Checked My Oil

[BlueOvalFitter]

Earlier today I added some water to my windshield washer reservoir and decided to check the engine oil. I just recently changed it (about 500 miles) using PP 5W20. With 97K miles on the engine this is the first time it has had synthetic oil.
Upon wiping the dipstick I noticed it left black soot on the towel. It has NEVER done this before. I wonder if the PP is doing its job and cleaning the internal engine? All my OCI's have been 3K-6K miles.

Pics below;
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/7008/002bgou.jpg
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/5553/006qwa.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4949/012frm.jpg

 

[147_Grain]

Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Earlier today With 97K miles on the engine this is the first time it has had synthetic oil.
.... I wonder if the PP is doing its job and cleaning the internal engine? All my OCI's have been 3K-6K miles.

Stronger detergent package in the Platinum line-up IS likely cleaning your engine out from a lot of short trips that do not burn-off contaminants.

What dino oil has your vehicle seen over the 97K?

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Earlier today With 97K miles on the engine this is the first time it has had synthetic oil.
.... I wonder if the PP is doing its job and cleaning the internal engine? All my OCI's have been 3K-6K miles.

Stronger detergent package in the Platinum line-up IS likely cleaning your engine out from a lot of short trips that do not burn-off contaminants.

What dino oil has your vehicle seen over the 97K?



The only dino was M5K and VWB 5W20 once each. Castrol GTX SynBlend 5W20 once. All the rest was MC 5W20 at my local Ford dealer in FL.

 

[aquariuscsm]

That's a trip,I've never seen anything like that before. Did you maybe inadvertently scrape the dipstick on a dirty part of the engine while removing it?

 

[LeakySeals]

I have noticed that too. A lot during the first synthetic oil change, goes away a little more with each subsequent oil change. But some will always be there. M1, PP, and PU all do this. Better its in the oil which can be removed than settled on the engine surface. Higher efficiency filters help too.

 

[Oldasco]

Check your driveway for oil dripping all of a sudden. I put synthetic oil in my engine for the first time at about 150,000 miles and got oil weeping out of engine after a about 2000 miles that I never noticed before...got oil on driveway for first time. may have been coincidental, but I put maxlife in car next change and after about 3000 miles now I don't have dripping oil on driveway.

 

[FoxS]

I've seen this on my Mercedes which was dealer serviced presumably with M1 0w40.

I'm wondering whether this soot is from older oil that has cooked higher up the dipstick from splashing or even on the walls of the dipstick tube.

The synthetic might be doing a better job of cleaning it from the dipstick. I saw a post where somebody said synthetic or some additive had cleaned a previously varnished dipstick.

In my case, the vehicle was purchased at 25k and had a fresh oil change with I presume M1 0w40. Prior to that it had had 2 dealer oil changes.

All the way to 31k which was my first oil change with M1 0w40, I would wipe soot off the dipstick. The oil drained very black with 6k on it.

Now at 37k, there has been minimal soot to wipe off and the oil is not as black but still pretty dark.

 

[V8man]

Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Earlier today With 97K miles on the engine this is the first time it has had synthetic oil.
.... I wonder if the PP is doing its job and cleaning the internal engine? All my OCI's have been 3K-6K miles.

Stronger detergent package in the Platinum line-up IS likely cleaning your engine out from a lot of short trips that do not burn-off contaminants.

What dino oil has your vehicle seen over the 97K?



The only dino was M5K and VWB 5W20 once each. Castrol GTX SynBlend 5W20 once. All the rest was MC 5W20 at my local Ford dealer in FL.


BlueOvalFitter, are you gonna keep using Pennzoil Platinum?

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That's a trip,I've never seen anything like that before. Did you maybe inadvertently scrape the dipstick on a dirty part of the engine while removing it?

You are kidding, right?

 

[V8man]

Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That's a trip,I've never seen anything like that before. Did you maybe inadvertently scrape the dipstick on a dirty part of the engine while removing it?

You are kidding, right?

I hope he is kidding.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: V8man
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Earlier today With 97K miles on the engine this is the first time it has had synthetic oil.
.... I wonder if the PP is doing its job and cleaning the internal engine? All my OCI's have been 3K-6K miles.

Stronger detergent package in the Platinum line-up IS likely cleaning your engine out from a lot of short trips that do not burn-off contaminants.

What dino oil has your vehicle seen over the 97K?



The only dino was M5K and VWB 5W20 once each. Castrol GTX SynBlend 5W20 once. All the rest was MC 5W20 at my local Ford dealer in FL.


BlueOvalFitter, are you gonna keep using Pennzoil Platinum?

Honestly, I don't know. After seeing this and reading how well PP cleans an engines internal parts...??? I wanted to use my $5 off coupon on PYB next OCI.
I'm going to keep an eye on this and watch the oil level. Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[05LGTLtd]

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4949/012frm.jpg

"Shroud of the Phoenix"

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That's a trip,I've never seen anything like that before.

I kind of thought the same thing at first. That and, "Wow, this PP is really cleaning my engine!"

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4949/012frm.jpg

"Shroud of the Phoenix"

In a way, it does look like he is rising from the ashes. Look out E-BAY, here I come!

 

[V8man]

BlueOvalFitter, Pennzoil Platinum claims it can clean up sludge or junk in your engine, looks like this claim is true.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: V8man
BlueOvalFitter, Pennzoil Platinum claims it can clean up sludge or junk in your engine, looks like this claim is true.

That sort of has me worried, in a way. I mean, with my frequent OCI's my engine should be clean, according to what I know and what everyone else has said here.
I guess a UOA would be the only real thing that could determine what is going on in my engine, correct?

 

[Coprolite]

You put in PP because you read that it cleaned well. Then you get worried when it gets dirty. You might have to start a perfect oil thread where the perfect oil treats engine crud like phasers treat their victims on Star Trek. Didn't they just disappear with no trace?

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: Coprolite
You put in PP because you read that it cleaned well. Then you get worried when it gets dirty. You might have to start a perfect oil thread where the perfect oil treats engine crud like phasers treat their victims on Star Trek. Didn't they just disappear with no trace?

Well, yes, and no. I just keep thinking about everyone saying how clean my engine should be because I never go long OCI's. Then I start thinking, is it really "THAT" clean or is PP that good?
Sometimes I wish I just kept to the basics of changing my oil and not do all the reading and research.

 

[Coprolite]

If you want to be sure, we can pull the engine and dissect it. A UOA is like a urine analysis. It can indicate a lot, but it is only just another test.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: Coprolite
If you want to be sure, we can pull the engine and dissect it. A UOA is like a urine analysis. It can indicate a lot, but it is only just another test.

I will have to get back with you on that.