After a month of waiting, tens of thousands of car owners finally received the final response from Dongfeng Honda! On February 12, Dongfeng Honda officially announced the investigation report and solution regarding the “oil dilution” incident. Dongfeng Honda announced that to reduce the increase in oil levels, they will perform an ECU upgrade (with recalls planned for the CR-V at the end of February and the CIVIC in early March); the oil dipstick scale will be corrected, with the upper and lower limits unchanged, and additional markings will be added to confirm the oil increase; the user manual will be revised. Furthermore, in a statement released on February 2, it was announced that for the new generation CR-V equipped with a 1.5L turbocharged engine, the tenth generation CIVIC, the new Jade, and the UR-V, the engine warranty period will be extended to 6 years or 200,000 kilometers, and this extended warranty will still apply after the recall.
Tests have shown: an increase in oil level does not reduce engine lifespan.
In this media exchange meeting, Dongfeng Honda announced the latest investigation results regarding the “oil dilution” incident. The report indicated that a total of 20,742 complaints were received nationwide, with the areas experiencing oil level increases primarily located in the colder northern regions. For example, in Heilongjiang, the sales volume of the 1.5T CR-V reached 3,356 units, with 2,594 complaints, resulting in a complaint rate of 77.3%.
Dongfeng Honda’s relevant officials explained that the “increase in oil level” is caused by fuel adhering to the inner walls of the engine cylinders entering the crankcase through the oil rings, mixing with the oil. Under normal circumstances, the mixed fuel will evaporate as the engine temperature rises and return to the combustion chamber for re-burning. However, when vehicles are driven in low-temperature environments for a short time, the engine does not reach sufficient temperature, and the fuel mixed in the oil cannot completely evaporate, which may lead to an increase in oil level.
Regarding the impact of the increased oil level on vehicles, which is of greatest concern to the complaining car owners, Dongfeng Honda stated that technical experts from Honda’s technical research institute and other parties conducted laboratory tests and real vehicle driving diagnostics in northern China. Through these tests, no abnormal engine wear was observed, and it will not lead to a reduction in engine lifespan. As of now, Dongfeng Honda has not received any reports of engine damage caused by increased oil levels.
In the latest tests, when the oil level exceeds the upper limit of the dipstick by 21 millimeters, some vehicles may experience the engine fault light illuminating. The report states that when the oil exceeds the upper limit of the dipstick by 31mm, oil pressure fluctuations and blockage of the PCV channel may occur, which cannot guarantee engine performance. Based on the relationship between gasoline dilution rate and oil increase, it is noted that maintaining the increase within 30mm is not a problem for performance, but exceeding 21mm may trigger a warning light.
Solution: Dongfeng Honda Implements Recall and ECU Upgrade
Car owners and related organizations have had various speculations regarding the increase in oil levels in Dongfeng Honda’s 1.5T engine. This time, Dongfeng Honda officially stated that by upgrading the ECU of the complaint vehicles, they can correct the fuel injection timing, accelerate the oil temperature rise after engine start, and adjust the ignition timing to suppress the increase in oil hydraulic levels, while also promoting the rapid evaporation and re-burning of the mixed gasoline components. Since the Honda CR-V is a global model, Honda is also investigating in North America, and it is estimated that 99.5% of the issues can be resolved through this improvement.
Although initially, there was no recall plan from Dongfeng Honda regarding the “oil dilution” incident, after the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine intervened in the investigation, Dongfeng Honda prepared to recall the CR-V and CIVIC models equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine, with the CR-V recall set to begin in late February and the CIVIC recall in early March. Other models equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine will also be verified and addressed in due course. Since addressing all models will take some time, if the engine fault light illuminates during this period, customers are advised to visit the nearest Dongfeng Honda authorized sales service center for a free vehicle inspection.
Conclusion
After a month of waiting, CR-V and CIVIC owners finally received an official statement from Dongfeng Honda. The recall of the problematic models has become the final route to resolve the increase in oil levels. Whether this outcome is a period or a comma for the “oil dilution” incident remains to be seen after the Spring Festival!
