Oil Color - Flip Side

[squeakyg]

Can a clear or light brown oil being used in a car/truck lose its effective viscosity without a significant change in color under normal driving conditions?

The inverse has been discussed over and over in that a dark colored oil may still be in great condition. I have been reading and have found very little discussion on the opposite scenario posed above. I ask this because so many are quick to point out that color has no bearing on an oils effectiveness yet the discussion has been a one way perspective. Not everyone has the time to send in repeated used oil analysis on clear/light brown oil, so those that have will be appreciated. Please chime in with your thoughts, experience, or research.

 

[Rand]

yes if you were short tripping in a newer DI vehicle I can see a scenario where fuel dilution could kill an oil quickly but still look fairly good.

so theoretically it could happen.

usually oil color does not bother me unless its black and looks gritty or chunky.

 

[Donald]

If you are going to look at the color of oil (which is not a good judge of too much) you should put the drop on a white coffee filter (preferably unused).

And I assume most wives would prefer you toss it after the test vs returning it to the box of filters.

 

[TuBon_gRips]

OP: Rand's answer is correct, but I wouldn't limit it to newer DI engines. Any engine that is prone to fuel dilution (e.g. any engine that's only used for short trips) can kill otherwise still-good-looking oil.

Much like Rand said oil color isn't a bother unless it's black and gritty/chunky, I'd like to add that it's also bothersome/worrisome to go 2-3k without much change in color. At least, to me it is, because it means that oil is not cleaning like it should be. Whether that's because the engine is already internally spotless or for some other reason, you can only find out with a used oil analysis, and given that you may still need to drive the vehicle while waiting for the results it can be quite a bother.