JK

Jochen K.

Solved Solved

Rising oil level in winter short trips | VW

Hello everyone! The oil level rises very quickly on short trips in winter. Compression is around 13 bar on all 4 cylinders. The pressure loss test is also OK. The vehicle also runs perfectly. What could be the cause?

Already checked

Compression test, pressure loss test

#Engine

VW

1.8 G60

Schaltgetriebe

💬12

Own solution

Jochen K.

Hello, unfortunately, I haven't found a solution. I've checked all the suggestions and even installed some new parts, such as the thermostat, fuel injectors, and temperature sensor. I believe the problem is mainly due to the short trips and the cast iron engine block, which has a lower expansion rate than the aluminum pistons. This means the pistons must have more play when cold to prevent piston seizure. This is naturally exacerbated by wear. The fuel E10 is also said to play a role. My solution is to use Super+ fuel and avoid short trips, or not to drive the car in cold weather. Thank you for your efforts.

Comments (12)

Sort by: Oldest first
  1. Rene

    Remove the fuel injectors and check if any are dripping. It's best to do this into a glass or onto a piece of paper so you can see the spray pattern. Wear safety glasses when working.

    6
  3. Dominik B.

    Does the engine get properly warm? That's always a thing with short trips, but maybe it's just the thermostat that's broken.

    2
  4. Faraj I.

    If the thermostat is faulty, the operating temperature may not be reached, or the system may overheat. On short journeys, it is not always possible to evaporate the moisture/fuel in the oil. But it could also be the crankcase ventilation (KGE).

  5. Franz K.

    The temperature sensor might also be giving incorrect readings. For example, instead of 0° it reads -20°. Then it would inject too much fuel.

  7. Jochen K.

    I have already checked the thermostat and temperature sensor. Thanks for the quick answers.

  8. Marc V.

    Hello. I had the same problem with my VW 2H engine 1.8. Two injectors were dripping. As a result, the cylinders were being washed out at the upper pivot point of the pistons in time-lapse. In warm weather, there was no problem with the oil level rising, as the petrol evaporated quickly. I had replaced the head gasket 7,000 km ago (about 2 years ago). I also checked the injectors there and reinstalled them with new seals. After a good 6,500 km, I was shocked at how high the level in the oil pan was. Unfortunately, I had to drive 500 km back home. When disassembling, the problems came to light. Due to the thin oil mixture, the camshaft ran in at the rearmost bearing. All 4 connecting rod bearings, 2 cylinders and all 4 pistons had slight signs of seizing and don't forget the two dripping injectors.

  9. Christian G.

    What kind of injection does it have? Is it a central injection system? If so, some of them had a heating element in the intake manifold. This was to prevent the fuel from condensing and entering the combustion chamber in liquid form. Possibly check in that direction as well.

  10. Christian R.

    Short trips are always a problem! Check the lambda values to see if it's running too rich. If the lambda values are ok, the oil never gets warm enough to boil off the fuel. If an injector is leaking, your fuel pressure will drop to zero when the engine is off. In this case, you would have starting problems in the summer with a warm engine, and with the exhaust gas tester you could detect increased HC values through the spark plug hole.

    1
  11. Daniel H.

    It has a Digifant system, with one fuel injector per cylinder.

  12. Daniel H.

    There are Bosch services where you can have the fuel injectors tested and cleaned...

  13. Frank M.

    When was your last oil change? It could just be condensation in a vehicle that is rarely driven.