My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

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Michael Patrick
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Michael Patrick »

Morse Code wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:58 pm Motor Trend just named the CR-V #1 compact SUV again (the newly redesigned 2019 RAV4 came in fourth out of eight).

I bought my 2018 CR-V new last year and have been following this thread trying to decide what I should do. My oil reads about a half quart high every 5000 miles or so. No other symptoms. It has exceeded all my expectations otherwise...best vehicle I've ever owned, hands down.

What would you do?
#1 Sell it now
#2 Sell it after 3 years/36K miles when warranty expires.
#3 Take my chances the engine will last long term and just keep driving it like I originally intended.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did. I ditched my oil diluting 2017 CRV EX with the 1.5l engine for a 2019 CRV LX with the 2.4l engine.

While Honda America gave me the middle finger, the dealership was great through the whole thing. I've been buying Hondas from the same dealership, and the same sales woman, for 20 years. I also had my cars serviced at the dealership exclusively. In other words, I'm the kind of customer they want to keep. They made me a solid offer to buy back my 2017 and gave me a good price on the 2019. So I didn't have to do any research on a replacement vehicle, and I didn't have to start all over again with a different dealer and sales person. Not to mention the wild card of what kind of trade-in I'd get on a vehicle with a known issue from a dealer who didn't know me from Adam.

I didn't really want to give Honda another dime of my money, but it was the path of least resistance.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Morse Code »

Michael Patrick wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:43 am
Morse Code wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:58 pm Motor Trend just named the CR-V #1 compact SUV again (the newly redesigned 2019 RAV4 came in fourth out of eight).

I bought my 2018 CR-V new last year and have been following this thread trying to decide what I should do. My oil reads about a half quart high every 5000 miles or so. No other symptoms. It has exceeded all my expectations otherwise...best vehicle I've ever owned, hands down.

What would you do?
#1 Sell it now
#2 Sell it after 3 years/36K miles when warranty expires.
#3 Take my chances the engine will last long term and just keep driving it like I originally intended.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did. I ditched my oil diluting 2017 CRV EX with the 1.5l engine for a 2019 CRV LX with the 2.4l engine.

While Honda America gave me the middle finger, the dealership was great through the whole thing. I've been buying Hondas from the same dealership, and the same sales woman, for 20 years. I also had my cars serviced at the dealership exclusively. In other words, I'm the kind of customer they want to keep. They made me a solid offer to buy back my 2017 and gave me a good price on the 2019. So I didn't have to do any research on a replacement vehicle, and I didn't have to start all over again with a different dealer and sales person. Not to mention the wild card of what kind of trade-in I'd get on a vehicle with a known issue from a dealer who didn't know me from Adam.

I didn't really want to give Honda another dime of my money, but it was the path of least resistance.
That is an option. How much of a hit did you take? I guess only time will tell if it was worth it for you considering we really don't know the longevity of the 1.5 Earth Dreams engine yet.
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prd1982
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by prd1982 »

I have a 2017 1.5, but the problem light never came on. But given the issue, my plan going forward is to check the oil level during the winter and have the oil changed early if significant overflow. I realize some people have complained about this problem in warm states, but it seems to primarily be a cold weather problem. I figure getting an extra oil change once a year in the winter is cheaper than selling my 2-year old car. And while the LX has a different engine, it is also missing a lot of the features that made me buy the vehicle -- safety equipment & Android auto.

I'm sure this thread will remain active for 6 more years, at which we will know if this problem had a major effect on reliability.
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Michael Patrick
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Michael Patrick »

Morse Code wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:21 am
Michael Patrick wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:43 am
Morse Code wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:58 pm Motor Trend just named the CR-V #1 compact SUV again (the newly redesigned 2019 RAV4 came in fourth out of eight).

I bought my 2018 CR-V new last year and have been following this thread trying to decide what I should do. My oil reads about a half quart high every 5000 miles or so. No other symptoms. It has exceeded all my expectations otherwise...best vehicle I've ever owned, hands down.

What would you do?
#1 Sell it now
#2 Sell it after 3 years/36K miles when warranty expires.
#3 Take my chances the engine will last long term and just keep driving it like I originally intended.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did. I ditched my oil diluting 2017 CRV EX with the 1.5l engine for a 2019 CRV LX with the 2.4l engine.

While Honda America gave me the middle finger, the dealership was great through the whole thing. I've been buying Hondas from the same dealership, and the same sales woman, for 20 years. I also had my cars serviced at the dealership exclusively. In other words, I'm the kind of customer they want to keep. They made me a solid offer to buy back my 2017 and gave me a good price on the 2019. So I didn't have to do any research on a replacement vehicle, and I didn't have to start all over again with a different dealer and sales person. Not to mention the wild card of what kind of trade-in I'd get on a vehicle with a known issue from a dealer who didn't know me from Adam.

I didn't really want to give Honda another dime of my money, but it was the path of least resistance.
That is an option. How much of a hit did you take? I guess only time will tell if it was worth it for you considering we really don't know the longevity of the 1.5 Earth Dreams engine yet.
It's hard to say exactly what I'm out. I took a hit on depreciation, but then I also had use of it for a year and a half. And the car was not in perfect shape, there were a couple of minor dents. I'll be done paying it off close to when I would have been done on the original loan on the 2017, and I'll wind up with a vehicle that is two model years newer and with 25k fewer miles on it, but is a lower trim level. And then there's the value of not being pissed off every time I see the car that is parked in my driveway...
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by NHRATA01 »

I would say if you're going to keep the vehicle, use a high quality synthetic and keep EVERY receipt for your oil changes. This way if there is an engine issue within the warranty period they can't claim you haven't been doing maintenance. Also you never know, years later they may announce a special coverage extending the period to say, 10years/100K. And if you happen to have lost an engine and paid out of pocket, they may reimburse for any repairs. So keep any of those receipts too.

GM paid me for a power steering pump 2 years later after doing such.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

Hello All - Just in case you were wondering, here are the results of my recent oil analysis. This one was done after I put 4500 miles on the vehicle following the ballyhooed "fix" issued by our duplicitous friends at Honda, Inc. On top of that, I've been exclusively running premium fuel since then. As you can see it was worthless:
Check for source of FUEL LEAK. Fuel is at a SEVERE LEVEL. Fuel dilution may be caused by component faults related to injectors, ignition/timing, or excessive blow-by. Additional causes include heavy throttle application, engine lugging, frequent short trips and excessive idling. LUBRICANT and FILTER CHANGE is suggested if not done at sampling time. FUEL DILUTION reduces the viscosity of the lubricant which decreases FILM STRENGTH and LUBRICITY and may lead to increased wear.
All of the suspected driving style causes are N/A. Virtually all trips were 30+ miles at freeway speeds, there was no heavy acceleration, and little idling. This lousy turbo 1.5 just wants to shove fuel into the oil reservoir, and that's what it does better than anything. So much so that Oil Analyzers thinks there might be a FUEL LEAK. BTW, the so-called "fix" is what Honda said they applied to all the 2019 CRVs. Good luck with that.
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RootSki
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by RootSki »

Geez man... get rid of that car already and get yourself something you will enjoy.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by jabberwockOG »

CULater wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 8:12 pm Hello All - Just in case you were wondering, here are the results of my recent oil analysis. This one was done after I put 4500 miles on the vehicle following the ballyhooed "fix" issued by our duplicitous friends at Honda, Inc. On top of that, I've been exclusively running premium fuel since then. As you can see it was worthless:
Check for source of FUEL LEAK. Fuel is at a SEVERE LEVEL. Fuel dilution may be caused by component faults related to injectors, ignition/timing, or excessive blow-by. Additional causes include heavy throttle application, engine lugging, frequent short trips and excessive idling. LUBRICANT and FILTER CHANGE is suggested if not done at sampling time. FUEL DILUTION reduces the viscosity of the lubricant which decreases FILM STRENGTH and LUBRICITY and may lead to increased wear.
All of the suspected driving style causes are N/A. Virtually all trips were 30+ miles at freeway speeds, there was no heavy acceleration, and little idling. This lousy turbo 1.5 just wants to shove fuel into the oil reservoir, and that's what it does better than anything. So much so that Oil Analyzers thinks there might be a FUEL LEAK. BTW, the so-called "fix" is what Honda said they applied to all the 2019 CRVs. Good luck with that.


Sorry this happened to you and thanks for sharing this info on the forum. Absolutely nobody should be buying any Honda product with that 1.5l turbo engine until Honda announces a confirmed verified fix or a newly designed engine. My advice is to cut your losses and get rid of that car ASAP. It is not worth the aggravation. Chalk it up to bad luck in buying a supposedly great car that is actually a dog. Take your lumps and move on.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by ClaycordJCA »

So, if one really wants a new CRV with the 1.5l engine (I’m not currently looking for any vehicle), isn’t a possible answer to lease rather than buy? Yes, it will be more expensive to lease 3 vehicles over 9 years than buying one, but Honda will bear all the risk of the faulty engine assuming all scheduled service is performed at the dealership. Cars Direct.com shows the monthly cost for a CRV EX lease is $377 or $4524 per year on a MSRP of a little over $28k. If one typically trades a vehicle in every 6 years (not Boglehead, I know), leasing wouldn’t be that much more than buying.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by dsmclone »

ClaycordJCA wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 1:14 am So, if one really wants a new CRV with the 1.5l engine (I’m not currently looking for any vehicle), isn’t a possible answer to lease rather than buy? Yes, it will be more expensive to lease 3 vehicles over 9 years than buying one, but Honda will bear all the risk of the faulty engine assuming all scheduled service is performed at the dealership. Cars Direct.com shows the monthly cost for a CRV EX lease is $377 or $4524 per year on a MSRP of a little over $28k. If one typically trades a vehicle in every 6 years (not Boglehead, I know), leasing wouldn’t be that much more than buying.
I'm a Honda fan, having owned 6 of them, but I think the smart thing to do in this situation is just to stay away from the CRV. There are enough great small SUV's to pick from. Losing $13,500 on a 3 year lease of a CRV seems like a lot to me. If you normally keep a car for 6 years, this would mean $27k on a car that costs $28k. A 6 year old CRV is usually worth around $14k trade in value. Leasing makes zero sense in the scenario.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by teacher »

The 2019 Honda CRV Hybrid is sold in Europe and the UK, but not in the US this year. It has a " 2-liter, i-VTEC Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and two electric motors, plus a single fixed-gear ratio transmission." That’s basically the same setup used by the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid. Honda has revealed that the European version CR-V Hybrid averages 53.3 mpg under the combined cycle of the outgoing NEDC test. The all-wheel drive version averages 51.4 mpg. There is no word when the 2019 hybrid CRV will be available, but hopefully this year. We have had Hondas since the first Accord was manufactured. All have been extremely reliable, so to avoid this major oil distribution flaw, I'm thinking a hybrid CRV may be the ticket.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

Oil Analyzers only reports fuel dilution as > 5% and not the specific percentage. Not sure if that is because of measurement imprecision above that level or what. All three of my oil analyses showed the > 5% level and a 4 rating (highest) on the severity level from 1-4. I was somewhat concerned that the descriptive analysis this time seemed more urgent that the previous two, even mentioning the possibility of a fuel leak. Wondering if the dilution level was actually higher than before the "fix," which would be quite concerning.

It would have been nice to dump this thing much sooner, but last time I checked moths flew out of my wallet. I shot my wad when I bought this thing, thinking it would last a long time. My current plan for the vehicle is to drive it until (a) it blows up, or (b) the 5-year powertrain warranty is running out. Then I'll see about buying a real vehicle and it won't be a (a) Honda or (b) a crappy DFI Turbo 4-banger. I won't be doing any more oil analyses at $35 a pop. Just wanted to do this last one to check on the remote possibility that the "fix" had worked.

I think of the legions of people I see driving these things around who are completely clueless about the oil dilution issue. When those 1.5T engines start falling apart from improper lubrication it's going to get interesting. People will be out of warranty and in the dark about why their Hondas are not holding up, as Hondas have in the past.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 10:49 am Oil Analyzers only reports fuel dilution as > 5% and not the specific percentage. Not sure if that is because of measurement imprecision above that level or what. All three of my oil analyses showed the > 5% level and a 4 rating (highest) on the severity level from 1-4. I was somewhat concerned that the descriptive analysis this time seemed more urgent that the previous two, even mentioning the possibility of a fuel leak. Wondering if the dilution level was actually higher than before the "fix," which would be quite concerning.

It would have been nice to dump this thing much sooner, but last time I checked moths flew out of my wallet. I shot my wad when I bought this thing, thinking it would last a long time. My current plan for the vehicle is to drive it until (a) it blows up, or (b) the 5-year powertrain warranty is running out. Then I'll see about buying a real vehicle and it won't be a (a) Honda or (b) a crappy DFI Turbo 4-banger. I won't be doing any more oil analyses at $35 a pop. Just wanted to do this last one to check on the remote possibility that the "fix" had worked.

I think of the legions of people I see driving these things around who are completely clueless about the oil dilution issue. When those 1.5T engines start falling apart from improper lubrication it's going to get interesting. People will be out of warranty and in the dark about why their Hondas are not holding up, as Hondas have in the past.

"When those 1.5T engines start falling apart from improper lubrication it's going to get interesting."
Are any of the 1.5 engines falling apart now?
Have there been any recurrent engine failures that may(might) be related to oil dilution?

"It would have been nice to dump this thing much sooner, but last time I checked moths flew out of my wallet. I shot my wad when I bought this thing,"
Thoughts - trade it in for a low mileage CPO equivalent car of your choice without much out of pocket costs.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

"When those 1.5T engines start falling apart from improper lubrication it's going to get interesting."
Are any of the 1.5 engines falling apart now?
Have there been any recurrent engine failures that may(might) be related to oil dilution?
If you can tell me where this kind of information might be obtainable, I'd be happy to look it up. I'm pretty sure that Honda isn't going to keep track and report it. There certainly have been some reports of engine damage on sites like Carcomplaints.com. Also, Honda's updated TSB specifies that technicians should check for abnormal camshaft wear and replace the cams in CRVs with oil dilution that seem to be exhibiting symptoms so this is a tacit admission that abnormal wear can be occurring.

It seems logical to me that diluting engine oil with fuel isn't a good thing for an engine if it's at the level it appears to be in the 1.5T engine. Best I can do for now is to monitor what's going on with my engine with periodic oil analyses so I can connect the dots if/when some major component fails because of possible inadequate lubrication. I don't plan or expect this engine to last for the 10+ years I have usually kept a vehicle; which is why a lot of people buy Hondas in the first place. I'll be getting rid of it before the power train warranty runs out -- no way I want to get stuck with the cost of a major engine failure once it's out of warranty, especially since I'm now unfortunately familiar with Honda's approach to dealing with this issue.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 4:15 pm
"When those 1.5T engines start falling apart from improper lubrication it's going to get interesting."
Are any of the 1.5 engines falling apart now?
Have there been any recurrent engine failures that may(might) be related to oil dilution?
If you can tell me where this kind of information might be obtainable, I'd be happy to look it up. I'm pretty sure that Honda isn't going to keep track and report it. There certainly have been some reports of engine damage on sites like Carcomplaints.com. Also, Honda's updated TSB specifies that technicians should check for abnormal camshaft wear and replace the cams in CRVs with oil dilution that seem to be exhibiting symptoms so this is a tacit admission that abnormal wear can be occurring.

It seems logical to me that diluting engine oil with fuel isn't a good thing for an engine if it's at the level it appears to be in the 1.5T engine. Best I can do for now is to monitor what's going on with my engine with periodic oil analyses so I can connect the dots if/when some major component fails because of possible inadequate lubrication. I don't plan or expect this engine to last for the 10+ years I have usually kept a vehicle; which is why a lot of people buy Hondas in the first place. I'll be getting rid of it before the power train warranty runs out -- no way I want to get stuck with the cost of a major engine failure once it's out of warranty, especially since I'm now unfortunately familiar with Honda's approach to dealing with this issue.

"If you can tell me where this kind of information might be obtainable, I'd be happy to look it up."
As I posted before - I am aware of many of these cars that have not had any issues, you are the one that seems to be aware of engine failures which I
was very much interested in finding more about.

"It seems logical to me that diluting engine oil with fuel isn't a good thing for an engine if it's at the level it appears to be in the 1.5T engine."
As I posted before I am familiar with larger fuel dilution in lube oil from other engines about 12 years back - at that tie and since there did not seem to be any real failures due to the oil level increases from fuel dilution. I remain curious if there would exist a difference here with this 1.5 engine.

"no way I want to get stuck with the cost of a major engine failure once it's out of warranty, especially since I'm now unfortunately familiar with Honda's approach to dealing with this issue.
Other thoughts - 2 choices:
1. trade it now facts:
- you are miserable with this car
- the car is popular now
- the car has no problems now
- the car has high trade now
- you can get a good trade value for a CPO with warrantee now
2. Keep it now facts:
- you will remain miserable whether it displays further problems or not until its gone
- if problems do become apparent the value will fall
- if problems do become apparent it will be much harder to trade
- the costs between trading now without problems and trading in the future without problems are the same
- there is no value you can place on happiness, it is a commodity that cannot be replaced
No question I would go with #1 if I had your opinions on the car....
Good luck and be happy
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by monkey_business »

CULater: Is the stress, anxiety, anger, etc that you have been feeling for a long time due to this car worth the $8k or whatever you're trying to save here? I'm honestly puzzled why you still have it.

What's the point of being a Boglehead if you can't even spend a bit of money to get rid of some misery in your life?
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by neilpilot »

monkey_business wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 9:06 am CULater: Is the stress, anxiety, anger, etc that you have been feeling for a long time due to this car worth the $8k or whatever you're trying to save here? I'm honestly puzzled why you still have it.

What's the point of being a Boglehead if you can't even spend a bit of money to get rid of some misery in your life?
I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect CULater still owns that CRV just so that he can keep this thread going....
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Carl53 »

neilpilot wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 9:21 am
monkey_business wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 9:06 am CULater: Is the stress, anxiety, anger, etc that you have been feeling for a long time due to this car worth the $8k or whatever you're trying to save here? I'm honestly puzzled why you still have it.

What's the point of being a Boglehead if you can't even spend a bit of money to get rid of some misery in your life?
I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect CULater still owns that CRV just so that he can keep this thread going....
I'd rather believe that he is just sharing his experience, and likely venting, while he weighs his options hoping that Honda announce that they will make things right versus spending more money replacing the car now or the potentiality that Honda will do nothing and his resale value in the future will plummet as the problem becomes more widely known.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by JPH »

CULater, I'm following your updates and hope you will keep them coming. Ignore the noise.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

JPH wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:10 am CULater, I'm following your updates and hope you will keep them coming. Ignore the noise.
Thanks. For the most part, I just want to keep this issue visible both for the fact that I feel Honda is getting away with stiffing its customers and hopefully will be helpful to a person or two in making a decision about buying this vehicle. I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine. I plan to take my latest oil analysis report to the dealer service department and speak to the service manager, but I know it won't accomplish a thing.

My goal is a least to get them to put down in writing on the service report that they have checked the vehicle and in their opinion it is "normal" so I can document their dishonesty. I don't really expect anything will be resolved with this vehicle during the time I still own it. Consumer Reports published an article on the issue which seems to have prompted Honda to issue the so-called software "fix." But there has never been any followup from them or anyone else I'm aware of, and CR lists the CRV as one of their recommended choices for small SUVs. I hope this doesn't evolve into a gigantic recall headache for Honda at some point - not for them but for all the suckers (e, customers) who have bought one and are still buying them.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:41 am
JPH wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:10 am CULater, I'm following your updates and hope you will keep them coming. Ignore the noise.
Thanks. For the most part, I just want to keep this issue visible both for the fact that I feel Honda is getting away with stiffing its customers and hopefully will be helpful to a person or two in making a decision about buying this vehicle. I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine. I plan to take my latest oil analysis report to the dealer service department and speak to the service manager, but I know it won't accomplish a thing.

My goal is a least to get them to put down in writing on the service report that they have checked the vehicle and in their opinion it is "normal" so I can document their dishonesty. I don't really expect anything will be resolved with this vehicle during the time I still own it. Consumer Reports published an article on the issue which seems to have prompted Honda to issue the so-called software "fix." But there has never been any followup from them or anyone else I'm aware of, and CR lists the CRV as one of their recommended choices for small SUVs. I hope this doesn't evolve into a gigantic recall headache for Honda at some point - not for them but for all the suckers (e, customers) who have bought one and are still buying them.
"I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine"
Do the hundreds of complaints include any that affect the starting, operation or failures of these engines?
Or are the hundreds of complaints limited to the oil level rising?
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

smitcat wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:58 am
CULater wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:41 am
JPH wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:10 am CULater, I'm following your updates and hope you will keep them coming. Ignore the noise.
Thanks. For the most part, I just want to keep this issue visible both for the fact that I feel Honda is getting away with stiffing its customers and hopefully will be helpful to a person or two in making a decision about buying this vehicle. I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine. I plan to take my latest oil analysis report to the dealer service department and speak to the service manager, but I know it won't accomplish a thing.

My goal is a least to get them to put down in writing on the service report that they have checked the vehicle and in their opinion it is "normal" so I can document their dishonesty. I don't really expect anything will be resolved with this vehicle during the time I still own it. Consumer Reports published an article on the issue which seems to have prompted Honda to issue the so-called software "fix." But there has never been any followup from them or anyone else I'm aware of, and CR lists the CRV as one of their recommended choices for small SUVs. I hope this doesn't evolve into a gigantic recall headache for Honda at some point - not for them but for all the suckers (e, customers) who have bought one and are still buying them.
"I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine"
Do the hundreds of complaints include any that affect the starting, operation or failures of these engines?
Or are the hundreds of complaints limited to the oil level rising?
You really ought to spend a little time researching this on your own -- which if you actually owned one of these things I'm sure you would do. You'd think that there's been enough information posted on this thread that you wouldn't need to ask the question. But, just to reiterate, there are numerous complaints such as the following:

- The check engine light comes on.

- Reports indicate the problem creates a stinky, gas-fumed cabin that’s so bad owners feel nauseous and dizzy while driving.

- Little or no heat being produced from the heater in cold weather.

- In certain cases owners have said their engines have mis-fired or stalled once the oil becomes diluted.

There are 295 NHTSA complaints on the 2017 CRV listed on Carcomplaints.com, many of which describe engine failure and engine stalling while driving, such as these:
One day as I was driving, all problem lights on my dashboard began to turn on, chime, and and giving messages such as "tire pressure monitoring poblem", brake system, break hold system, power steering, etc..." and my features such as cruise control and break hold became disabled. We had the spark plugs changed and the problem continued. We did an oil change and discovered that there was over 5 quarts of oil collected when only 3.5 had been pured in, also the oil was smelling like gasoline. We started researching and it seems that this is a problem with this car/model. Mechanic diagnosed lower compression on cylinder #4 and kept getting a cylinder #4 error.
While driving my '17 Honda CR-V ex, it suddenly sputtered, started losing power & wouldn't let me accelerate over 10mph. Malfunction indicator started blinking. I was in 4 lanes of traffic with no place to pull over. I put flashers on & cars drove around me. I got to a side St & the manual said if indicator is blinking, it's a misfire in engine's cylinders & to wait for engine to cool down. I sat for 40 mins & made it back home close by & called Honda roadside assistance who towed it to Honda new rochelle. I can't remember being that frightened driving. When bob from Honda nr called he said my car has too much oil, above top of dipstick & it's the fault of the person who changed the oil (on Oct. 30, 5 wks earlier).
he Consumer Reports article cites the following based on their research on 2017 and 2018 models:
If you have a 2017 or 2018 Honda CR-V with a 1.5 turbo engine, watch for the warning signs of this oil-fuel problem. Most important, check the oil frequently to see whether the level seems high, something almost everyone we talked with said they noticed. Also watch for other signs, including stalling, loss of power, a smell of gas in the passenger compartment, and heaters that don’t work well or at all in cold weather.
As well, please refer to the Honda TSB 18-147 issued in February which was updated from the previous TSB on the oil dilution issue to include inspection and possible replacement of the cams due to abnormal wear. Honda must be aware that this is occurring in some vehicles affected by oil dilution and insufficient lubrication or it wouldn't be included. But, how long does it take for the cams and rocker arms to fail and trash the engine? Don't know but the longer the own one of these things the more likely you'll find out. And will you have any idea what caused it? Well, I can guarantee that your friendly Honda dealer won't be talking while you are forking out a few thou for an engine replacement.
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John Z
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by John Z »

Mostly because of this specific ongoing and comprehensive post, and casually looking for a replacement vehicle, I took a Honda HR-V for a test drive last week. The salesperson was very knowledgeable on this model and others since not all the features I am looking for are available on the HR-V and he knew exactly what trim or model would provide me with what I was looking for. During the test drive I opened the door about the exact CR-V complaint in this thread. During and after the drive and while talking in the showroom, he was smooth. He confidently said that Honda has provided fixes for the several issues I brought up from this thread. "Fixes provided several months ago." Every issue I could think of he responded that Honda has addressed and issued the fixes. He said that no one ever "uncomplains" and says their issue(s) were fixed but they don't take the time to post that their issues are resolved. And, if I brought in a Honda vehicle with a problem purchased there, even oil dilution, the dealer would go out of its way to repair/replace to my satisfaction.

My reaction to this experience is that he was well prepared to handle these types of concerns and I would guess that Honda, the dealer or someone up the line has prepared responses to customer concerns about oil dilution related problems. And I know you can't take a verbal discussion to the bank so his "guarantee" meant nothing to me. I have never owned a Honda and never will.
smitcat
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 12:06 pm
smitcat wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:58 am
CULater wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:41 am
JPH wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 10:10 am CULater, I'm following your updates and hope you will keep them coming. Ignore the noise.
Thanks. For the most part, I just want to keep this issue visible both for the fact that I feel Honda is getting away with stiffing its customers and hopefully will be helpful to a person or two in making a decision about buying this vehicle. I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine. I plan to take my latest oil analysis report to the dealer service department and speak to the service manager, but I know it won't accomplish a thing.

My goal is a least to get them to put down in writing on the service report that they have checked the vehicle and in their opinion it is "normal" so I can document their dishonesty. I don't really expect anything will be resolved with this vehicle during the time I still own it. Consumer Reports published an article on the issue which seems to have prompted Honda to issue the so-called software "fix." But there has never been any followup from them or anyone else I'm aware of, and CR lists the CRV as one of their recommended choices for small SUVs. I hope this doesn't evolve into a gigantic recall headache for Honda at some point - not for them but for all the suckers (e, customers) who have bought one and are still buying them.
"I have to say that it amazes me that nothing seems to have happened given the hundreds of complaints filed about this engine"
Do the hundreds of complaints include any that affect the starting, operation or failures of these engines?
Or are the hundreds of complaints limited to the oil level rising?
You really ought to spend a little time researching this on your own -- which if you actually owned one of these things I'm sure you would do. You'd think that there's been enough information posted on this thread that you wouldn't need to ask the question. But, just to reiterate, there are numerous complaints such as the following:

- The check engine light comes on.

- Reports indicate the problem creates a stinky, gas-fumed cabin that’s so bad owners feel nauseous and dizzy while driving.

- Little or no heat being produced from the heater in cold weather.

- In certain cases owners have said their engines have mis-fired or stalled once the oil becomes diluted.

There are 295 NHTSA complaints on the 2017 CRV listed on Carcomplaints.com, many of which describe engine failure and engine stalling while driving, such as these:
One day as I was driving, all problem lights on my dashboard began to turn on, chime, and and giving messages such as "tire pressure monitoring poblem", brake system, break hold system, power steering, etc..." and my features such as cruise control and break hold became disabled. We had the spark plugs changed and the problem continued. We did an oil change and discovered that there was over 5 quarts of oil collected when only 3.5 had been pured in, also the oil was smelling like gasoline. We started researching and it seems that this is a problem with this car/model. Mechanic diagnosed lower compression on cylinder #4 and kept getting a cylinder #4 error.
While driving my '17 Honda CR-V ex, it suddenly sputtered, started losing power & wouldn't let me accelerate over 10mph. Malfunction indicator started blinking. I was in 4 lanes of traffic with no place to pull over. I put flashers on & cars drove around me. I got to a side St & the manual said if indicator is blinking, it's a misfire in engine's cylinders & to wait for engine to cool down. I sat for 40 mins & made it back home close by & called Honda roadside assistance who towed it to Honda new rochelle. I can't remember being that frightened driving. When bob from Honda nr called he said my car has too much oil, above top of dipstick & it's the fault of the person who changed the oil (on Oct. 30, 5 wks earlier).
he Consumer Reports article cites the following based on their research on 2017 and 2018 models:
If you have a 2017 or 2018 Honda CR-V with a 1.5 turbo engine, watch for the warning signs of this oil-fuel problem. Most important, check the oil frequently to see whether the level seems high, something almost everyone we talked with said they noticed. Also watch for other signs, including stalling, loss of power, a smell of gas in the passenger compartment, and heaters that don’t work well or at all in cold weather.
As well, please refer to the Honda TSB 18-147 issued in February which was updated from the previous TSB on the oil dilution issue to include inspection and possible replacement of the cams due to abnormal wear. Honda must be aware that this is occurring in some vehicles affected by oil dilution and insufficient lubrication or it wouldn't be included. But, how long does it take for the cams and rocker arms to fail and trash the engine? Don't know but the longer the own one of these things the more likely you'll find out. And will you have any idea what caused it? Well, I can guarantee that your friendly Honda dealer won't be talking while you are forking out a few thou for an engine replacement.
"You really ought to spend a little time researching this on your own -- which if you actually owned one of these things I'm sure you would do."
I have 3 CRV's now - none with the 1.5 engine. We have an old friend that works at a Honda dealer that we buy them from. He see's no issue so far with all the ones that they sell and service- he is not ownership just a friend that is very aware of Honda facts.

"- Little or no heat being produced from the heater in cold weather."
Unelated to the fuel dilution issue and has a speared TSB for service for those affected.

"While driving my '17 Honda CR-V ex, it suddenly sputtered, started losing power & wouldn't let me accelerate over 10mph. Malfunction indicator started blinking. I was in 4 lanes of traffic with no place to pull over. I put flashers on & cars drove around me. I got to a side St & the manual said if indicator is blinking, it's a misfire in engine's cylinders & to wait for engine to cool down. I sat for 40 mins & made it back home close by & called Honda roadside assistance who towed it to Honda new rochelle. I can't remember being that frightened driving. When bob from Honda nr called he said my car has too much oil, above top of dipstick & it's the fault of the person who changed the oil (on Oct. 30, 5 wks earlier)."
I would not tolerate a known safety issue for anything in the world ...my thoughts and actioNS would be these:
If you believe Bob then check your oil level after oil changes and per the manual.
So , has it happened since? Did you find the oil changes to be excessively filled? etc
What i would do - if you do not believe Bob then trade the CRV in for another comparable used vehicle that you like.

"As well, please refer to the Honda TSB 18-147 issued in February which was updated from the previous TSB on the oil dilution issue to include inspection and possible replacement of the cams due to abnormal wear."
Does not sound like an issue that is any different than the thousands of TSB's out there for many vehicles. Has your engine had any cam shaft wear or symptoms of such?

"Don't know but the longer the own one of these things the more likely you'll find out."
Potential solution was posted above - trade the vehicle in for a similar used CPO vehicle of your choice and preference.
Or ...alternately , be unhappy with your current potentially unsafe to you CRV.
But it would be good to realize that there are more than 1.25 million CRV's sold since 2016 and they are selling more each month.
Your observations of complaints of a few hundred are not statistically significant in comparison to most vehicle issues.

And one more time - if it was me I would have sold/traded it already.
Although I did have 4 outboard motors which had the exact same issue and they ran fine for 1.000's of hours until we sold them.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

John Z wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 1:45 pm Mostly because of this specific ongoing and comprehensive post, and casually looking for a replacement vehicle, I took a Honda HR-V for a test drive last week. The salesperson was very knowledgeable on this model and others since not all the features I am looking for are available on the HR-V and he knew exactly what trim or model would provide me with what I was looking for. During the test drive I opened the door about the exact CR-V complaint in this thread. During and after the drive and while talking in the showroom, he was smooth. He confidently said that Honda has provided fixes for the several issues I brought up from this thread. "Fixes provided several months ago." Every issue I could think of he responded that Honda has addressed and issued the fixes. He said that no one ever "uncomplains" and says their issue(s) were fixed but they don't take the time to post that their issues are resolved. And, if I brought in a Honda vehicle with a problem purchased there, even oil dilution, the dealer would go out of its way to repair/replace to my satisfaction.

My reaction to this experience is that he was well prepared to handle these types of concerns and I would guess that Honda, the dealer or someone up the line has prepared responses to customer concerns about oil dilution related problems. And I know you can't take a verbal discussion to the bank so his "guarantee" meant nothing to me. I have never owned a Honda and never will.
"And, if I brought in a Honda vehicle with a problem purchased there, even oil dilution, the dealer would go out of its way to repair/replace to my satisfaction."
Dealers do not build cars and they are independent - they are in fact dealers and can only follow the manufacturers lead.

" I have never owned a Honda and never will."
Which make and model of vehicle did you buy or are buying then?
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CULater
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

"And, if I brought in a Honda vehicle with a problem purchased there, even oil dilution, the dealer would go out of its way to repair/replace to my satisfaction."
Dealers do not build cars and they are independent - they are in fact dealers and can only follow the manufacturers lead.
I believe you are correct about this. Friend just bought a new vehicle and had to sign a document that acknowledges the dealer bears no direct responsibility for the vehicle. That the warranty is issued by Honda Corp and the dealer is only an agent acting on behalf of the manufacturer. First time I'd seen that.

But when I contacted Honda about the oil dilution issue, all they did was bounce me back to the dealer saying that they couldn't do anything unless the dealer had determined there was a problem. What a scam.
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California88
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by California88 »

CULater (as I've posted before) I'm so thankful for your post - I was ready buy a CRV (always had Hondas) ... but after reading this thread I bought a RAV4 (which is wonderful). Even people actively looking to buy a Compact SUV don't know about the problem because the Reviews list the CRV as the #1 vehicle in that class! My neighbor, a consultant for Toyota, told me Honda made adjustments to the engine ... TO GET MORE MPG ... and they ended up with this problem!
BlueCable
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by BlueCable »

I just received a mailing suggesting I bring my 1.5T Civic in for a software update. They don't list oil dilution explicitly, but they mention the update will allow the engine to heat more quickly in cold weather. Previously, I read that this is Honda's fix to oil dilution issue.
John Z
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by John Z »

Which make and model of vehicle did you buy or are buying then?

Considering Toyota Rav4 or Corolla, Nissan Kicks or Rogue/Rouge Sport or Sentra, Mazda CX3/CX5 so far. In no rush to buy, Altima only has 106,000 miles on it.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

BlueCable wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 6:25 pm I just received a mailing suggesting I bring my 1.5T Civic in for a software update. They don't list oil dilution explicitly, but they mention the update will allow the engine to heat more quickly in cold weather. Previously, I read that this is Honda's fix to oil dilution issue.
Interesting. I knew the Civic with the 1.5T was affected also, but first I've heard that Honda is applying the "product update" to them as well. This is the "fix" for oil dilution, but they have scrupulously avoided referring to oil dilution in print as a reason for the update; however, I've noted that the service techs and salespeople at Honda have no such reservations verbally making claims.

Perhaps the update does help with the heating issue, but it has no effect on oil dilution as I've found. I didn't have any issue with cabin heat, although I did notice that the engine temp gauge was slow to move during cold weather. Even though the update is ineffective addressing oil dilution, I'd probably get it just so you can document that you've complied with every attempt by Honda to correct any deficiencies in case there's a class action lawsuit settlement down the road involving this engine and you want to participate. I've been doing everything by the book, including having all my oil and filter changes done at Honda and all other service work. Also, I ask them to check oil dilution every time I go in for any service. Of course, they never find any, so I make them note their findings on my service report each time so I can document their lies and deception. Obviously, they have no way of determining if there is oil dilution at the dealership, since that requires an oil analysis. But that doesn't stop them from providing false information. My understanding is that even if you don't own the vehicle any longer, you still can be eligible to participate in class action suit remedies such as financial compensation later on. Not expecting that, but would be thrilled if that happens.
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fundseeker
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by fundseeker »

I didn't read all 20 pages of this thread, but Honda went to the trouble to replace the piston rings on mine and many other 2011 Odysseys because a plug or two kept fouling. This was related to their design for three or four cylinders to stop firing at cruise speed. I had problems on trips where it just started missing, and it was very aggravating. Honda came through and extended the engine warranties and replaced the piston rings. We are up to 118,000 miles and doing great after 8.5 years. But, in hindsight, maybe like the 2017 CR-V, buying the first year of a new generation is a bad idea.

To the OP, you've documented your problems well with Honda and I am confident they will take care of you, if they figure out the problem. Could it be the rings?
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by neilpilot »

CULater wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 7:48 am Obviously, they have no way of determining if there is oil dilution at the dealership, since that requires an oil analysis.
Actually, the mechanic's nose is sometimes available. Odor is usually sufficient to qualitatively determine significant fuel content in the oil.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

neilpilot wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 9:56 am
CULater wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 7:48 am Obviously, they have no way of determining if there is oil dilution at the dealership, since that requires an oil analysis.
Actually, the mechanic's nose is sometimes available. Odor is usually sufficient to qualitatively determine significant fuel content in the oil.
We tried that a year back in March when I first noticed the problem and nearly passed out from the strong fuel smell on the dipstick. But for some reason, the mechanic at Honda couldn't smell it and they told me there was no fuel in the oil. At the time, I was dumb enough to think they actually could measure that and when I asked the service tech how they do it he sort of mumbled something that I don't recall. Then I started this thread.
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inbox788
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by inbox788 »

CULater wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 2:24 pmAt the time, I was dumb enough to think they actually could measure that and when I asked the service tech how they do it he sort of mumbled something that I don't recall. Then I started this thread.
You could light a match :oops:

100% motor oil should not light up immediately, but 100% gasoline will :mrgreen:

So if you can light up your motor oil, what is the minimum fuel contamination level? If you have a layer of gasoline that separates from the mixture, I would expert it to burn.

Don't do this at home kids.

https://youtu.be/saVEktUBbrk?t=80
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do50jEV73BU
ad2007
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by ad2007 »

CULater,

Thanks for the heads up on the CRV.

We want to get a 2019 CRV EX for our daughter, but came across this thread.
Not sure if we should proceed. If we do, should/can we try to get anything in writing specific to the oil dilution from the dealer? They have a lifetime warranty at the dealership covering:

"You get our Real Lifetime Warranty.
Engine, Cylinder Block, Internal Parts, Transmission, Drive System, Transaxle – all covered at no extra cost!
No extra maintenance required.
Your warranty is valid at any certified repair facility in the USA and Canada."

Are they really expecting customers to check the freaking oil level at gas fill ups? Is that the current recommendation for 2019 brand new CRV EX?

We're not in a hurry to buy this next car. We thought we were done shopping and deciding.

Again, thank you for your contribution.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

ad2007 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 3:50 am CULater,

Thanks for the heads up on the CRV.

We want to get a 2019 CRV EX for our daughter, but came across this thread.
Not sure if we should proceed. If we do, should/can we try to get anything in writing specific to the oil dilution from the dealer? They have a lifetime warranty at the dealership covering:

"You get our Real Lifetime Warranty.
Engine, Cylinder Block, Internal Parts, Transmission, Drive System, Transaxle – all covered at no extra cost!
No extra maintenance required.
Your warranty is valid at any certified repair facility in the USA and Canada."

Are they really expecting customers to check the freaking oil level at gas fill ups? Is that the current recommendation for 2019 brand new CRV EX?

We're not in a hurry to buy this next car. We thought we were done shopping and deciding.

Again, thank you for your contribution.
Honestly, this oil dilution issue is really tricky to deal with. I think the position of Honda Corp. is that the problem has been addressed and they consider it resolved, so there will be no further remedies forthcoming. The dealer is just an agent for the manufacturer so there's nothing they can or will do that Honda Corp hasn't initiated. If you happen to own a CRV with some of the problems that have been reported that are related to excessive fuel in the oil, you just end up in an endless loop dealing with your Honda dealer on this. Honda has taken the position that, while the 1.5T engine does exhibit a significant degree, of fuel in the oil, this is "normal" for this engine and is not a defect. You can choose to trust Big Brother Honda on this or you can trust that your warranty will cover you if the engine turns out to not be reliable and long-lived and mechanical difficulties start to crop up that Honda deems are coverable by the warranty and not attributable to usual wear and tear and/or owner care.

There have been instances of engines like this with known fuel in oil issues, but I'm not aware of any case in which the manufacturer has claimed this is normal and wasn't able to provide an effective remedy. I spoke with a Honda mechanic a couple days ago who a friend knows. He's well aware of the problem with this engine and said he believes it's attributable to the fact that it's the first small displacement, direct injected, turbo engine attempt by Honda and they just got it wrong. If that's true, then perhaps the next generation re-design of this power plant will not have this problem. If I were considering the CRV I"d wait to see, or I'd shop other vehicles in this class such as the Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape (new 2020 coming out), Toyota RAV4. Life is too short to deal with krap like this, IMO. But you have to make a decision that you like the CRV well enough to take a chance that you can live with it.
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smitcat
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

ad2007 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 3:50 am CULater,

Thanks for the heads up on the CRV.

We want to get a 2019 CRV EX for our daughter, but came across this thread.
Not sure if we should proceed. If we do, should/can we try to get anything in writing specific to the oil dilution from the dealer? They have a lifetime warranty at the dealership covering:

"You get our Real Lifetime Warranty.
Engine, Cylinder Block, Internal Parts, Transmission, Drive System, Transaxle – all covered at no extra cost!
No extra maintenance required.
Your warranty is valid at any certified repair facility in the USA and Canada."

Are they really expecting customers to check the freaking oil level at gas fill ups? Is that the current recommendation for 2019 brand new CRV EX?

We're not in a hurry to buy this next car. We thought we were done shopping and deciding.

Again, thank you for your contribution.
We are in the same reasonable position with our daughter and we have 3 CRV's now in the family.
This is what we feel our best options are:
- If you want the CRV then get the LX and option it up with what you desire
- If the CRV LX optioned does not fit we will get the Mazda CX 5 (after considerable research).
Good luck with whatever you do.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Michael Patrick »

The other thing that makes it a tricky decision is that it appears that not all CRVs with the turbo engine have the oil dilution problem. I was talking to my Honda service rep the other night (our daughters are in high school band together...), and he said there are some that are fine and others that are not. I was one of the unlucky owners, my 2017 severely diluted the oil in all kinds of weather and under all driving conditions.

I'd still be wary, since you have no way of knowing whether you are a lucky ducky until after you buy it and drive it for a while.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by TLC1957 »

ad2007 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 3:50 am CULater,

Thanks for the heads up on the CRV.

We want to get a 2019 CRV EX for our daughter, but came across this thread.
Not sure if we should proceed. If we do, should/can we try to get anything in writing specific to the oil dilution from the dealer? They have a lifetime warranty at the dealership covering:

"You get our Real Lifetime Warranty.
Engine, Cylinder Block, Internal Parts, Transmission, Drive System, Transaxle – all covered at no extra cost!
No extra maintenance required.
Your warranty is valid at any certified repair facility in the USA and Canada."

Are they really expecting customers to check the freaking oil level at gas fill ups? Is that the current recommendation for 2019 brand new CRV EX?

We're not in a hurry to buy this next car. We thought we were done shopping and deciding.

Again, thank you for your contribution.
I have a 2017 CRV Touring model with about 29K miles with no problems, I check the oil level all the time. When I purchased the CRV I went with a HondaCare 8 year 120 k mile warranty since it was a new design. Prices I was quoted in November 2017 for HondaCare via the internet Honda dealers as follows...

College Hills Honda D82$1120,
Saccucci Honda D82 $1170, C82 $1065
Hyannis Honda D82 $1110, C82$1005
Curry Honda D82$1260, C82$1155

C82 $100 Deductible
D82 $0 Deductible

C/D= 120K miles, 8 years

I would not go with any other warranty except for HondaCare warranty unless the one your dealer is offering is free even then I would have to really think about it. You do not have to buy HondaCare from the dealer you purchase the CRV from. I asked what they would charge and the quoted $2500 for what I paid $1110. We really like our CRV our first suv, my wife has an Accord and both of my daughters have Honda’s.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by anil686 »

Michael Patrick wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 7:49 am The other thing that makes it a tricky decision is that it appears that not all CRVs with the turbo engine have the oil dilution problem. I was talking to my Honda service rep the other night (our daughters are in high school band together...), and he said there are some that are fine and others that are not. I was one of the unlucky owners, my 2017 severely diluted the oil in all kinds of weather and under all driving conditions.

I'd still be wary, since you have no way of knowing whether you are a lucky ducky until after you buy it and drive it for a while.
I also have the CRV turbo engine and I have not had this problem but I am aware thanks to this thread. I have driven 40,000 miles over 1.5 years - mainly freeway, but some city. I have done the analysis and pointed it out to the dealership but mine does not seem to be affected. I am lucky (so far) - I did buy the honda coverage for 8 years/125,000 miles from an out of state honda dealer for $1300 to protect myself in the future, but my independent mechanic said the same thing as said above - it is weird - he is seeing it but not in all the turbos. He wondered if a particular plant or part was involved with a significant number - they realized it and changed production or something....
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

anil686 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 8:02 am
Michael Patrick wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 7:49 am The other thing that makes it a tricky decision is that it appears that not all CRVs with the turbo engine have the oil dilution problem. I was talking to my Honda service rep the other night (our daughters are in high school band together...), and he said there are some that are fine and others that are not. I was one of the unlucky owners, my 2017 severely diluted the oil in all kinds of weather and under all driving conditions.

I'd still be wary, since you have no way of knowing whether you are a lucky ducky until after you buy it and drive it for a while.
I also have the CRV turbo engine and I have not had this problem but I am aware thanks to this thread. I have driven 40,000 miles over 1.5 years - mainly freeway, but some city. I have done the analysis and pointed it out to the dealership but mine does not seem to be affected. I am lucky (so far) - I did buy the honda coverage for 8 years/125,000 miles from an out of state honda dealer for $1300 to protect myself in the future, but my independent mechanic said the same thing as said above - it is weird - he is seeing it but not in all the turbos. He wondered if a particular plant or part was involved with a significant number - they realized it and changed production or something....
Yes- based upon our limited sample of a few dozen of these the problem seems to be very limited in quantity of vehicles and severity.
While the % affected appears to be very small there is no way yet to determine ahead of time which exact vehicle may be affected.
finite_difference
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by finite_difference »

Solution 1: pretend your CRV is a 2-stroke outboard motor.

Solution 2: sell it and get a hybrid or EV.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

I have a suggestion for people who think they're not affected by oil dilution; I assume because the level on the dipstick doesn't appear that it is above the overfill mark. First of all, it's very difficult to see exactly where the fluid is on that lousy orange dipstick so I wouldn't trust that. Get an oil analysis to be sure. You'll never know for sure until you do that. I use Oil Analyzers. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others. If that were the case, they should have been able to determine what's wrong with affected vehicles and fix it. But they can't fix it; whatever it is. So, it must be an engineering flaw in the design of the engine, IMO.

As for the idea of getting the base model CRV without the 1.5T engine, you can't really option that up. I don't think you can even get the safety electronics on it. Check it out online.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 9:57 am I have a suggestion for people who think they're not affected by oil dilution; I assume because the level on the dipstick doesn't appear that it is above the overfill mark. First of all, it's very difficult to see exactly where the fluid is on that lousy orange dipstick so I wouldn't trust that. Get an oil analysis to be sure. You'll never know for sure until you do that. I use Oil Analyzers. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others. If that were the case, they should have been able to determine what's wrong with affected vehicles and fix it. But they can't fix it; whatever it is. So, it must be an engineering flaw in the design of the engine, IMO.

As for the idea of getting the base model CRV without the 1.5T engine, you can't really option that up. I don't think you can even get the safety electronics on it. Check it out online.
"Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others"
No one ever said or implied that your Hinda CRV does not have a fuel dilution issue.
I have seen many of these that do not have any reasonable fuel dilution issue.
Others have posted the same - first hand experiences.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by ad2007 »

CULater wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 5:29 am ...you have to make a decision that you like the CRV well enough to take a chance that you can live with it.

We've always heard great things about Honda in general. And I had a couple of S2000s, and they were awesome cars. Even modded, they were indestructible. I kinda want the new NSX myself. Very surprised Honda does not have a more proactive approach to this problem to simply protect their good name.

Leaving a pissed off consumer like yourself loose on the internet is very damaging.

We've already crossed the CRV off our list, mostly from reading your thread here and a bit of Googling. Hate to see our daughter dealing with this while away in college.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by tapotti »

Not sure about you, but I'm just going to get more frequent oil changes every 4000 miles or so rather than the recommended 6-8000.

I don't think there is a fix for this engine, and I doubt there ever will be.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

smitcat wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 10:16 am
CULater wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 9:57 am I have a suggestion for people who think they're not affected by oil dilution; I assume because the level on the dipstick doesn't appear that it is above the overfill mark. First of all, it's very difficult to see exactly where the fluid is on that lousy orange dipstick so I wouldn't trust that. Get an oil analysis to be sure. You'll never know for sure until you do that. I use Oil Analyzers. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others. If that were the case, they should have been able to determine what's wrong with affected vehicles and fix it. But they can't fix it; whatever it is. So, it must be an engineering flaw in the design of the engine, IMO.

As for the idea of getting the base model CRV without the 1.5T engine, you can't really option that up. I don't think you can even get the safety electronics on it. Check it out online.
"Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others"
No one ever said or implied that your Hinda CRV does not have a fuel dilution issue.
I have seen many of these that do not have any reasonable fuel dilution issue.
Others have posted the same - first hand experiences.
I'm just saying that I'd like to hear from someone who thought they were OK but got an oil analysis to check. I've not seen anyone post on this. I would not be surprised if the oil analysis reveals a high level of fuel in the oil, even though it was not suspected. That's the only way to be sure what's going on and if I were a reader of this thread or others I think I might do that. My comment was that I suspect there are many more people out there who have the problem because I believe there's something fundamentally wrong with this engine. The idea that it's just a luck of the draw thing seems improbable to me and would have no logical explanation. It makes more sense to think they have the problem, but don't know it because they've never really checked with an oil analysis.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by smitcat »

CULater wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 4:28 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 10:16 am
CULater wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 9:57 am I have a suggestion for people who think they're not affected by oil dilution; I assume because the level on the dipstick doesn't appear that it is above the overfill mark. First of all, it's very difficult to see exactly where the fluid is on that lousy orange dipstick so I wouldn't trust that. Get an oil analysis to be sure. You'll never know for sure until you do that. I use Oil Analyzers. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others. If that were the case, they should have been able to determine what's wrong with affected vehicles and fix it. But they can't fix it; whatever it is. So, it must be an engineering flaw in the design of the engine, IMO.

As for the idea of getting the base model CRV without the 1.5T engine, you can't really option that up. I don't think you can even get the safety electronics on it. Check it out online.
"Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the problem only affects some vehicles but not others"
No one ever said or implied that your Hinda CRV does not have a fuel dilution issue.
I have seen many of these that do not have any reasonable fuel dilution issue.
Others have posted the same - first hand experiences.
I'm just saying that I'd like to hear from someone who thought they were OK but got an oil analysis to check. I've not seen anyone post on this. I would not be surprised if the oil analysis reveals a high level of fuel in the oil, even though it was not suspected. That's the only way to be sure what's going on and if I were a reader of this thread or others I think I might do that. My comment was that I suspect there are many more people out there who have the problem because I believe there's something fundamentally wrong with this engine. The idea that it's just a luck of the draw thing seems improbable to me and would have no logical explanation. It makes more sense to think they have the problem, but don't know it because they've never really checked with an oil analysis.

"I'm just saying that I'd like to hear from someone who thought they were OK but got an oil analysis to check"
I have run oil analysis on at least 20 gas inboard and outboard marine engines as well as 9 marine diesels and 2 terrestrial diesels over the years.
None of them were without some fuel dilution and the 4 stroke outboards had heavy dilution - never effected the way they ran even though we had to monitor their levels . Those 4 cyl 4 stroke outboards in the 1.5 to 2.8 liter sizes were/are known fuel diluters across the entire engine sample and no one has reported engine failures directly related to the issue even though some are going on 16+ years now. (we owned 5 directly ourselves with heavy usage)
Similarly many of my friends have had similar experiences with the same engines and products.
Like it or not many engines lose lube oil rapidly and many gain fuel dilution faster than we would think is correct or even acceptable.

" I've not seen anyone post on this. I would not be surprised if the oil analysis reveals a high level of fuel in the oil, even though it was not suspected"
If the oil level was correct after a change for that to happen you would need both a heavy fuel dilution issue while at the same time having an equal lube oil burn issue - the only way the level would be the same with a fuel dilution issue.

I do not agree with Honda that this is acceptable but my days fighting windmills knowing that I will lose is behind me. Pyrrhic victory is not rewarding.

FWIW - I have built many engines from scratch over the years, rebuilt many partially failed engines and modified a whole host of others. Turning a wrench and getting into these are not unfamiliar to my past.

Would it not be much better to rid yourself of this car that is obviously affecting your life greatly?
Solutions exist ...in the end it is within your control if you want it.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by CULater »

It could be that the level of fuel in oil that the 1.5T engine exhibits is not damaging to the engine. But I'm not willing to assume that and buy one of these vehicles knowing about the issue. I never would have bought one if I'd had a clue. Too many other choices out there to even mess with it. Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Chevy Equinox, Buick Envision, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe. All small SUVs with 4-cyl engines. Haven't heard reports than any of these are troubled as much as the CRV with fuel dilution of the engine oil.
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Re: My 2017 CRV is a victim of the dreaded oil gas-dilution issue

Post by Pinotage »

In for 1,000.

Sell it. Move on with life. Be happy.

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