… but I should for sure. Get the equipment and make some vids for you guys. I do use fuel injection cleaner and started using PEA based Gumout recently… so hope it is helping keep everything clean, especially worried about the injectors because it seems like these engines can go through injectors if now maintained. Cheers
Uk owner of used 2018 1.5 vtec turbo, bought from Honda 2 months ago. Checked oil after a few weeks of ownership, oil level was 3/8 inch above max level with a strong smell of petrol. Car went in 3 days ago to Honda dealer as its under warranty, they confirmed oil level high petrol smell. Solution was to simply drop oil level back to maximum level. (Unbelievable). I was not happy with this and requested a oil change and filter which they did the day after and which I was charged for. I was told the new oil was filled to the maximum level on the dipstick. 2 days later 30 miles driven and the oil level is 1/4 inch above maximum and stinks of petrol. Any suggestions, thanks.
Hi there from across the pond!
I totally understand your frustration because I had EXACTLY the same issue with the dilution/ Honda dealer response! I have both crv and civic with the 1.5T and they both had* major oil dilution. Unfortunately, the dealer won’t help much and try to charge you for everything even tho they shouldn’t.
Thankfully, there’s a UA-cam community here that has helped me immensely and I’m trying to relay the “fixes” with a few things that I’ve added.
Pls check out this vid:
ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=zTIJee1Bbsw08Tvi
And a few of my other vids on my channel that is for the oil dilution issue. There’s a lot there, but I promise you that these solutions will at least slow down your dilution 50%… don’t mean to sound like a salesperson lol.
If it is too much info, here’s a Cole’s note:
1. Turn off your Auto-Idle-Stop function every time you drive. Put a sticky note beside your audio system to remind yourself.
2. Buy only Top Tier fuel (like Chevron or alike as I’m can’t remember the UK petrol stations- was only there once a few years ago) and you must buy Premium grade. Not regular or regular plus.
3. Use a PEA based fuel injection cleaner in your fuel often… like once a month.
-lastly, understand that this is an inherent problem with the design of these new small engines with DGI and Turbo tech (plus, this engine has it worse than others). So you do have to change your driving habits (minimize short trips and take the long route once in a while)… and then finally, shorten your oil change intervals. I’m changing mine every 5-6000 kms.
How many KMs do you have?
Hope this helps! Cheers
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Thanks so much for the reply. Bought from Honda as a approved Honda 33k miles full service history, we have a 4 year warranty.
My next choice car for years now has been a 2.0l vtec crv for the reliability, we went to a Honda dealer and the wife had a test drive in one liked it then the sales guy said test drive this 1.5l turbo, she loved it especially the new interior.
Our dealer who is 70 miles away wants us to take the car back this week for repair as the oil change was done at our local Honda dealer, they will give us a car to drive home in which is great, but after doing my research their is no fix to this oil dilution problem only ways to limit it.
We've had the car 2 months and to be honest due to the oil level rising I hate it, it drives great but my instinct tells me its going to be a headache and money pit.
We always turn off stop start, always warm the car on starting, our driving is mixed some short trips some long, I've not tried premium fuel yet.
I've had many cars and vans over the years and only problem I've had is the oil level going down, I have zero confidence in this car it needs to go ASAP, I will take a hit and lose some money but have learned a lesson never to buy a direct injection turbo modern car again and will go with the reliable 2.0 vtec. Again thanks for the reply much appreciated.
@@49Stitch ugh… I feel for you man! So we have the exact same CRV except it is a 2022 and already have 36500kms on it - which means that most likely, your car’s prev owner drove it around the city, short trips.
If you decide to get rid of it, it may not be a bad idea, but it is hard to find something that matches this CRV (for the$) in overall usage, size, decent handling and decent fuel economy unless you go hybrid.
Great to hear that you don’t use the AIS system because it is NFG for turbos.
Do try premium fuel: I know it is like 10% more $ but it should be recommended for Turbo-DGI engines. Think about this: the very similar 1.5T engine in the Acura Integra and Civic Si recommends premium high octane fuel!
If you do an induction system cleaning for the valves and run a few tanks for PEA injection cleaner, you may be able to solve most of the fuel dilution issues. You do have warranty, so you can also call Honda out on it. Also, they shouldn’t have charged you for the oil change… I told my dealership to do it without charge - yes, I was a bit of a Karen, but a polite one… most service managers know to take care of the customer.
Anyways, I change my own oil now - Baldwin oil filter is $13 and Kirkland Full Synthetic bought bulk is only $12 Canadian. So it is like $25 a pop and 1hour of my time (less than driving to dealer and back).
Do you guys get Marvel Mystery Oil there? I’d suggest to put some of that detergent into the crank case too: will clean up the sludge that the short trips have caused thru the years.
Good luck!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I bought the car from a rural area 70 miles from my home where road traffic is light, Lake District, England, I live in the City of Manchester where a 8 mile commute can take 1 to 2 hrs each way each day.. Ive always though a city car with 30k miles can be classed as at least 60k.
As for the hybrid, very complex cvt gearbox, battery and other tech, we don't need that. Miles per gallon is not really a issue for us, we just want a nice reliable suv for drives to coast when the sun is shining. As for the warranty which I've read, I'm not sure whats covered, its very unclear. Driving around with a litre extra of oil in your engine could make the warranty worthless. Imo modern hondas are no more reliable than anything else on the road.
When I had my oil changed a elderly guy with a new hybrid was waiting with me
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I bought the car from a rural area 70 miles from my home where traffic is light. I live in the City of Manchester where a 8 mile commute can take 1-2 hours each way. Ive always thought a city car with 30k miles has really done 60k.
We just wanted a nice reliable suv for sunny day drives to the coast.
As for the hybrid with the cvt auto box, battery, and other tech, we don't need that. Miles per gallon isn't really a issue for us.
As for the warranty I'm not sure whats covered, especially driving around with a extra litre of oil in your engine.
I don't think modern hondas are any better than any other car. I just want this car gone.
Really disappointed with Honda after learning about this problem. It's not normal. It's a disaster. You shouldn't even be worrying about any of this.
Change your oil more frequently - end of issue….
Thanks for commenting. Yes, I intend to change it every 3000miles. Not a problem.
But, freq oil changes is not going to fix the issue & why not do more if you can?
FYI, these 1.5turbo/gdi engines need high octane fuel for many reasons - of which will help prevent blown head gaskets. Don’t want that… don’t want excess wear on the moving parts either.
So in conclusion, a multi-pronged approach is the solution to keep these engines running well… especially when in my case, I bought these 2 vehicles outright.
Cheers!
Any gdi-turbo engine has the same problem toyota has port injection that will help the carbon build up on valves.Honda has a law suit in California,and of course anybody out of state cannot join.
Thanks for chiming in.
I agree, GDI and turbo will yield all sorts of maintenance challenges long run.
I just wish Honda or someone would tell everyone not to use reg pump fuel and change their oil every 3k miles.
And stop using the auto-stop function bs.
I guess that’s what lawsuit precedence is for…
The honda fk8 type r have the same problem?!
Thanks for commenting! Possibly… look it up and keep an eye on your levels. These new engines that use GDI and Turbo will have a higher chance of oil dilution because of its design and the fact that the Piston rings don’t have a perfect seal until the engine is fully heated up. Cheers!
No
@@SamslamminCars tanks
Junk. Honda's are not as good as they used to be.
Unfortunately, issues with DGI and low tension Piston rings that lead to oil dilution and or burning too much oil isn’t limited to Honda cars. Hyundai, Ford, BMW, even Toyota has these issues.
It is a testament to how regulations are forcing manufacturers to implement things that may satisfy the regulations (like CAFE) but doesn’t actually provide a net positive to us the consumers or the environment itself.
@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 So Leftist government with their BS "green" regulations screw Americans AGAIN. Figures!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Doesn't explain ...why... the Crank, Rods, Piston.. Design was Reduced to almost half of previous sizes.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video, cheers!
Fixed ????
Thanks for commenting! 6000kms on the Cr-v and 3500kms on the Civic, no noticeable rise in oil, no fuel smell in oil.
I’ll keep you guys posted. FYI, I have about 3 followup vids to this one already. Pls check them out if you got time. Thanks!
They probably just overfilled your oil. There are techs who still think these engines take 4.5 quarts. Drain it and put 3.7 quarts in it. Also if you drive short distances and never let the engine get up to operating temp long enough you’re going to have more issues with dilution.
Yes, that’s what Honda originally said about the CRV (as I used another car service to do 1 “free” oil change), so I actually had to pay them to drain out an amount to get it to exactly the full line. I drove it like that for 2 full tanks and got the same gas smell and increase in oil levels, albeit not a huge amount. I brought it back in and had them do a drain and fill… then did a bunch of research and changed a number of things.
Currently, I got my fuel dilution under control: no more fuel smell and exact full readings when I check 5-10 min after shut down.
Yes, I do agree with the longer trip/ full warm up tip.
Turning off the Auto Stop Start religiously, filling up only on Premium fuel and using fuel additives every other tank has gotten both my CR-V and Civic 1.5s running well, no oil dilution for about 4000kms (2500 on Civic) now.
I’ll do an oil change shortly and keep you guys updated, thanks for watching!
Also, if you are an Acura tech, can you chime in on the other video that I’ve made and my hypothesis on the Auto Start/stop function that I believe is causing blowby : since the pistons can be positioned in full compression with air fuel mixture… engine stopped at that position multiple times for a duration of a stop light… causing the air fuel mixture to seep into the crank case (considering these engines have low tension piston rings)? Cheers
Link:
ua-cam.com/video/tS0W-Y3Krm0/v-deo.htmlsi=U-a-cnt8fa_h_zmD
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I don’t think this is an issue because that would mean every time you shut off the engine by pressing the start/stop button theoretically any cylinder could be on the compressions stroke with fuel still in the cylinder. Also the amount of fuel being sprayed into the cylinder at idle is so small. These engines are running up to 16:1 fuel ratio. I still would suggest turning off the idle stop feature though. We are seeing a lot of issues on the v6 engines. Doing a lot of starters and software updates due to engine last not restarting after idle stop turns them off.
@@Camj27thanks for your input and information. Cheers!
I'm glad I got a 2021 Corolla SE Hatch 6spd over this. 91 is nearly $0.40 more per gallon vs. 87 where I live. The only weird thing I found with my car is that 80W90 dino gear box oil works way better than the expensive synthetic 75W stuff.
Hey, thanks for watching and commenting. Toyota was my first choice (RAV4 hybrid) but was a wait and expensive. And yes, 91 is quite a bit more than 87 and I’m actually using 93! lol - but it is worth it as the engine is quieter and much smoother on 93, plus it is peace of mind to not worry about blown head gaskets due to years of engine knock/ sludge and carbon buildup. As for your oil weights,, not sure what you mean as those viscosities seem very high.
Anyways, overall, I’m happy with both the Civic hatch and CRV. I got them for a good price prior to Honda increased prices. I did a bunch of sound proofing to both cars, switched out the silly Bose 8” sub for a RF 10” and RF power amp/low profile box, and replaced the front 6.5” woofers with Infiniti Kappas and it is sounding perfect:) I’ll make a vid on that shortly, cheers!
@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673, My corolla has a very high 13:1 compression ratio. You'd think that it would require 91. I'm gonna give it a try.
Toyota has dual injection engines which prevents carbon build up. Does Honda’s direct injection engines have dual injection to prevent carbon buildup?
Yes yes… what do you want me to say? Toyota is better than Honda. More reliable and I should have got a Toyota.
… doesn’t help me right now bro.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673Have you tried Lucas Low Viscosity Oil Stabilizer- I love it and run 87 octane since 2018
Only turbo car worth having is a nissan gtr u need an normally aspirated engine new honda are not the same as the old
use gf6a or gf6b oil
Thanks for commenting! And yes sir! I’ll he going with Gf-6A certified Penzoil Ultra Platinum next oil change which is within days!
😂 my solution is simple. I do oil change by the end of October and another oils change in April to get rid of diluted engine oil. 😂
No big deal tho.
Yes, higher frequency oil changes will help the situation… but it is only one thing that we can do to mitigate premature wear and other future issues with all DGI turbo engines.
I am planning to change my oil soon as it is at 50% oil life and I got a great deal on some Penzoil Ultra Platinum. Will keep you guys updated on how this oil works with this engine as I also have some valve tick noise. Thanks for commenting and watching!
I know you’re trying to help but much of what you said is incorrect (technical parts).
Sure… probably got a few to a bunch incorrect.
Pls list them so I can correct them. Thank you!
Avoid anything with a turbo
Get rid of those cars best suggestion i avoided those models cause there crap u were better off getting a 2016 CRV with a 2.4L k24 engine not these small lawn mower engines they put in witj turbos also using 0w20 another big mistake too thin and the oil dilution wont go away i know mechanics that work at honda they advised they are trash get rid of it
FORGET oil change interval by miles and change oil when is dirty.5000 or 10000 nonsense.
Yeah for sure. Total BS on 10k oil intervals.
This is inline with recommending regular pump fuel for these GDI Turbo engines.
Thanks for commenting!
Forgive my confusion brother but why are you using additives? Those are new engines carbon deposits shouldn't be the problem. It would help if you were using 0w-16 oil. Honda is recommended for those engines. Run premium gas too.
Hey sure, I agree and mentioned that after finding out I have the fuel dilution issue… I’ve switched to 93octane Mobil gas. The reason why I’m using these 2 fuel additives- cleaners is to attempt to reverse the damage and other issues like carbon deposits and many other issues from low quality gas and short trips, and worse of all, using auto-stop/start!
I’ll be sticking with 0w-20 for now as my fuel dilution seems to be tempered for now in both cars. I’ll be trying Penzoil ultra platinum and maybe adding BestLine… will be making a new vid on that shortly. Also, if the fuel dilution comes back, I’ll try 0w-16 as per Scotty Kilmer vid:)
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673Scotty is my man☺☺Good luck brother.
Thanks mate! Scotty is amazing with all his knowledge and entertaining to watch!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Yes he is.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673I wouldn't use 0W16 motor oil 🛢️. I would only use whatever it says on the cap. As for the gas ⛽ I would 87 octane. It's what I use in my 2014 Honda Civic 2014 l. I've got 60,450 miles currently. No oil dilution so far.
I think some tech just pour all 4 qt into the engine😅
lol
That’s what Honda service told me… 😂
So yes, I did rule that out by getting both CR-V and Civic to baseline oil level: proper fill at full mark.
Then after about 1000kms, both of them had fuel dilution, and gasoline smell in the oil.
So that’s then I did my research in the whys and luckily, there’s lots of fellow UA-camrs that shed light on the situation. The Honda forums were good too.
Anyways, hope this info helps you guys out there with similar issues with turbo GDI.
Thanks for commenting
If they don’t do a recall get rid of it 😂 I’m not dealing with a problem Honda caused 😂
Stuck with it for now… gives me something to make vids about lol. Millions of these 1.5T Hondas out there…
Thanks for commenting!
Actual fix ?? DON"T own one os these Bad News Cars !
30mpg and you think that's good,,,,I have a 2011 1.2 Mitsubishi colt MPI engine non forced induction,,,,I get 58mpg and I can get 64mpg if I drive very lightly....
Yeah, but your Colt is a total slug in traffic, while the current Civic performs like it has a V6. Also, you're obviously not in the US or Canada (where that car hasn't been sold for over 20 years), and where our US gallons are smaller than the imperial gallons used in the UK and commonwealth.
Yeah it's really smart to compare a 1.2 engine in a tiny car with maybe 82 hp to 1.5 T engine with 182 hp in a much bigger car 😂
Glad it is working out for you bro
Thanks for watching
Talk about a slow video....get the oil analyzed a few times and head back to your dealer. Or sell and don't purchase anymore Hondas.
Hey mate, try the above video link for updated and “quicker”.
Have you dealt with dealer service people on issues that have a pending class action law suit before?
They aren’t very helpful. I have a coworker with the oil burning issue on his Hyundai Tucson and he’s getting the same BS: within normal operating limits and to even ignore the engine light and warning message lol.
I currently don’t have any warning lights and my dilution is not noticeable with the fixes implemented, outline on my vids.
Hopefully, you don’t have one of these 1.5s that is getting fuel dilution.
I carnt listen to you any more jesus
the phrase is “Here in my garage” cmon man. get with it
Alright dude!
Thanks for commenting!
toyotas are better
Yeah… more reliable for sure. However, the RAV4 had a waiting list and more$. Also, the interior was really plasticky and just mediocre. The Corolla hatchback is smaller and the redesigned civic-hatch is quite nice, smooth and sporty.
Aside from the fuel dilution, these 2 Hondas are quite good overall.
I’ve made several mods that made them even better! Audio and sound deadening related, which I will make a video on soon! Thanks for watching.
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 I just rode in my neighbors loaded CRV hybrid and was not impressed. The ride was pretty rough and it seemed pretty cheap with allot of plastics as well. Compared to my BMW X3 it rode like crap. I mean I expect the Bimmer to beat it out in every category but I expected the CRV to do better then that. Hell my 2012 Sentra SL had a much nicer ride and was quieter. Not a fan of over compressed tiny engines. Not a fan of those 3 cylinders either. The bimmer having a 2 liter puts out over 250 HP with about 250 torque which is matched to a ZF 8 speed transmission with primary drive in the rear with Xdriver AWD system. Not a fan of FWD cars and definitely don't like CVT's. Just too much tech that Honda uses is a hard no. Honestly don't know why so many want the CRV and rav 4 when Mazda makes a better SUV with the CX5 that is one of the most reliable on the road. And it has a real 6 speed gear box. Probably costs less as well and will last longer. Don't get me wrong I do like some of Toyota's offerings overseas like their Prado. Their D4D diesel is the best motor on the planet.
Only for reliability, except all it's a boring car to drive
@@Ajith530agreed! Thanks for commenting:)
Honda is better.
The oil dilution is 100% due to running low octane fuel. Hence the notice in the gas cap of some to use premium. Use 93 and you will get no dilution. You should not change the weight of the oil as other recommended. Disabling auto stop and start is not needed. Also your analysis of the functionality of auto start and stop should be removed since it is entirely inaccurate. Nothing wrong with running the fuel additives but neither of what you listed should be used. If someone cannot get the valves cleaned the manual way then it should not be done.
Thanks for commenting! Both my ‘22 Civic Sport Touring and CR-V (same L15 series engine) doesn’t have a gas cap… and the Honda manual says to use 87 octane or higher. Only the Civic SI and Integra recommends premium 91 or higher. As for oil weight, I agree not to change from the recommended viscosity. As for Auto-Idle-Stop function, please elaborate on what is inaccurate.
Also, I’ve made some new vids on the detrimental effects of the AIS system on the Turbo (oil coking and lack of oil cooling issues)… link: ua-cam.com/video/Vs7cTrx9ykU/v-deo.htmlsi=6bF1ttpEaEwdaz78
As for the fuel additives, I have started to use PEA based cleaners: Gumout and Royal Purple so far.
Thanks for watching,
Looking forward to your response. Cheers🎉
Dude I use 93 Oct ALWAYS, now I have a 10th Gen si 1.5 sedan, I'd change my oil (3.7qts. lol) and not a week later my oil dipstick would read DOUBLE THE AMOUNT REQUIRED!
So let's check off high octane fuel ✔️
@@camsofly86 hmm that’s crazy! Have you tried disabling the Auto Idle Stop function? I really dislike that and it does more harm to the engine and turbo than anything else.
Also, your SI requires or “recommends” premium 91oct or higher anyways.
How long are you driving intervals? Diving habits shouldn’t be an issue because it is your car and you can’t really be “using it wrong”… but it unfortunately does.
Have you tried engine cleaners? You also may be having stuck piston rings from carbon etc…
Thanks for watching!
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 Ummmm the SI doesn't have the auto idle stop function, you mean when u come to complete stop foot on brake it shuts off then cuts back on once I release brake? If so negative it's a 6 speed no shut off unless you just idk DK how to operate a manual tranny lol, my ma dukes Audi has that function and it sucks my opinion lol but thanks for all the help
@@kidsfuturesareworthit.8673 oh and update lol but smdh I knew it but anyways, got my hondata flashpro, flashed the SI not even x2 days stock clutch totally blew up, no good! Just a heads up to all 10th Gen SI owners don't flash if ur not beefed up, ACT is the way I'm going soon as I can get some funds, y'all guys\gals stay safe 🫡