Hi guys,

I changed oil 1 month ago and today I felt gasoline smell on dipstick. It smells more like gasoline than oil...is it normal? I think that oil level is the same as was

And this is maybe related to my ticking noise issue which is directly depending on engine temp. On cold engine no ticking. Once it starts warm up, there is cyclic ticking like 6 ticks and then 2 seconds silence. Once enginec reach operational temp, rpm immediately goes down to 700rpm and ticking is there, louder and constant. Maybe this is related to faulty injector which cannot hold gasoline properly. And thats why I feel gasoline in oil... what do you think guys?

i could be way out here BUT valve clearences?..sticking tappet/lifters?...

Clearances were checked. New timing belt, water pump, 2 times changed oil Selenia K + filter , new sparks, everything. But 1st I need to confirm that petrol smell on dipstick - is it also on your car?

No smell on either of the gp's I look after.

:-( Thanks for info. I checked smell on my Renault Fluence 1.6 (2013) dipstick and I felt also gasoline, but there is oil more than 1 year. I think that smelling gasoline so strong in 1 month oil isnt normal :-(
So regarding my ticking problem, which still wasnt idetified from where it goes - but it's somewhere behing exhaust manifold, maybe inside engine block - maybe this very specific high ticking is caused by one of piston rings on concrete valve. But because I have no oil burning (oil level ok, no steam from exhaust) , and compression is ok too, maybe one of injectors is leaking. That would explain that smell olin oil and because of poor lubricatoion between piston rings and cylinder wall it causes this specific teperature-related ticking. Fuel consumption is good so maybe ots only problem at its beginning. I measured injectors resistance (15,8 ohm each), but its not relevant parameter.
Ok, I'll listen engine block sounds on hot idle with screwdriver or something (before I checked only upper side, head, injectors...), and 2nd step will be inspection + cleaning injectors

Gas smell in the oil after 1 month is definitely not normal at all.
Injector(s) can be leaky. Also MAP and exhaust system (lambda sensor) can cause fuel overdose.

Injectors "cleaning" is not enough. You should check the "spray pattern" too.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fuel+injector+spray+pattern

As for valve train, guy above suggested sticking valves, tappets or worn springs.
You don't listen.

Be sure that I'm listening! ;-) I'm only looking for:
- cheapest way
- identifying of concrete issue instead of changing this and that
- car is used daily

And that's why I'm labouring, gathering information from you guys (thank you very much!). Today I receive car sthetoscope so I definately identify if ticking is going from head or engine block. I wrote to service for pro injectors check on machine - here I need to remove injectors for them and they want 20 eur for this

Looks like too high pressure in head?
[ame]https://youtu.be/X117xCXc_4g[/ame]
I heard ticking noise with sthetoscope and it's really going from cylinder head from cylinder 1 or 2. So three problems together:
- ticking noise on hot from cylinder head
- oil smells like gasoline
- high pressure in cylinder head

OK, I'll claim this under 1 year waranty as "hidden issue". Engine was definately cooked (wry exhaust manifold, burned oil pieces in head & VVT electrovalve)

High (gas) pressure in head is due to piston rings leaking @ cylinder walls.

Either a worn engine or a broken ring, which by the way might explain your ticking noise would cause this "puf-puf" when you remove the oil filler cap with the engine idling. I'm afraid a worn engine wouldn't be covered by any warranty, and unless you can prove it or have a trusted witness if it's a broken ring it could very well be "hidden" by the mech who sold the car, during dismantling ...

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

A broken ring would show up in compression test. and/or it would burn oil.

Oil smelling of petrol is totally normal in certain circumstances:
-car has been recently cold started.
-regular short trips.

I don't see that much pressure at the oil fill cap, it jumps around because of the vibrations, and oil drops are thrown out because of the cams turning.

aurick86 said:

A broken ring would show up in compression test. and/or it would burn oil...

Click to expand...

Not necessarily, rings are generally going by 3: the top one is the "fire breaker", the mid-one is the sealing ring and the bottom is the "oil sweeper"

A worn "sealer" might still keep the (relatively low pressure) compression in the cylinder and leak under the high-pressure combustion stroke, letting some gases reaching the low pressure side of the engine.

A broken "oil sweeper" might still be in place, even in two or three pieces and do its job together with a nice ticking.

Anyway, at this stage, all can only be conjecture and the best solution would be to open for autopsy ...

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

Thanks guys. Yes car is doing only short trips. Very short trips because wife's work is appr. 2.5 km from home. So daily usage is really short - from work to school for child and then 1 km home.
So what do you think overal? Do I have to claim that ticking? Proofs about engine overheating I have. Regarding oil cap, I cannot decide if the pressure is really high or normal. The fact is that it doesn't shoot oil cap away or someting like that.. Oil cap was only "dancing" when I unscrew it....so maybe normal. The thing is that car is running ok, starts are ok, ride is ok, only this ticking (whioch is sometimes there on hot, but sometimes not, sometimes it's cycling like 16 ticks and then 2 seconds silence, and sometimes is ticking really noisy, but sometimes still there but quiet). I don't hear it in interior.
Car was bought in second hand. So previous owner has to sold it with almost half price to them as I know their business...for car with 55tkm and 5 years it was very low price (appr 2800-3000 Eur). So previous owner knew that car is "damaged somehow" becuase of overheating/neglected servicing. So he was happy that they gave him 3000 Eur. But - once second hand company bought that car, they took also responsibility for technical status of car. And on acceptance protocol there was nothing mentioned in engine section. So it's hidden issue and I believe that I can claim it (expect repairing by themselves or give back 1000 Eur). I documented everything, timeline, with pictures what has been done and so on...

Bernievarian said:

Not necessarily, rings are generally going by 3: the top one is the "fire breaker", the mid-one is the sealing ring and the bottom is the "oil sweeper"

A worn "sealer" might still keep the (relatively low pressure) compression in the cylinder and leak under the high-pressure combustion stroke, letting some gases reaching the low pressure side of the engine.

A broken "oil sweeper" might still be in place, even in two or three pieces and do its job together with a nice ticking.

Anyway, at this stage, all can only be conjecture and the best solution would be to open for autopsy ...

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

Click to expand...

A broken ring, will score the cylinder. it would still show compression but only for a while.
The engine will start burning oil....a lot of it.

The oil ring might not score the cylinder (not as fast or as bad).. but then it will still burn oil.


Now a compression test might lie a little but a leak down test will show broken rings.

I can make compression test, and also wet test. If I measure higher pressure on wet test morecthan 20%, it can be proof that theres leakage throug piston rings right?
And if I measure the same results after dry and wet test, and on one of cylinders I measure lower pressure by both tests, that means that there is leaking through one of valves right?
And if this happen, I can do leakdown test - but here I'd like to ask you what to use to make constant pressure into cylinder? I have no tools, no garage...

compression test = fastest way to see whats up

Just another update regarding ticking noise on hot idle. Looks that part of exhaust valve guide in 1st cylinder is missing (wait few seconds till my mobile get sharp view) and ex valve in 3rd ctlinder is very brigt:
[ame]https://youtu.be/m3YH3KIyAjo[/ame]
Maybe thats another evidence that engine was overheated and something is wrong...

Now that is interesting.
The shiny 3rd valve might have been replaced recently (..maybe timing belt failure?)
A functioning exhaust valve doesn't stay that shiny.. it should look like the others.
Just a thought: could that valve have a lot of play (in the guide, thus bouncing around when seating, and the extra vibration cleaning the shaft?

Nothing really explains why that guide is missing a chunk.... i can only think of 2 possible things: casting defect, or somebody worked on the head and somehow forced a valve (still not sure it would crack the guide there).

I honestly can't remember, did you do a compression test on it?

I've got one of those USB endoscopic cameras (e-bay), it has a mirror, light and is thin enough to put inside the cylinder/exhaust ports...etc. Let me know if you'd like to have a look. might be able to see scoring on cylinder walls, and we might be able to see if any of the exhaust valves are chipped.

Yes you are right. I think that this very high ticking is caused by valve. I didnt find on YouTube similar sound. Engine was definately running without oil (oil sludge in head, wry exhaust manifold, not original ex man gasket, missing 2 bolts on intake manifold). I'll receive manometer to check compressions (dry & wet) -> waiting for manometer delivery.
For now I have a lot of picture/video documentation to claim it to second hand company, becuase they sold this car "without any engine problem" and disguise whole ticking issue with some thick oil (or additive). I expect general engine repair by them, or some money back to make repair in another service.
Maybe we can check it together - once spark plugs are removed, we can do compression tests and also check cylinder walls and valves with your camera.
Abd maybe my fault - I didnt checked side to side movement of valves when I had ex man out :-( I suspect that clean valve on 3rd valve...as you said - maybe someone replaced it recently...or it's shiny just because of high tolerance of it's guide a d that causes that specific ticking
I'm also thinking about self-repair...if they give me some money back (head inspection costs 400 Eur in service), but I have to buy some tools (for fixing timing, new head gasket + bolts, rorque wrench, silicone for vlave cover parts, tool for compressing valve springs, and some new head parts...)

So...I was in second hand They said that it's long time to claim things like this because I had first 7 days to claim it. I said that issue was covered by thick oil and was winter, so sound wasnt there. I also lost first 2 months because I claimed there both leaking cranshaft seals (their process always takes long time because of waitng for specialist and bla bla). I gave them all documentation with pictures and descriptions. They said that they will assign it to management to decide what to do - giving some money back or choose another car with same price. I said that I increased value of this car (new timing belt, water pump, valce clearances, new sparks, new exhaust man gasket + it's sanding to flat surface and so on.. ) so in that case I expect more expensive car... I have to wait 10 - 15 days for result. They said that some parts could not be specified as "hidden issue" . I know that they are MFs...and if I want to use lawyer, I need total expertise of engine - completely take apart -> a lot of money and time. So I hope that they will give me some money back. Maybe its the best way because their mechanics are total sh*t . I dont know if it was my fault, or I had just a bad luck :-( Of course I'll never buy a car with ticking from engine block. But it was camouflaged with some thick oil or some additive :-(