M1 5w20 shelf life after opening

[825ltrgt]

I have 2 quarts left of a 5 quart M1 5W20 jug that I opened about 3 years ago sitting in the garage. Is it still OK to use or mix with new M1 5W20?

 

[The motor guy]

3 years should be good. IIRC mobile one is good for 5 years. Just shake the bottle to mix the additives.

 

[chubbs1]

You have to shake it, for some reason (M1 especially) settles out. But that is the only issue.

 

[Lead Shoes]

I see no problem, as long as it was sealed tightly, just shake it up really well and mix away.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

No shelf life. Just in-sump life. Actually it was pretty bad before it was opened

 

[Sonic]

I thought I'd always heard to keep your oil inside the house out of the cold if you live in the north where temp changes a lot throughout the year. Hot then cold and back and forth can shorten the life of oil. Anyone else heard that? Anyhow, I keep everything in the basement where it's a minimum of 65 degrees.

 

[LeakySeals]

I never thought about shaking oil, but this post raises questions about oil storage. Maybe some experts can answer. Is it ok to shake and pour right in, or do we need to wait after shaking? Thought aerated oil was bad, what happens on an overfill. Gets foamy, no lubrication. Should we always shake the oil? How long was it on the store shelf? Don't know. If we have extra oil from an OCI, it may sit around for a couple months. Shake before using it to top off?

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals

Is it ok to shake and pour right in, or do we need to wait after shaking? Thought aerated oil was bad, what happens on an overfill. Gets foamy, no lubrication. Should we always shake the oil? How long was it on the store shelf? Don't know. If we have extra oil from an OCI, it may sit around for a couple months. Shake before using it to top off?

I'm curious about this too. I always shake, then pour in immediately. My guess is that while pouring in, the oil moves over enough rough edges in the valvetrain (in my case) on its way down to the sump to break up most of the entrained air. Plus, after I finish filling, I always empty my old oil into the container, put my tools away, then go wash up before I start the car back up. I'm sure this also gives the oil time to let some of the entrained air to escape.

 

[TFB1]

A 30 second shake isn't going to cause enough aeration to worry about, most of the bubbles will be gone by the time the oil reaches the pan...

 

[Mark_Walk]

You would have to run it in a blender to introduce much foam/bubbles.