At 10k miles I switched my 05 Civic over to Mobil 1. I thought I detected a significant increase in noise from the engine almost immediately, but decided to stick with it. Today after 1000 miles, the oil is BLACK. I don't mean amber, dark, or brown. I mean COAL black. I know color is not necessarily indictative. But still at 10k (already had 2 dino changes prior to the Mobil 1), the engine couldn't have been so dirty that this is coming from the detergency of the Mobil 1. I was going to go to 10k internvals. I'm only going to make it 10% of the way. I'm going back to Chevron dino. I might be (am) throwing money away but the thought of all that liquid blackness in my engine is too much to bear. Is it normal from Mobil 1 to darken this much in 1000 miles in a clean engine?
can't stand it -dumping Mobil 1 at 1000 miles
- Thread starter dinosauract
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Send it in for a used oil analysis if you're so sure its bad oil. Oil color does not indicate the condition of the oil accurately. I know plenty of people on here who would run your used oil for a full OCI. At 1000 miles its just "broken in".
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When I was using Mobil 1 in a Mitsubishi pickup truck the engine was noisier at idle with it. I changed it over to Chevron Supreme and, to my surprise, the engine quietened with it. I had not expected the change in the noise level with switching from one brand of oil to another one of the same viscosity.
On the rapidly darkening of your oil I wonder whether the thinner Mobil 1 with its thinner oil film is allowing more blowby past the piston rings.
On the rapidly darkening of your oil I wonder whether the thinner Mobil 1 with its thinner oil film is allowing more blowby past the piston rings.
No, I'm not sure its bad oil. I realize I'm being unscientific (and I'm scientist). I know oil can darken quickly and its not necessarily a problem. But I've never even had conventional oil look this black in 8k miles. The darkening has to be coming from the add pack, since the engine should be very clean. Is it common from M1 to turn coal black in 1k miles in a new engine? Also, the engine noise probably bothers me even more. Maybe my engine just doesn't "like" M1.
The engine likely is the same now as it was before the change. You are just paying more attention to it and your mind is playing tricks on you.
Defintely do not the courage to stick with the synthetic.
Defintely do not the courage to stick with the synthetic.
the B- and H-block honda engines tend to make piston slap noises when their cold. This is a combination of very low rod/stroke ratios (high angular thrust of piston into the cyl wall) and piston/sleeve expansion. Also another source of the noise could be the solid tappet valvetrain. Some oils hide this better than others. Mobil 1 is one of those noisy oils that provides more friction/drag performance and less hydrostatic cushioning
While you do not say directly what oil's you DID use from 0-10,000 miles, I will SWAG from your posts, you used the oem (ExxonMobil) Honda 5w20 and Chevron. I would say with three variables (three or possibily more brands) going on it would be hard to come to any conclusion about the "blackness" issue, i.e., Mobil 1 being the latest or "last one" that is CAUSING the blackness. I would further guess that if you had stayed with one brand AFTER the oem fill(since you brought up Mobil 1)say, Mobil 1, that it would scarcely have been an issue, just as it is NOT an issue for me at all (going from one oem OCI to 2 Mobil 1 0w20 OCI's). So you are complicating your variables and drawing the wrong conclusions. So a more plausible scenario is after using oem and Chevron, the Mobil 1 is cleaning the residual brew/s and taking the hit for doing it. So in effect, you are blaming the wrong oil/brew. Or you may indeed have an engine condition, which not coincidently a used oil analysis would catch or give indicaion.
[ December 19, 2005, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: ruking77 ]
Thanks for backing up what I am saying.
dinosuaract, I would go a few OCI's of 5000 miles with the synthetic oil. Stay with it. I am sure after your second OCI is dumped...you will have a clean, clean engine. I would take the advice of the above others. Do a Oil analysis when you do the first OCI just to make sure you don't have a injector dumping fuel in your engine. You really should go with the 10,000 OCI after everything checks out. In the mean time pull the sparkplugs and see how they look. Stay with your program...it will work.
I'd agree that although you only have 10k on the motor, the Mobil 1 is probably cleaning things out and you cannot make an accurate assessment/comment with just one OCI. In your case, black is definately a good thing and an indicator of the above. Use for another interval or switch to a different synthetic.
A lot of M1 White nights ...
I will add that I would never expect to see 'Black' colored oil on the stick or after any OCI in a Honda with less than ~40-50k.
I do not think at all that the oil in question is toasted, I just do not know why it would turn black at all in a new engine.
In regards to noise, I believe I had mentioned before that I had Clean 5000 in my 90 Accord and noticed a huge increase in noise. Maybe its an XOM thing ... put Havoline back in the Accord and I could hear the static behind a weak station I listen to in the morning.
dino,
Can you catch some of that oil in a clear jar and take some pics for us?
I will add that I would never expect to see 'Black' colored oil on the stick or after any OCI in a Honda with less than ~40-50k.
I do not think at all that the oil in question is toasted, I just do not know why it would turn black at all in a new engine.
In regards to noise, I believe I had mentioned before that I had Clean 5000 in my 90 Accord and noticed a huge increase in noise. Maybe its an XOM thing ... put Havoline back in the Accord and I could hear the static behind a weak station I listen to in the morning.
dino,
Can you catch some of that oil in a clear jar and take some pics for us?
Actually Mobil 1 oil not for everyone's engine and ears, while it perfectly protect engine some folks can't feel comfortable with a noise of a tractor. My mitsi mirage with 50k on it quiet dead with Pennzoil platinum and sound like a little tank with Mobil 1. If it really bothers you just dump it and refill with another brand of your choice....
Run it at least 3k before you dump it.
The harmonics in synthetics like Mobil 1 will be completely different from the dinos. The noise isn't indicative of increased wear with Mobil 1. The add packs in synthetics will turn darker.
Your freaking out over nothing, but if it makes you feel better enjoy the dino.
Daily Drives:
-2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner,2.7 liter, 4 cylinder, Mobil 1 5w30 ODO 22800
-1995 Toyota 4-Runner,3.0 liter,6 cylinder, Mobil 1 5w40 Truck & SUV ODO 102100
http://community.webshots.com/user/amkeer
Your freaking out over nothing, but if it makes you feel better enjoy the dino.
Daily Drives:
-2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner,2.7 liter, 4 cylinder, Mobil 1 5w30 ODO 22800
-1995 Toyota 4-Runner,3.0 liter,6 cylinder, Mobil 1 5w40 Truck & SUV ODO 102100
http://community.webshots.com/user/amkeer
I noticed the same thing. I bought my Cutlass 3 weeks ago and as soon I had it I changed out the dino for Mobil 1. I then noticed soon after I could hear the piston slap when cold, where I couln't before, and in addition many other noises. I am switching to Amsoil in the hopes to get it back to the way it was. I never had problems with mobil 1 in any other vehicle. My previous car ran mobil 1 for as long as I owned it. I guess it depends on the car. Some like it, some don't
You can't determine anything unless you send in a sample and I can tell you that the darkening seen with some oils like M1 is a chemical reaction, notthing else. Your worrying about nothing. On top of that, you want an oil to get dark as that means it's doing it's job.
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