Gas in Oil - 912E

[grebo]

I have a bad feeling about my 912E, over the last couple of days the idle speed has dropped from 1050 rpm to 900 - no problem, but without any human intervention I'm worried about it... it has also taken to dropping the rpm briefly down to about 600 when coasting to a stop before stabilising at 900.

The other problem I'm more concerned about is a strong smell of gasoline in the oil - my commute to work is long enough to fully heat the engine (15miles) but I'm getting the mayonaise gunk in the oil filler cap which is where I noticed the gas smell. Am I about to drop a valve seat or could it be something up with the injection? Your thoughts are much appreciated, I'd like some pointers on where to start my investigation.

Thanks in advance,

Lee.

[WFBowen]

Lee:
Assuming your ignition is all okay, I'd start with the injection system. Behind the throttle valve area is the cold-start valve which, if leaking, will continue to dump raw fuel into the system instead of shutting off. Test it with a fully warmed engine...unscrew it, place it (still connected to fuel/current) in a small jar and turn on the ignition to the final "click" before the starter motor engages. No fuel should drip or spray out with the motor warmed up.
The other 4 injectors can also be tested for leaks. The entire system remains pressurized for quite a while after the car is shut down, so a leaky injector(s) could be dripping raw fuel into the cylinders.
Double check all electrical connections and especially the grounds which come out of the wiring harness on the pass side, towards the rear of the motor (above & right of the fan.) I read somewhere that when major FI components (sensors, air-flow meter/computer) fail, the system will fall back to a very rich "limp-home" mode. Check for any vacuum leaks between the airflow meter and the throttle valve. Are any of your plugs fouled?
Hope this helps....
Bill.