Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Elderly lady living across the street gave me an opened jug about half full. I never want to waste anything, so, I do want to use this oil. I know this sounds crazy, but does Rotella have a strong distinct smell? More so than typical PCMO?
It looks and feels like new oil, jug is in good shape. However I smell a bit of a sharp/sweet smell, similar to paint thinner, but definitely a bit different. I don't want any type of contamination...
Any ideas? Thanks.
I doubt any of us have the ability to tell you how odor is going to be able to assure you of anything, other than a horridly acrid smell is certainly one to stay away from. However, there are also many products with little odor that can still ruin other liquids. I have many different lubes in my garage; I cannot tell one from another with any truly discernable action. Smell is a very poor way to judge lubes overall; too subjective.
She's your neighbor; I presume you'd know her much better than the rest of us; you should be able to ascertain the nature of the gift better than us. How did she happen to have a 1/2 jug of T5 in the first place? Does your 80 YO female driver hike herself up into a lifted diesel 4x4 to head to the grocery? Is she adept enough to choose the full bottle for something else that would require a CJ-4 lube? She got a diesel compact tractor out back? How did that jug get into her possession in the first place? At her age, what is she putting oil into? I'm being completely stereotypical here; based upon her gender and age, I find it incredibly odd for her to have a 1/2 jub of T5. Yes- I'm being "that guy". If she truly is capable of understanding what HDEO is for, and uses it in some of her equipment, then why is she ridding herself of it? Why give you a 1/2 jug of lube she would need for top-off? If she is NOT capable of selecting and using a CJ-4 for the correct application, then how in the world did she come across it in the first place? Plus - you mention it's "15w-40". That T5 product is one of the newer grades in that line. That bottle cannot even be that old, which means she should have some reasonable explanation as to how she came across it.
You don't want to waste it? I can appreciate that; I, too, abhor waste. But you have ZERO investment here, so there's nothing for you to lose if you just recycle it. That would be the safest bet, unless the elderly lady can assure you past any doubt of its origin and nature.
