Accidentally Added Hydraulic Oil to Car

[acbackflow]

It was actually Air Compressor ISO 32. I did oil changes on three of my cars. At the end I topped them all off with an open jug of oil from the shelf. I added about .5 to 1 quart to each of them. I then remembered I had used that jug for some air compressor oil... I think.

Anyways if it was hydraulic oil do I need to change out the oil? Or will a half to one quart cause any real problems?

 

[billt460]

Hydraulic oil has no place in an engine crankcase. I would change both the oil and filter immediately.

 

[ripcord]

You might get away with it, but you have no assurance that the additives in either will be chemically compatible. The lower anti wear additives, or lack of, in the hydraulic fluid will at least dilute those in the motor oil.

 

[dnewton3]

ISO lubes have antiwear additives, but not generally any D/I package to speak of.
And, you didn't state what the sump capacity was for each car. 1/2 a quart in a 6 quart system isn't a huge risk by %.

However, without knowing the specific chemistry of all the various products, it's a crapshoot. I'm not a chemist; I cannot speak to the risks in this regard.
While I don't think it's going to "hurt", prudence dictates another OCI.
Far cheaper to change oil than to replace an engine.

 

[blain450]

Engine rebuilds and/or replacements are cheap.
I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Kira]

Engine rebuilds and/or replacements are cheap.

The 18 year old who bought my neighbor's car drove it lacking oil.
There are silvery sparkles in the oil now.
He said, "I'll just pop-in another engine".
He doesn't even own any tools.

 

[Pablo]

It was actually Air Compressor ISO 32. I did oil changes on three of my cars. At the end I topped them all off with an open jug of oil from the shelf. I added about .5 to 1 quart to each of them. I then remembered I had used that jug for some air compressor oil... I think.

Anyways if it was hydraulic oil do I need to change out the oil? Or will a half to one quart cause any real problems?

Change very soon. 0.5 qt the engine may not notice but still

What cars/engines?

 

[joekingcorvette]

Yes, definitely do a drain and fill. I would probably not drain the oil filter.

 

[CJE]

It was actually Air Compressor ISO 32. I did oil changes on three of my cars. At the end I topped them all off with an open jug of oil from the shelf. I added about .5 to 1 quart to each of them. I then remembered I had used that jug for some air compressor oil... I think.

Anyways if it was hydraulic oil do I need to change out the oil? Or will a half to one quart cause any real problems?

AS I recall; ISO 32 is about 10 weight / 100 SUS. Compressor oil is lubrication not a hydraulic oil. If it was refrigeration oil it is just more refined to have zero wax and zero moisture and few additives. If it was me I would leave it - unless you were changing 50 weight MC oil. <g> Especially if the proper oil is 0-20 or 5-30.

A long time ago I had a friend named Jess. He drove a ratty old 289 mustang. He worked in a tractor / constuction equipment shop. He kept using the shop's oil in his car so they locked it up in the tool room - it all had to be signed out. So Jess started putting 90 weight gear oil in his engine. It was slow starting in the cold weather but he ran it for years that way. <g>

What does the mysterious oil you added look like? Was it new, clean, honey colored? Did it pour like the standard oil you were using?

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

When I think about that Snake Oil isle at the auto Big Box Store and some of those thin oil additive products from the likes of Valve Medic to Marvel Mystery oil, Rislone etc my question would be, how much difference would a 1/2 quart of 10-W air compressor oil actually be from some of that "mineral oil based stuff" many folks pay big money for and dump in an engine with zero thought?

However, ME personally would dump that oil and start over as stuff like that would keep me awake at night...

 

[jtwrace]

Run it, I'd love to the epic Blackstone results.

 

[kschachn]

At least it wasn’t Powerbait this time.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

AS I recall; ISO 32 is about 10 weight / 100 SUS. Compressor oil is lubrication not a hydraulic oil. If it was refrigeration oil it is just more refined to have zero wax and zero moisture and few additives. If it was me I would leave it - unless you were changing 50 weight MC oil. <g> Especially if the proper oil is 0-20 or 5-30.

A long time ago I had a friend named Jess. He drove a ratty old 289 mustang. He worked in a tractor / constuction equipment shop. He kept using the shop's oil in his car so they locked it up in the tool room - it all had to be signed out. So Jess started putting 90 weight gear oil in his engine. It was slow starting in the cold weather but he ran it for years that way. <g>

What does the mysterious oil you added look like? Was it new, clean, honey colored? Did it pour like the standard oil you were using?

Funny, brought back a memory of my 'broke" buddy who lost the rear main seal in his Oldsmobile years ago.
I noticed all my old half used quarts of everything started disappearing from my garage. old Harley oil, lawn mower oil, gear oil, If that oil was not nailed down it went in his car.

I knew we had a problem when my friends started calling looking for missing oil bottles...

His leak was so bad he would leave a 4" wide trail of oil behind him. I think he used more oil that gas.
He was always welcome to my old oil but after a month or so I had to come down hard on him as he was leaving a mess in my neighborhood... He did finally replace the seal.

 

[blain450]

The 18 year old who bought my neighbor's car drove it lacking oil.
There are silvery sparkles in the oil now.
He said, "I'll just pop-in another engine".
He doesn't even own any tools.

I love this younger generation. They have solid plans and lots of spunk.
~ WINNING ~

 

[Astro14]

I love this younger generation. They have solid plans and lots of spunk.
~ WINNING ~

“Hey, I watched a YouTube video on how to do it, and the video is only 20 minutes long so, even if I’m slow it’s gonna take me what, an hour?”

 

[ATex7239]

What’s more important to you the machine or the fluids?

 

[ATex7239]

The 18 year old who bought my neighbor's car drove it lacking oil.
There are silvery sparkles in the oil now.
He said, "I'll just pop-in another engine".
He doesn't even own any tools.

That’s inexperience talking more than a specific generation. How many teenagers across human history have declared how they were going to move out and do this or that and buy this or that with zero experience, money, and understanding of how the world works. The answer is probably all of them.

 

[berniedd]

Go back to that bottle of oil you used. Look at the oil inside. Hydraulic oil is almost clear to light amber colored, and thin. Motor oil is thicker and honey colored.

 

[slo town]

“Hey, I watched a YouTube video on how to do it, and the video is only 20 minutes long so, even if I’m slow it’s gonna take me what, an hour?”

Let me rephrase that for you:

Hey, I watched a YouTube video on how to do it, and the video is like only 20 minutes long so, even if I’m slow it’s gonna take me like what, an hour?

Scott

 

[maraakate]

I love this younger generation. They have solid plans and lots of spunk.
~ WINNING ~

To be fair, when I was 18 I thought oil was something that was for the lifetime of the car. We all have to start somewhere.