oil smells like gasoline

[yinzen]

I posted earlier about oil level above the F mark from dealership. (http://www.protege5.com/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&postid=115801#post115801)
I have been keeping an eye on the oil level and apparent quality. Well I noticed the oil from the dipstick smells like gasoline!
I seem to remember hearing that is not a good thing. What is the skinny? Is that acceptable during engine break-in?

Oh yah, and like I said in my 'rough' idle thread (http://www.protege5.com/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12397), the tailpipe already has dark black soot forming ... could this be related?

 

[syn_lube_nut]

umm....its called engine failure very soon. to make sure get an oil sample & have it tested and it will tell you for sure whats going on inside your engine! www.bobistheoilguy.com do a search on this site for oil analysis,

 

[yinzen]

umm, engine failure very soon!? That is not a very hopeful opinion ... forget oil analysis, I have only had the car for two weeks! I am calling the dealer in the morning to have them check it out.

Edit- If even that ... I have been researching more, and it seems there has been note of the mp3 having a tendancy to develop a sooty tailpipe. And from the bobistheoilguy site I have been learning that gas/water can get in the oil from cold starts (and it has been very cold around here, right when I first got my car) and if you dont drive it at full operating temp long enough to burn that contamination off, it can accumulate. Well to compound both of these problems, I live very close to work and have been babying it for the break-in period. The oil smelling like gasoline must be more due to that. I will be changing the oil soon anyway. And I will start taking some 'round about way to work to let it run at full temp for a bit longer. I am concerned with the stuttery idle, it is really annoying me, but one person responded to that and said his did that too ... so *shrug*

 

[fastdrvr23]

Yeah, don't worry about the sooty tailpipe. My car has been doing that since day one... I have almost 20K and no problems at all with anything.

As for the oil, I would just go ahead and change it, and everything should be fine.

I've haven't had any idle issues so I can't comment there. Good luck though!

Oh, almost forgot, welcome to the site!

 

[syn_lube_nut]

Sorry for the cynicism(sic?), but my luck is horrible and since im not there to make an empirical test with my own nose, that was the first thing that came to my mind (as it usually does mean very bad things ahead.).

I like your idea about the cause though. Just watch it like you said. Id change the oil now though to either Mobil1 0w-30 or 0w-40(what i run).

as for the idle issue. i have only had it every now & then and no more than that. I believe that Mazda codes crappy ECU's (nothing to back this up of course just IMHO), and I also feel that perhaps the VTCS system is a dastardly problem and we will only know by taking out the whole system. I doubt anyone in here (including myself) has the time nor the balls to do that anytime soon. maybe after 5years from now-maybe.

I would definetely take the car in to the dealer for a possible fix. Maybe its even the injectors (im reaching here i know!). Who knows? We probably never will, unfortunately.