How many miles on this oil?

[Bill in Utah]

Hi,

I know that color of oil is not a good way to test how a oil is doing.

But, is it better that it's clear or dirty? Like if your running oil that does not clean or protect against sludge? (like some people here at BITOG think that conventional oils are)

Some of the cars that I have seen that are really dirty oil on the dip sticks seem to be dirty under the valve cover when you look inside.. (incl Full Synthetic users)

Your looking at Pennzoil 5w30 conventional. 59 cents a quart BTW.. (you know, the sludge stuff!

)

So, look at the dip stick below and whats your guess how many miles on this oil so far?




Take care, Bill

PS: Wish I could have some prize for whoever gets the closest...

 

[castor]

2750 miles

 

[GoldenRod]

3175 miles

 

[orlzx6r]

5,175 miles

 

[audi_guy]

4,245,875 miles.

 

[Al]

5,174 miles

. Oil running a little low?

 

[Gary Allan]

(visions of The Price is Right - scans other contestants ...copies Al's strategy ..but from the other end of it - remember "closest without going over" rule)

3176

..and yes, looks about a quart low

 

[Pablo]

You need to add some oil, pronto.

Since everything you do is pompous perfect with a sillya$$ grin and some kind of swipe at synthetic oil, it's got to be around 5001 miles.

PS Bill - unless you had noticed, some cars get the oil dirty really fast, even some from day one. With good oil this does not mean it will be "dirty under the valve cover"

 

[T-Keith]

1 mile Bob.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

Agree with the PS above. How old is the engine it's in?

That picture is lighter-colored than new oil with a splash of VSOT.

 

[OriginHacker21]

I would say around 2,000 miles. My GC Gold looked like that after 2,757 miles last night.

 

[MN Driver]

It's from a hot engine, either that or it sheared a bit. Looking at hot engine oil will always make it look newer, whenever I take a cold dipstick reading it always looks worse, but more consistent. Judging from a clean engine of mine, it would have about 2,500 miles at that color while hot, but how much make-up oil was there, if there was some then possibly more as it is obvious there was some consumption. A cold image of the oil might tell more, but possibly not. I knew somebody who ran Exxon Superflo and it came out just as clear as it went in but the oil after that came out super dirty, I wouldn't run an oil in my engine if the oil wasn't getting at least a little bit darker over time, but that's me. What engine?? How many miles on that engine?

 

[LTVibe]

quote:

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I sure wish Toyota did not put the stinking baffle in the oil filler!

---

I agree! There was actually a TSB issued by GM (Prizm, Vibe 1ZZ-FE) concerning overly "enthusiastic" mechanics and DIY's who managed to bend this baffle edge with funnels when adding oil. The result was often a clattering noise when the engine was restarted as the intake camshaft contacted the bent baffle edge!

TSB

[ March 19, 2006, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: LTVibe ]

 

[Bill in Utah]

quote:

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Originally posted by LTVibe:

quote:

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I sure wish Toyota did not put the stinking baffle in the oil filler!

---

I agree! There was actually a TSB issued by GM (Prizm, Vibe 1ZZ-FE) concerning overly "enthusiastic" mechanics and DIY's who managed to bend this baffle edge with funnels when adding oil. The result was often a clattering noise when the engine was restarted as the intake camshaft contacted the bent baffle edge!

TSB

---

Wow!

Ok, another reason to not allow others to change oil. I've watched those guys with the overhead bulk oil guns shove them into the engines.

Thanks for that TSB.

Take care, Bill

 

[Bill in Utah]

Hi,

The reason why it's low is because I took the dip stick out while the oil was draining and took the photo.

Hot oil (wife just got back from a 20+ miles jaunt on the freeway coming home from work)

So it was low due to that. (good that I plan for things... the whole day was that way...)

Pabs gets the closest to the actual miles on that oil... 4,910 miles.

Temps from 50s to single digits.(in the 30s most of the time) A few short trips (1-3 miles) a week (like 10) and the rest of my ever short 60+ mile one way commute. Also the wife commutes with this car about 20 miles one way a few times a week.

Nothing added this time. No LC on this OCI or the one before. (I want to have a clean no adds only oil taken to 4-5k UOA so I can test the OIL)

No oil added during the OCI. It was maybe 1/2 quart low on the dipstick the day before changing.

The engine seems to have burn a quart every 8-10k miles. This engine is known if you run it high speeds (70+ mph) it will use some oil.

The UOA will prob come back with a coolent leak or something wrong.. (my luck..)

Miles on car is 39910. 2005 Corolla. Engine is 1ZZFE 1.8l I4 with a 5 speed manual. Car built in 8-04 and who knows when the engine was built?

Every car/truck I've had has never got the oil dark right away. The more miles I put on the oil change the darker it becomes. (even if it's Syn or a blend.. Thats why I personally doubt all the cleaning action some oils are "spose" to do..)

Some engines seem to get the oil darker but never what I call dirty/black.

And it seems that the oil dipsticks that are real dark or what I call black (others that I know of like friends) if you can see in the valve cover there seems to be something other than clean metal showing.. Again not really telling me what cond the motor is in, just interesting that being able to see the metal is easier if the oil on the dip stick is clearer.

I sure wish Toyota did not put the stinking baffle in the oil filler!

(wonder why they did?)

This is a photo of the baffle.. (in case you have not seen one..)



Most engines I've worked on or owned, you can look right on top of the head and see stuff.

Not here.

Thanks for the replies!

Take care, Bill

PS: If we went with the closest but do not go over rule.. Gary is closest!

[ March 19, 2006, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: Bill in Utah ]

 

[Papa Bear]

Bill, I have a Corolla also. I say you have 12, 408 miles on that oil.

P.B.

 

[Al]

Duplicate

 

[Al]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill in Utah:
Pabs gets the closest to the actual miles on that oil... 4,910 miles.

---

Huhhhh?? I won with 5174 (low balled orlzx)

 

[surfstar]

Pennzoil Conventional stays clear for a while, usually most of the OCI on my Mom's Nissan with 160k+ miles. M1 and Pennzoil Platinum were both darker with less miles.

 

[Bill in Utah]

quote:

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Originally posted by Al:

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill in Utah:
Pabs gets the closest to the actual miles on that oil... 4,910 miles.

---

Huhhhh?? I won with 5174 (low balled orlzx)

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Pabs said;

quote:

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it's got to be around 5001 miles.

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Thats closer! (unless its new math?)

Take care, Bill