Not sure how old this oil was, but it's rated SM. I've had it in my stash quite a long time I think. Just did a change on my son's 1999 Caravan and was surprised at the color of this old oil, kind of a rose/orange dark color. Was this normal for oil of this vintage? Can't remember... Bottles were all safety sealed and all had this same dark color. I know oil doesn't go bad with age but does it darken like this?
Color of Old Mobil 1 10w30
- Thread starter Scout1
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That's normal. I had some Mobil 1 10w-40 High Mileage and it was similar dark amber color when new, and when used other bottles 5 years later.
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That color does look odd. Look like the color of my oil when I drain it. I used to be a die hard M1 user (used M1 15W50 exclusively in my 300ZX) and it was a clear amber, so clear its was almost water-clear.
10D29, would be the 29th of April 2010.
MrQuackers
Site Donor 2024
Looks just like the SM 5w-30 M1 Truck & SUV I got on clearance many moons ago. Good stuff.
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I had some Mobil1 15W50 that was the same color. It had a reddish tint to it.
I recently used up some Castrol Vecton Long Drain 10w40 E6/E9 I had in my stash and it had the same dark red tint to it.
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Back in 2012 when I using Mobil1 exclusively it did look dark like that. Always thought it was the darkest colored oil I ever bought.
Just recently I purchased some Mobil1 0w20 EP and it didn’t look like that. Instead it looks like most other products nowadays...lighter in color (although I did think it poured from the bottle a little quicker than other 0W20’s I’ve had recently).
Just recently I purchased some Mobil1 0w20 EP and it didn’t look like that. Instead it looks like most other products nowadays...lighter in color (although I did think it poured from the bottle a little quicker than other 0W20’s I’ve had recently).
OK, thanks for the reassurances! When I opened the first bottle, I thought, "Oh no, this must be used oil that somebody replaced in the bottles!" I do kind of remember the older stuff being darker with the reddish tint. Anyone know what additive gives this old stuff the darker color? Whatever it is, it must be missing from the new oils, they all look so light and clear.
^^^That's what I thought too. I would have sworn that someone played a trick on the parts store by returning used oil and getting their money back. It even smelled(not like fuel) but suspicious just the same. However, I found this to be the norm.
I found some older SM M1 5/30 in my utility pump house that I brought when I moved to Idaho 12+ years ago, it looks exactly the same as yours. It was for my wife's 06 Cadillac STS. I have been using it in my woodspliter and yard equipment.
