...
Later, I went out and checked the oil before =
taking the
van for a test drive. It smelled like gas so I drained some =
out to see
and I definately have gas in my oil!
Is this a result of my earlier attempt to start =
the moter
(i.e. I flooded it) or could it be something more problematic? =
Could
it be simply change the oil and I'll be alright =
...
Gary,
In my experience, this is =
symptomatic of these
engines - they really don't like short drives and lots of sitting, =
particularly
in cool (cold) weather. In my area (western Colorado), I encounter =
a *lot*
of the 'gas in the oil' problems - always traceable to short (1 - 5 =
miles)
trips, where the vehicle doesn't get warmed up enough. In the high =
altitudes here they *always* have some troubles with 'loading up' - =
particularly
at slow speeds and/or under heavy loads - that is, running too =
rich.
Eventually, this cool, unburned gas will make its way into the oil =
pan. If
the vehicle is run enough to really get warmed up and stay warm (hot) =
for a
while, the gas will 'gas' off as vapor, be pulled into the intake and be =
burned.
Frequently I'll find a van that has =
been a
little low on oil, then a few weeks later may be a quart or so =
overfull!
Always, this has been the scenario - infrequent short trips, cool/cold =
weather,
and lots of sitting.
Change the oil, run 100 - 500 miles =
(not
*neccessarily* all at one time ;) ), change the oil again, and all =
is
well.
Hope this helps,
Rich