Mobil DC 10W-30 Color Variations???

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During an oil change over the weekend, I discovered a variation in the Mobil Drive Clean 10W-30 oil color based on the molding logo on the bottom of the plastic bottle.

Bottles with the “CCC” logo of Consolidated Container Company contained a traditional honey colored oil. The bottles with the “box G” logo of Graham Packaging held a darker colored oil. I’m assuming the darker color is from moly or boron in the add pack.

I also purchased & examined a bottle of Exxon Superflo 10W-30 that displayed a box G logo and a lot number with a similar format as the Mobil DC.

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On the left is the honey colored Drive Clean CCC logo oil & the right is a Drive Clean box G logo oil, & Superflo oil. Note, the lighting & glass containers are making the darker oil appear a couple of shades darker than actual.

The plastic bottle logo’s indicate that Mobil DC is being supplied from 2 separate blending/packaging sites. The CCC logo bottles have a 7 digit lot number printed on the bottom of the adhesive label. The box G logo bottles have a 14 digit plus 8 digit lot number, ink jetted on the plastic.

It could also be assumed that box G logo Superflo is blended & filled on the same Graham Packaging line as Drive Clean, since both the red & blue bottles exhibit similar 14 digit plus 8 digit lot numbers.

Is Mobil Drive Clean 10W-30 supplied in 2 separate formulations and the darker colored Drive Clean equals Exxon Superflo?
 
Any ideas on the manufactoring dates or standards met? The darker one is probably a newer batch gearing up for SM.

-T
 
T,

Here are the lot numbers:

MDC light color, CCC logo - X28F4C5

MDC dark color, box G logo -
971980T3204100, P540414B

Exxon dark color, box G logo -
971980T3204095, P040315C

It's possible that the 2nd half of the number on the box G bottles is a date code with 04100 indicating year 2004 & day number 100. This would indicate the dark oil is about 3 months old.
 
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