Castrol Edge - Dirty Early In OCI ?

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ChrisD46

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For my GDI Sonata I have always used synthetic M1 or PP (5W30) for 5K miles max , however I decided to try Castrol Edge 5W30 .
1,800 miles into the OCI - that oil is already dark ! The severe duty oil change is 3,750 miles and at least based on color (using Fram Ultra) I wonder if the oil will make it ?
No change in driving pattern - jI ust find it odd ... Anyone else discovered the same dirty early situation while using Castrol Edge ?
 
I used Edge for a few years and never noticed that, but I don't have a DI engine. It could be the slight change in chemistry is doing some cleaning of stuff left behind by the other oils. Or it could just be the vehicle is a little older and is generating more by-products than it did in the past. I'd stick to the severe service interval and get a UOA, maybe you have a bit more fuel dilution since the weather got a little cooler, and that is changing the oil color too.
 
Ive seen many discussions about switching from M1 to PP and seeing PP turn black in very low miles. Then when PP was run for a few more OCI it was OK and stayed amber for much longer.

Back them it was thought the M1 didnt clean as well as PP and PP removed some of the stuff the M1 allowed to accumulate. But you say you are rumming both M1 and PP at 5K so I expect the engine to be very clean.

You cant go by color alone on motor oil. I do a finger test and drop test from the dip stick. If it looks thinned out some (drips noticably faster then new oil) and feels less slippery or shows signs of comtamination) I would change it.

If its just dark but otherwise feels like fresh oil i would not change it early but keep and eye on it. If you dont want to keep and eye, oil changes are cheap enough.

what made you switch the castrol edge from two oils that were working?
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I used Edge for a few years and never noticed that, but I don't have a DI engine. It could be the slight change in chemistry is doing some cleaning of stuff left behind by the other oils. Or it could just be the vehicle is a little older and is generating more by-products than it did in the past. I'd stick to the severe service interval and get a UOA, maybe you have a bit more fuel dilution since the weather got a little cooler, and that is changing the oil color too.


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For the same reason I use different top tier gasoline's. Different formulations are better at cleaning different deposits.
I wouldn't worry about the color and other non quantitative means and simply pay attention to the type of service you are doing in the interval to determine how far to go.
 
PUP goes straight black if I use it in my cars after other oils- And that is even in late model cars with only 15-25K miles on them.
( After only 1200-1500 miles)
 
Colour is not indicative of oil condition in most cases, UOA will confirm this. In my Santa Fe the oil would still be amber on the dipstick but it was spend at 13,000km (8,000 miles) on a quality synthetic even though it appeared clean.
 
*It's a 2017 Sonata non - turbo 2.4L GDI with 21K miles on it ... I just tried the Castrol Edge out of curiosity .
Originally Posted by danez_yoda
Ive seen many discussions about switching from M1 to PP and seeing PP turn black in very low miles. Then when PP was run for a few more OCI it was OK and stayed amber for much longer.

Back them it was thought the M1 didnt clean as well as PP and PP removed some of the stuff the M1 allowed to accumulate. But you say you are rumming both M1 and PP at 5K so I expect the engine to be very clean.

You cant go by color alone on motor oil. I do a finger test and drop test from the dip stick. If it looks thinned out some (drips noticably faster then new oil) and feels less slippery or shows signs of comtamination) I would change it.

If its just dark but otherwise feels like fresh oil i would not change it early but keep and eye on it. If you dont want to keep and eye, oil changes are cheap enough.

what made you switch the castrol edge from two oils that were working?
 
I don't know if you're using the dexos1/Gen2 or some older stuff from a stash, but the d1G2 in my pickup did indeed turn dark much quicker than anything else previous. I think it was just a bit darker than typical out of the bottle, and it was easier to see on the dipstick when first poured in.

As I'm on the road for weeks at a time, my dad keeps track of my pickup while I'm gone and he noticed the darker color early in the OCI. Before it had 4k miles, he asked me if I wanted him to change the oil because of the dark color. It's now just shy of 7k miles into the OCI and it's making my dad awful nervous but I keep telling him not to worry because it'll be fine. He's been around diesels (blackened oil very early on) since he was young but seeing dark oil in a gasoline engine just makes him uncomfortable.
smile.gif


I posted a VOA for the new Edge d1G2 back in May or June. It has about 1400 ppm magnesium and 900 ppm calcium. A little different than the others I've seen posted.
 
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There are also some dispersant additives that turn dark from UV exposure (from the combustion event) making the oil appear oxidized when it really isn't.
 
If I remember right DI= direct injection. I have seen a few you tube videos about DI engines being hard on motor oils. I have used Castrol for 25 years plus ( experimented with a couple of other brands). Castrol the past few years out of the bottle a little dark. If your oil is dark at 1,800. In my humble opinion it is doing some cleaning in your motor. Maybe change your oil filter,but let it run until your normal oil change interval. Personally I like the WIX oil filters. Just a suggestion for you.

My thinking is if when you do an oil change and the oil comes out like new, to me it is not cleaning or your engine is spotless inside. I prefer a dark or almost black oil when I drain it, in my mind the oil is cleaning going it's job.
I will probably get flack for saying I like a pitch black drain instead of a like new out of the bottle drain.
 
*It was definitely 5W30 D1/Gen 2 Edge...
Originally Posted by dustyroads
I don't know if you're using the dexos1/Gen2 or some older stuff from a stash, but the d1G2 in my pickup did indeed turn dark much quicker than anything else previous. I think it was just a bit darker than typical out of the bottle, and it was easier to see on the dipstick when first poured in.

As I'm on the road for weeks at a time, my dad keeps track of my pickup while I'm gone and he noticed the darker color early in the OCI. Before it had 4k miles, he asked me if I wanted him to change the oil because of the dark color. It's now just shy of 7k miles into the OCI and it's making my dad awful nervous but I keep telling him not to worry because it'll be fine. He's been around diesels (blackened oil very early on) since he was young but seeing dark oil in a gasoline engine just makes him uncomfortable.
smile.gif


I posted a VOA for the new Edge d1G2 back in May or June. It has about 1400 ppm magnesium and 900 ppm calcium. A little different than the others I've seen posted.
 
Originally Posted by fordman65
If I remember right DI= direct injection. I have seen a few you tube videos about DI engines being hard on motor oils. I have used Castrol for 25 years plus ( experimented with a couple of other brands). Castrol the past few years out of the bottle a little dark. If your oil is dark at 1,800. In my humble opinion it is doing some cleaning in your motor. Maybe change your oil filter,but let it run until your normal oil change interval. Personally I like the WIX oil filters. Just a suggestion for you.

My thinking is if when you do an oil change and the oil comes out like new, to me it is not cleaning or your engine is spotless inside. I prefer a dark or almost black oil when I drain it, in my mind the oil is cleaning going it's job.
I will probably get flack for saying I like a pitch black drain instead of a like new out of the bottle drain.


In my experience if the engine needs cleaning (buildup from lack of maintenance prior) then it won't come out looking clean at the end of your OCI. The only vehicles I drained clean looking oil out of were ones that were meticulously maintained.

I remember one guy had a 4.6L mustang that he brought us for yearly synthetic oil changes. It didn't get driven often and the oil came out like brand new. I recall one tech draining the oil into a bottle to put in his own vehicle after.
 
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
*It was definitely 5W30 D1/Gen 2 Edge...
Originally Posted by dustyroads
I don't know if you're using the dexos1/Gen2 or some older stuff from a stash, but the d1G2 in my pickup did indeed turn dark much quicker than anything else previous. I think it was just a bit darker than typical out of the bottle, and it was easier to see on the dipstick when first poured in.

As I'm on the road for weeks at a time, my dad keeps track of my pickup while I'm gone and he noticed the darker color early in the OCI. Before it had 4k miles, he asked me if I wanted him to change the oil because of the dark color. It's now just shy of 7k miles into the OCI and it's making my dad awful nervous but I keep telling him not to worry because it'll be fine. He's been around diesels (blackened oil very early on) since he was young but seeing dark oil in a gasoline engine just makes him uncomfortable.
smile.gif


I posted a VOA for the new Edge d1G2 back in May or June. It has about 1400 ppm magnesium and 900 ppm calcium. A little different than the others I've seen posted.



Ok, we're using the same oil then. As I already said, it turned very dark in just a few thousand miles and has continued to darken. However, it didn't continue to darken at the same rate as the early miles. It's darker now at 7k miles but not twice as dark as it was at 3-4k miles.

For some reference, my previous OCI was Edge 5W-20 (SN). That oil went 9500 miles and never got as dark as the d1G2 with just a few thousand miles on it. Whether it's cleaning or just the chemical reaction to the heat, I'm still not worrying about it.
 
I'm having the same experience with Edge HM 10W40 in the 240 sedan. After 3,000 miles it's darker than any oil yet! First time I've run Castrol in either 240 - picked it up at an AZ closeout for $1/qt. Previous oil was Delo XLE 10W30 for three 5,000 mile OCIs. So I'd expect the engine to be clean. I have no idea why this is happening and it doesn't concern me one bit. Just funny that others are observing the same thing.

Sam
 
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