Here is my problem:
When I visited my parents during Christmas time, my dad told me about the problems is having with his car. I will do a different thread for that.
During the conversation, we obviously opened the hood to look at the oil level: It was already a quarter low (don't know what amount the mark on the dipstick represents, but full sump is about 4 liters), but more important, the oil was tar black, even more than when I changed my oil after 6 months/ 7500 miles.
The problem is that two months earlier, and 2000 kms (1250 miles) ago, he supposedly had an oil change at the dealership (annual change). Is that normal for the oil to be so black already?
I went to two quick lube stores and asked them what they thought of that, but one told me that there was a problem and to change the oil right away, and the other told me that it was normal for the oil to be black already, so that did not help me much.
The car is a Citroen Xsara, the Picasso (minivan style) version, with an 1.6 turbo diesel engine, the 110 HP version (more boost than the 90HP version from what I understand). About 120.000 kms now (75.000 miles), doing about 10.000 miles a year (about 7.000 highway miles and 3.000 miles really short trip errands). Oil is changed annually and there is usually one quarter left on the dipstick with no top off. I told him to top it off regularly than just watching the level going down.
Do you think they really did an oil change and that the fact that the oil is already black is normal, or do you think they only did a top-off (not even reaching full)?
How is the oil color 2 months after an oil change in your diesel engine?
When I visited my parents during Christmas time, my dad told me about the problems is having with his car. I will do a different thread for that.
During the conversation, we obviously opened the hood to look at the oil level: It was already a quarter low (don't know what amount the mark on the dipstick represents, but full sump is about 4 liters), but more important, the oil was tar black, even more than when I changed my oil after 6 months/ 7500 miles.
The problem is that two months earlier, and 2000 kms (1250 miles) ago, he supposedly had an oil change at the dealership (annual change). Is that normal for the oil to be so black already?
I went to two quick lube stores and asked them what they thought of that, but one told me that there was a problem and to change the oil right away, and the other told me that it was normal for the oil to be black already, so that did not help me much.
The car is a Citroen Xsara, the Picasso (minivan style) version, with an 1.6 turbo diesel engine, the 110 HP version (more boost than the 90HP version from what I understand). About 120.000 kms now (75.000 miles), doing about 10.000 miles a year (about 7.000 highway miles and 3.000 miles really short trip errands). Oil is changed annually and there is usually one quarter left on the dipstick with no top off. I told him to top it off regularly than just watching the level going down.
Do you think they really did an oil change and that the fact that the oil is already black is normal, or do you think they only did a top-off (not even reaching full)?
How is the oil color 2 months after an oil change in your diesel engine?