LC250 oil smells like gas during oil change

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PhiloEpisteme

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Aug 14, 2024
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I just did my first oil change on a new LC250 at ~1200 miles. The oil had a distinctive gasoline smell and when shining my headlamp on the oil as it drained I could see tiny, shiny particles suspended in the oil. I checked the oil filter and dip stick, both had a faint smell of gasoline as well.

I've already scheduled a time slot with Toyota for them to look at it. My expectation is that this is abnormal but exactly how abnormal is this? Is this something I should really push the Toyota dealer to diagnose and resolve?

In the event that Toyota needs to keep the vehicle for several days, can I postpone that service until next week to take it on a long road trip this weekend without hurting the vehicle?
 
PhiloEpisteme said:
I just did my first oil change on a new LC250 at ~1200 miles. The oil had a distinctive gasoline smell and when shining my headlamp on the oil as it drained I could see tiny, shiny particles suspended in the oil. I checked the oil filter and dip stick, both had a faint smell of gasoline as well.

I've already scheduled a time slot with Toyota for them to look at it. My expectation is that this is abnormal but exactly how abnormal is this? Is this something I should really push the Toyota dealer to diagnose and resolve?

In the event that Toyota needs to keep the vehicle for several days, can I postpone that service until next week to take it on a long road trip this weekend without hurting the vehicle?
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Well that is just totally crazy! I changed my oil at 900 miles and the oil I drained looked pretty much like new out of the bottle. Personally I would not go on a trip until I knew what is happening. Go drive a few hundred miles and either look at the oil again or take to a dealer to look at it. That could be tricky they may not look closely under bright light and just tell you it is OK. I would get a sample for analysis too (myself while draining from crankcase) and from the sounds of it 250 miles on the oil should be fine.
 
Totally normal. Most 3rd gen Tacomas first oil change smelled heavily of gasoline. I changed my LC at 1200 miles too and it smelled strongly of gasoline and was full of metal flakes and quite dark. Most have reported the same from what I have seen, with only a few reporting the oil to be clean. The LC is my fifth new vehicle and I did break in oil changes on all of them at around 1,000 miles. All had significant metal shavings and silicone at 1,000 miles, less at 5,000 miles, and was clean by 10,000 miles. There is speculation that the gas smell is the break in oil Toyota uses, but I think it is gas contamination from sitting idling at port. I saw one person post their Black Stone oil analysis for their LC at 1,000 miles and it showed elevated levels of gas contamination in the oil and the conclusion was that it was likely from idling and nothing to worry about, but to keep an eye on for the next change. I have seen it stated that cars sit idling at port for many hours. I wouldn’t take it in if I were you.
 
@jbe2289 thank you for the quick and detailed reply. I admit, I am not extremely knowledgeable and so do lean toward taking it in. What is the specific down side to taking it in?
 
There is something in the manual referencing warm-up and condensation. My first oil change looked like coffee but trying to warm up before driving and seeing if that helps.
 
jbe2289 said:
Totally normal. Most 3rd gen Tacomas first oil change smelled heavily of gasoline. I changed my LC at 1200 miles too and it smelled strongly of gasoline and was full of metal flakes and quite dark. Most have reported the same from what I have seen, with only a few reporting the oil to be clean. The LC is my fifth new vehicle and I did break in oil changes on all of them at around 1,000 miles. All had significant metal shavings and silicone at 1,000 miles, less at 5,000 miles, and was clean by 10,000 miles. There is speculation that the gas smell is the break in oil Toyota uses, but I think it is gas contamination from sitting idling at port. I saw one person post their Black Stone oil analysis for their LC at 1,000 miles and it showed elevated levels of gas contamination in the oil and the conclusion was that it was likely from idling and nothing to worry about, but to keep an eye on for the next change. I have seen it stated that cars sit idling at port for many hours. I wouldn’t take it in if I were you
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Gas OK… still not great, but full of metal shavings at 1000 miles on a new factory engine? Is that documented with oil test results anywhere you know of?
 
FWIW, I did not notice any metal shavings at 1200 miles. The tiny, shiny things I saw in the oil when using my headlamp appeared to be liquid that was not fully dissolved in the oil yet either because the oil was draining and tiny drops of oil were created or from contamination/gas in the oil.
 
PhiloEpisteme said:
FWIW, I did not notice any metal shavings at 1200 miles. The tiny, shiny things I saw in the oil when using my headlamp appeared to be liquid that was not fully dissolved in the oil yet either because the oil was draining and tiny drops of oil were created or from contamination/gas in the oil.
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Yes that sounds OK. And also hot oil really shows any suspended “dirt” under bright sunlight. It almost looks like shiny metal. I sent my oil to black stone for test on a Porsche rebuild at 500, no metal detected and minimal dirt or gas. But it looked dirty. It would be interesting to hear from Toyota engineering if they think oil “full of metal flakes” at 1000 miles is typical of their new engines. Does anyone actually think Toyota would recommend your first oil change at 10,000 miles if that was occurring?
 
It looks like the oil tests from back stone are cheap, I'll do one of those and report back. I also have an appointment with Toyota tomorrow. I'll let you folks know what they say, other than the "why don't you let us change your oil?" and "why don't you wait until 10k miles?" which they've already pestered me about on the phone.
 
I just did my 1st oil change at 1962 km (1219 miles) and sent a sample to a lab for analysis. Admittedly, I was curious given the problems all auto manufacturers seem to be having with their engines. I was somewhat surprised at the results of the analysis - here's the summary of the various readings. I had indicated the oil used by Toyota was their own 0 W20 at the factory - this could be somewhat misleading as the oil could have been specially formulated by Toyota for the break-in period & hence the note to verify the oil used; change the oil etc. The dealer doesn't have access to the actual oil Toyota uses at the factory - - so I'll just file this 1st report away but do another oil change after another 5000km (approx 3100 miles) as I know exactly the oil that was used for the first oil change & then compare results.

Lower than expected boron levels may indicate additive depletion/precipitation or dilution. Identify and evaluate the cause. Verify the identity of the oil in use.

Higher than expected copper levels may indicate normal or abnormal wear depending on what other elements are flagged. If copper is the only element flagged, continued normal monitoring is adequate. In cases where other wear elements are flagged, this may indicate the presence of abnormal wear. High copper levels may also indicate the presence of cooling water leaks or scaling compounds. Identify and evaluate the source. Consider filtering or changing the oil.

Higher than expected silicon levels may indicate wear or contamination. Identify and evaluate the source. If the results suggest the presence of dirt/dust, check air breather, system cover or system filter to determine the source of ingression. Consider
filtering or changing the oil.

Lower than expected viscosity may indicate contamination or degradation of the oil. Verify the identity and grade of the oil in use. Identify and evaluate the cause. Consider changing the oil.

Lower than expected viscosity may indicate contamination or degradation of the oil. Verify the identity and grade of the oil in use. Identify and evaluate the cause. Consider changing the oil.

Oil change was done with Toyota branded oil which will be the baseline for the next oil change
 

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dato6966 said:
I just did my 1st oil change at 1962 km (1219 miles) and sent a sample to a lab for analysis. Admittedly, I was curious given the problems all auto manufacturers seem to be having with their engines. I was somewhat surprised at the results of the analysis - here's the summary of the various readings. I had indicated the oil used by Toyota was their own 0 W20 at the factory - this could be somewhat misleading as the oil could have been specially formulated by Toyota for the break-in period & hence the note to verify the oil used; change the oil etc. The dealer doesn't have access to the actual oil Toyota uses at the factory - - so I'll just file this 1st report away but do another oil change after another 5000km (approx 3100 miles) as I know exactly the oil that was used for the first oil change & then compare results.

Lower than expected boron levels may indicate additive depletion/precipitation or dilution. Identify and evaluate the cause. Verify the identity of the oil in use.

Higher than expected copper levels may indicate normal or abnormal wear depending on what other elements are flagged. If copper is the only element flagged, continued normal monitoring is adequate. In cases where other wear elements are flagged, this may indicate the presence of abnormal wear. High copper levels may also indicate the presence of cooling water leaks or scaling compounds. Identify and evaluate the source. Consider filtering or changing the oil.

Higher than expected silicon levels may indicate wear or contamination. Identify and evaluate the source. If the results suggest the presence of dirt/dust, check air breather, system cover or system filter to determine the source of ingression. Consider
filtering or changing the oil.

Lower than expected viscosity may indicate contamination or degradation of the oil. Verify the identity and grade of the oil in use. Identify and evaluate the cause. Consider changing the oil.

Lower than expected viscosity may indicate contamination or degradation of the oil. Verify the identity and grade of the oil in use. Identify and evaluate the cause. Consider changing the oil.

Oil change was done with Toyota branded oil which will be the baseline for the next oil change
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I’ve always been under the impression that Toyota factory oil is Mobil 1. Back in the day I remember the bottles with Exxon/Mobil on them. But I can’t prove it.
 
jbe2289 said:
All had significant metal shavings and silicone at 1,000 miles, less at 5,000 miles, and was clean by 10,000 miles.
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The Motor Oil Geek on YT says that the high silicone levels on the first (early) oil change(s) is because of all the sealants that they use when assembling the engine at the plant.
 
PhiloEpisteme said:
It looks like the oil tests from back stone are cheap, I'll do one of those and report back.
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Sometimes it takes Blackstone 4 to 6 weeks, or even longer, to actually analyze the oil.. SMDH. I have used Blackstone since ~2012.

All of Miss Daisy’s ail analysis will be done by the Motor Oil Geek.. Lake Speed Jr., who has a much faster turnaround time..

www.speediagnostix.com

SPEEDiagnostix

www.speediagnostix.com www.speediagnostix.com
 
jbe2289 said:
I saw one person post their Black Stone oil analysis for their LC at 1,000 miles and it showed elevated levels of gas contamination in the oil and the conclusion was that it was likely from idling and nothing to worry about, but to keep an eye on for the next change. I have seen it stated that cars sit idling at port for many hours. I wouldn’t take it in if I were you.
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It seems that any car that sits idling at the port, has long since had ample opportunity to ‘burn off’ the gasoline in the oil, after being driven for ~1,000 miles.

I wonder if somehow the one or both of the gasoline injection processes, with our fancy hybrids, in which the ICE shuts down at traffic lights, and then restarts when needed, is the culprit of the oil contamination.

Clearly, I am not an automotive engineer, and don’t have the slightest idea what I am pontificating.
 
LCMud said:
I’ve always been under the impression that Toyota factory oil is Mobil 1. Back in the day I remember the bottles with Exxon/Mobil on them. But I can’t prove it.
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The Car Care Nut has stated that Exxon (Mobil 1) makes the Toyota oil, to specs set by Toyota. He states that the bottles of Toyota oil are shaped identical to the Mobile 1 bottles, and that it is okay to use Mobil 1 if Toyota branded oil is not available.

When I picked up MIss Daisy at the dealership, I tried to buy two six quart cases of Toyota 0W-20. The guy at the parts counter sheepishly said that they do not stock Toyota oil. But they could sell me Mobile 1 0W-20 synthetic oil.
 
With my LC being delivered in about 4 days all I do is look at this forum and do research to somehow alleviate my anticipatory excitement😂.
So just last night I watched several videos posted here about this issue, and totally normal at 1000 miles. This is why you do not want to wait for 3000 or 5000 miles, and definitely not 10K. I have attached one video from the Car Care Nut who I find very good and informative. He discusses metal shavings being normal at first oil change at about 6:15 into video. I recall two other places discussing the smell of gas, so I think perfectly normal.


 
ultane said:
It seems that any car that sits idling at the port, has long since had ample opportunity to ‘burn off’ the gasoline in the oil, after being driven for ~1,000 miles.

I wonder if somehow the one or both of the gasoline injection processes, with our fancy hybrids, in which the ICE shuts down at traffic lights, and then restarts when needed, is the culprit of the oil contamination.

Clearly, I am not an automotive engineer, and don’t have the slightest idea what I am pontificating.
Click to expand...

As to the start stop, that’s a concern I have too, that’s called wash down, the cylinder walls have the oil washed off by gas injected in and not burned. It causes premature ware and contamination of the oil.
 
I did end up taking it in to the dealer, they said the smell was normal and no cause for concern. I'll await the oil analysis results and see if I have the same smell at 5k miles and again at 10k miles.
 
jbe2289 said:
As to the start stop, that’s a concern I have too, that’s called wash down, the cylinder walls have the oil washed off by gas injected in and not burned. It causes premature ware and contamination of the oil.
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Can you get injected but not burned gas in a direct injection engine? I think ECU would stop gas injections before shutting down the engine.
 
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