Additives Settling out of oil

[TimeFlies]

While I put this under gas car oil, it could be any engine oil, euro, diesel, etc.
Is there any sort of average timeline for the additives to settle out of the oil, while jugs sit on the shelf?
Seven of us in the shop were discussing that today.
I shake up all oil jugs a little before using them, doesn't matter if I bought it 2 days, or 2 years ago.
Am I just wasting my time?

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

If you shake every jug regardless of age, yes you’re wasting our time asking if it’s a waste of time. Answering your own question is cool

 

[Shel_B]

I shake up all oil jugs a little before using them, doesn't matter if I bought it 2 days, or 2 years ago.
Am I just wasting my time?

 

[Foxtrot08]

I’m probably one of a handful of people that actually has real world experience with this.

Yes it does happen.


If you aren’t using a quart of oil in a decade or more. Like… just don’t use it. You haven’t missed it in the 10+ years so far you’ve had it.

 

[TimeFlies]

That was a great video!

 

[TimeFlies]

I’m probably one of a handful of people that actually has real world experience with this.

Yes it does happen.


If you aren’t using a quart of oil in a decade or more. Like… just don’t use it. You haven’t missed it in the 10+ years so far you’ve had it.

Never had 10 year old oil around, but have had 2 year old oil.

 

[irollo]

That was a great video!

You will be banned and persecuted for such blasphemy!

I kid

 

[Triple_Se7en]

The dealers cannot shake those large oil bulk tanks at dealerships. So if you opt for oil changes via bulk tanks all the time, you want that oil change when the tank is either half full - 3/4s or full.

If you buy your oil change below half-full, you run the risk of getting a lesser amount of those goodie additives, because they begin to settle towards the bottom of the bank, the moment it's filled.

 

[ATex7239]

FWIW, Pennzoil Platinum seems to get black gunk stuck to the bottom of bottle when it sits for a while. Shaking the bottle doesn’t appear to help so not sure it matters one way or another. The way I figure the blender wanted that stuff in the oil and now it will not make it into the engine.

If you aren’t using it within 6 months or so then maybe don’t buy it IMO. Many collect gobs of oil and use it years laters without issue. Is it a hobby, yes. Is it a sound practice, debatable.

 

[Patman]

The dealers cannot shake those large oil bulk tanks at dealerships. So if you opt for oil changes via bulk tanks all the time, you want that oil change when the tank is either half full - 3/4s or full.

If you buy your oil change below half-full, you run the risk of getting a lesser amount of those goodie additives, because they begin to settle towards the bottom of the bank, the moment it's filled.

Absolutely not true and it has been discussed here before by people in the industry who have knowledge about this subject.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

If you buy your oil change below half-full, you run the risk of getting a lesser amount of those goodie additives, because they begin to settle towards the bottom of the bank, the moment it's filled.

Maybe I’m thinking about it the wrong way, if all the additives settle towards the bottom then wouldn’t you want the oil that near the bottom to get all the goodie additives?

 

[Foxtrot08]

The dealers cannot shake those large oil bulk tanks at dealerships. So if you opt for oil changes via bulk tanks all the time, you want that oil change when the tank is either half full - 3/4s or full.

If you buy your oil change below half-full, you run the risk of getting a lesser amount of those goodie additives, because they begin to settle towards the bottom of the bank, the moment it's filled.

The majority of dealerships go through their tankage about monthly. Some a little more, some a little less.

At approximately 300 gallons, a 3600 gallon / year dealership is a tiny, tiny dealership. A “small” dealership is around 5000 gallons a year. A large dealership can approach 30,000 gallons a year.

That oil isn’t sitting. It sits longer in my tankage as the distributor, then it does there.

This topic has been covered at length here. Shelf life for oil, if you ask, is between 5-10 years depending on the major you ask. Storage conditions and such play into that. super cold storage conditions will make it happen faster.


So again, if you’re not going to use a quart of oil in 10+ years. Don’t use it. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.

 

[Hohn]

While I put this under gas car oil, it could be any engine oil, euro, diesel, etc.
Is there any sort of average timeline for the additives to settle out of the oil, while jugs sit on the shelf?
Seven of us in the shop were discussing that today.
I shake up all oil jugs a little before using them, doesn't matter if I bought it 2 days, or 2 years ago.
Am I just wasting my time?

That's not exactly a huge chunk of time to be "wasting" is it? Are you this scrupulous about all the other potential uses of your time?

 

[cheesepuffs2]

I started shaking oil before use after the first time I looked down into a fleshly emptied jug of Pennzoil Platinum and saw the residue at the bottom as many others here have experienced as well. Since they I always shake before pouring, regardless of brand.

 

[38Chevy454]

I just store my old oil bottles upside down. (just kidding)

 

[Sumboodie]

Chevron, as well as most others has a 5 year shelf life on most oils.

It's a chemical separation, mixing doesn't fix that.

 

[Wheel366]

I have some old Amsoil ATF and gear oil sitting on my shelf that is probably approaching 20 years old. Probably won't use it but it is still sitting regardless.

 

[OilStainedNapkin]

 

[kschachn]

Chevron, as well as most others has a 5 year shelf life on most oils.

It's a chemical separation, mixing doesn't fix that.

True, but it puts the precipitate back into temporary suspension and operating heat can put it back into solution.

 

[FoxProTwisty]

I started shaking oil before use after the first time I looked down into a fleshly emptied jug of Pennzoil Platinum and saw the residue at the bottom as many others here have experienced as well. Since they I always shake before pouring, regardless of brand.

Same here. Whatever it is, it does look like it's kinda stuck to the bottom. I mean, I let my jugs drip upside down for a couple hours sometimes and there's still some there. Maybe this vital oil sap of life is what we should be sending to the lab.