finally i figured out why oil turns brown in use

[friendly_jacek]

i could never find a good answer for this.
guess what, i was cleaning my garage and found some bottles of old used oil i forgot to recycle. some of them were clear from QS oils and after emptying them into a bigger jug, i see this. all bottles had more or less of this junk, but it was best visible in the clear bottles.
well, when that junk is suspended in oil, it will certainly make the oil darker.
BTW, these were 5000 mile OCI in RIP corolla, QS advance synthetic IIRC.

another lesson is don't ever store cars or boats with used oils in them.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
i could never find a good answer for this.
guess what, i was cleaning my garage and found some bottles of old used oil i forgot to recycle. some of them were clear from QS oils and after emptying them into a bigger jug, i see this. all bottles had more or less of this junk, but it was best visible in the clear bottles.
well, when that junk is suspended in oil, it will certainly make the oil darker.
BTW, these were 5000 mile OCI in RIP corolla, QS advance synthetic IIRC.

another lesson is don't ever store cars or boats with used oils in them.


Its only an issue if the TBN was depleted and the acids in the oil could etch bearings. While its best to change the oil in the fall for a boat, its not a disaster if you forget.

 

[Dyusik]

Hmm I store my bike with used oil and have the cleanest engine I have ever seen...

I blame qs.

 

[Rand]

Its that Penn. Crude its full of wax......

ok maybe not.

 

[bigt61]

Can't get any more scientific than that.

 

[SirTanon]

Oxidation right? It's gotta be oxidation.

... Or BBQ sauce. One of the two.

 

[Leonardo629]

so...why?

 

[4wheeldog]

If you did the same thing with new, unused oil, you would get some of the same effect. Additives can settle out.

What you have there is a mix of junk from the oil, old additives, and the effects of water sitting mixed with oil. In a running engine, most of that would be re-suspended in moments of running.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Leonardo629
so...why?


suspension of sludge/varnish.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
If you did the same thing with new, unused oil, you would get some of the same effect. Additives can settle out.


yes, but it's very minimal (if any) and not this dark brown.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: SirTanon
Oxidation right? It's gotta be oxidation.

... Or BBQ sauce. One of the two.

Tasting will tell the difference...

 

[Eddie]

Thankfully we have the answer now and I will be able to sleep tonight. )

 

[HTSS_TR]

Same for ATF, MTF, Gear fluid ...

I had few jugs ATF an MTF I changed some years ago, when we moved last year I took those jugs to Pep Boys for recycle, they returned the jugs for me to dispose, I looked at the bottom of all jugs and saw a lot of heavy deposit on the bottom.

 

[bubbatime]

Who would have thought that heavy metals and carbon would settle out of suspension. Shocked, I tell ya, shocked.

 

[datech]

This is nothing new. I noticed this as long ago as the mid seventies, when 10w-40 was commonly used. Modern oils will have just as much sediment as older oils, too.

The only remedy is to periodically shake the used oil containers, or possibly store them upside down for 6 months out of the year.

You could also rotate the old oil on a seasonal basis, like in the spring and fall.

Or just recycle the oil before it has a chance to settle out. They will give you the used jugs back if you ask them. Then store them empty.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Who would have thought that heavy metals and carbon would settle out of suspension. Shocked, I tell ya, shocked.


yeah, considering that the BITOG's dogma is oil color has no meaning.

BTW, there are no "heavy metals" in oil. it least not enough to precipitate, so you are just talking through your arse (no surprise).

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
Thankfully we have the answer now and I will be able to sleep tonight. )


you're welcome, pal.

 

[meborder]

The biggest treachery of this whole thread is that the OP didn't suck the good clean oil off the top of each bottle and re use it.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: meborder
The biggest treachery of this whole thread is that the OP didn't suck the good clean oil off the top of each bottle and re use it.


it's available for you. just one PM away.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: meborder
The biggest treachery of this whole thread is that the OP didn't suck the good clean oil off the top of each bottle and re use it.


it's available for you. just one PM away.


Just prepay shipping....