Castrol EDGE turns black/red FAST

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Color is not an indicator of oil wear or performance

Is the CEL on?


I really hate it when I see people say this. I've only ever seen neglected or problematic engines turn oil jet black in a short amount of time like this, except for GDI engines or diesels.

I could accept maybe that the oil could still be okay despite being jet black after an extended interval. But turning black in 1000 miles usually indicates excessive blow-by, or the engine was neglected and it's being cleaned out now.

It is not normal for oil to turn jet black in 1000 miles on a port injected gas engine.

 

[Silver]

Thanks everyone. It was a rental before we bought it. Some say that's good, some say bad. Maybe a few ounces of AutoRX and Techron. Tune up time not too far off either I don't guess.

 

[Merek]

I would run something a bit cheaper for shorter intervals like Havoline ProDs or QSUD, PP is really good too but it's cost has significantly increased as of late in comparison to other options. I found that Shell RGT meets MS6395 so it's not too costly and an excellent choice. You could also try some MMO in the oil to help clean it out, it's not as harsh as Sea Foam and cleans slowly over time, you can also use MMO in the gas to clean your fuel system.

 

[ChrisD46]

Interesting to note that Castrol 5W30 EP has been a normal performer in an '07 Kia 3.8L PFI enging - not so in my '17 Hyundai 2.4L GDI engine where again - it turned black by 1500 miles in a well maintained engine ... Must be the caster beans ?

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Exact same thing with me. Except when I used it in my 2.4, there was only 4.5 K on the odometer.
The last time I encountered oil turning black that quickly was back in the early 90s when I used GTX for 3-4 years. It got both black early and varnish'ee.

I predominantly use Valvoline and Pennzoil ever since. Varnish was gone in two OCIs and normal oil coloring returned..... which basically means clear dipstick for 1k - then amber for another 1.5k - then turning black entering 3k use.


Oils should not turn black early - if our engines are clean prior to use. My dipsticks are clear andor amber, when I've driven vehicles to junkyards full of rust, 18 years later.
But every 10 years or-so, I try Castrol oils again, just to see if things changed. It's always been one-time-use since the early 90s, then I go back to oils I trust more.

 

[caprice_2nv]

I've used Castrol when it's on sale, and never noticed anything different about how fast it got dirty. The only oil I did notice looking dirty quicker was Royal purple and I figured it was the purple dye causing it.

My lawnmower got dirty quick for one oil change, since then it stays clean looking for a full season.

Switching my work truck to synthetic for the first time around 170k miles didn't cause it to get noticeably dirtier during the OCI, even though I expected it to. I guess it's pretty clean inside.