Runny oil!?
 

About a month ago I had my 2003 RX8 serviced for the 9th time. Mazda main dealer as normal. I've run two tanks of fuel since and I go to check the oil for the first time since the service and it is very strange.

The oil is very high on the dip stick, way above full and it is very very thin compared to normal. So thin it drips off the dip stick.

Also the "normal" gunge of white foam emulsion, which is usually present on the top of the dip stick isn't there!!

Something feels wrong. Could they have used the wrong oil?? It says on the service form 5W30 which is the right oil for an RX-8 but it seems way too thin for that, too thin to be even the thinnest oil.

The only other things I've never seen on any other of my services before was Fortron Engine Flush / Fortron Total Fuel which I think they add to the fuel not the oil right??

It's not an emulsion so water from the cooling has not mixed in... but there is a slight smell of petrol.

Any ideas as to what could have happened before I take it back to Mazda on Monday?

[Edit] I should also say that I've never experienced flooding, hot or cold start etc.

They overfilled your oil is one guess.

Compare the thickness of a sample of it to that of a siimilar sample of new oil.

It's spring / summer -- you're not going to see much, if any, "froth" during the warmer months.

When you take it back have them check and clean your MAF and intake accordion tube as they are both likely contaminated with oil -- assuming you didn't previously install a catch can.

It's far thinner than 5W30. That is quite a thick oil. As I took the dip stick out it dripped several times it is that thin.

I did check the oil when the engine was cold. Not something I normally do. I'll run it today and then leave it for 5 mins and check again.

It still coats the dipstick right? I run 10w40 and it drips off the dipstick when it is removed that is just going to happen no matter what. Your oil will get mixed with some gas that just happens, that doesn't exactly help the thickness either.

I know this thread is several years old, but I have the exact same issue!
Oil is really runny, and drips off the dipstick. Impossible to get an actual level as the dipstick is fully covered in oil!
Anyone any ideas? I’m concerned that the level may be low, but I can’t tell and I don’t want to overfill.

Are you checking it with the engine off? It might read very high, off the scale, if it's over full, but it should still have a clear line. If the engine is running of course it wil churn the oil all over the place.

If you are and it's fully covered in oil, low oil would not be my first guess ;). Is this a fresh fill of oil or it has been in there for a while?

Thanks for that.
I’m reading with engine off and there is no clear line. It’s been in there for a while, and it has been like this for a while now. I hoped that if I kept running for a few weeks that the level would drop and show a line, but no!
It’s weird that it drips off the dipstick. I’m using Castrol Magnatech 10-40.

Are you wiping the dipstick before re-inserting it to get a reading? Sorry for the newbie-type question, but we get all kinds through here. Just making sure, because I still don't understand how it could be all over the dipstick with the engine off.

That aside, if it's overly thin, it's either old (oils thin as they degrade), or loaded with fuel (which you should be able to smell). The first one is an easy fix, just change it. The second could point to a more serious issue. One idea would be to get a used oil sample analysis. Black Stone Labs is good for that, perhaps you have a local place nearby.

By the way, dripping itself is not an indicator of trouble. If there's a lot of oil on the dipstick, it will want to run down.

No problem, yes, I am wiping it before taking a new reading!
When I say 'it's all over' the dipstick, I mean it is covering way above the top of the highest reading, and it's been like that for months now.
In 12 years of owning this car, I've never seen this before!

Who did the oil change?

Sounds like an overfill. You might want to take off the intake accordian tube and see if there is any oil in there.

My RX-8 is long since departed but I am sure my runny oil was due to two things.

1) Cheap 5w30 oil used at Mazda Oxford
2) Very short journeys. The RX-8 engine runs rich when cold and even richer if you've lost your fuel trim due to the battery being disconnected. I think I may have had both, I was only doing 3 miles each way and during the service they had disconnected the battery. From what I have read, running rich results in fuel in the oil which dilutes the oil and raises the oil fill level.

My car's engine eventually died due to rear-stationary bearing failure attributed to this so don't leave it. Take it to your local rotary specialist for a check.

Oil runny
 

Have you tried waiting until the morning to check your oil? Some vehicles have high oil pressure which will coat the inner tube where the dipstick goes. Making it impossible to get a reading until it goes down the tube and settles.
I've had this problem many times on a few different vehicles.
For the runny oil it could be that your car doesn't like synthetic and breaks it down alot more or the manufacturer gave you the wrong oil?
Like it never happens where people make mistake lol. Could just be the wrong label on the wrong grade now adays that have Honda civics running 0w-20 which is way to thin for any vehicle.....