Pennzoil 5w20 5 qt - something very wrong

[trumpet12345]

Vehicle required 6 qts of 5w20; 5 qt bottle and 1 qt bottle. The 1 qt bottle appeared as usual.

The 5 qt bottle made me suspicious, as it poured like water, and appeared somewhat milky fresh from the bottle. I was "nudged" to just use it anyway.

After one short trip the next day, with strange "noises", I see the vehicle parked in the garage. The oil was poured out and flushed with fresh oil and refilled; car was to be sent out for further evaluation to ensure internal components were not impacted.

Images:

1 Oil drain plug- texture was thick and bulk flowed and drained like water; remainder thick like paint. Likely from the 1 quart mixed with "problem" oil.

2-4 Various views of the drained oil.

Have to contact Pennzoil still; but perhaps someone here knows the reasoning to which the oil appears this way. What contamination or improper procedure from the refinery could have lead to this?

All internals were completely fine prior to this being poured in (no head gasket or otherwise issue).

The color seems very close to a very well mixed oil/water mix. It poured as such, but I have not been able to perform any sort of specific gravity test or separation techniques (no access to a chemistry lab anymore) besides it sitting in a jar.

 

[4wheeldog]

Was the jug sealed, before you opened it? Looks to me like someone bought it, used the contents (Or some of them) then filled the jug with water and returned it.

 

[WobblyElvis]

Was the "seal" in-tact?
Some characters buy oil and use it and then return the bottle with some other liquid in it for a refund of their money.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I think you bought a returned oil jug

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Working picture links would help.

 

[stchman]

WOW.

One thing I know is oil for the most part is a clear golden when new out of the bottle. New oil jugs have that ring that makes a "crack" sound when it opens and there is a foil seal under that(5 quart jugs from my experience).

Pretty much all new oil has the same aroma and texture. The milky white should have been a clue to stop what you were doing ASAP.

I do wonder if someone actually did buy it, use it, fill it up with something used, and return it. If true, that person needs a good whipping.

 

[skyactiv]

I bought an in fuel tank fuel pump from AutoZone that someone returned.

 

[trumpet12345]

Sorry about the image links. Will fix.

The bottle was sealed, and safety seal in tact. It seems like too much work to be able to to re seal it and place the black plastic lid with the additional safety seal plastic bottle ring too.

Again images were taken from draining the oil after about 24 hours, cold oil, and only one ~5 mile trip was taken.

Engine is Pentastar v6; ~30,000 miles; and never had anything less than your typical oil change experience in terms of what came out.

Been changing the oil for many years and countless cars of all sorts of years and miles. Normally would have not used the oil despite the safety seals, but got talked into it.

 

[mclasser]

In my experience, SOPUS oil bottles don't have foil seals but the cap does make the cracking noise when new like stchman said. Your experience will make me check every bottle of automotive fluid carefully before I pour it into my car.

 

[TFB1]

Never, never, never use any motor oil that isn't translucent and golden in color... Only exception I can think of would have been the German Castrol that was green...

That oil no doubt has water in it...

 

[bigt61]

How far did you drive it? How does it run and sound now that you have oil in it?

 

[trumpet12345]

Quote:
In my experience, SOPUS oil bottles don't have foil seals but the cap does make the cracking noise when new like stchman said. Your experience will make me check every bottle of automotive fluid carefully before I pour it into my car.



O, sorry you are correct. I reexamined the yellow bottles ( I kept them, gut instinct despite being told to use them). The black lid did crack open, but yeah, these don't have silver seals. Been changing a lot of fliuds lately.

I don't know of anyone that has those lids and could replace them without noticeable signs of abuse to hide the fact they were refilled.

The jar hasn't changed yet, but I would imagine over time there will be separation unless it isn't water... but anything else that may be in it should have additional physical and chemical changes to the mixture.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Send some in for a UOA.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Did the oil smell funny? It almost sounds like it had a slug of solvent in it or something, though you'd have likely smelled that. If it came sealed from the store, then I'm sure Pennzoil will want to know about it. I suppose anything can happen in the world of mass production, but that seems unlikely. I don't know how a large scale bottling operation like this works -- are lines flushed with solvent or similar between product changes? I understand that's how fuel line operations work, and that's how they transport more than one type of liquid product through the same line -- the different products are separated by a buffer liquid as they pass down the line.

 

[trumpet12345]

Quote:
How far did you drive it? How does it run and sound now that you have oil in it?


The vehicle was driven about 5 miles by the better half.

The nasty "oil" was drained, and 6 quarts of oil were poured through directly until the drainage was golden like fresh oil.

6 new quarts of good 5w20 were added, and the vehicle was moved and idled and examined for any noises. None were noted.

Due to the potential risk, it will be looked at by an independent trusted mechanic before moved further.

Though to me, if it were an older car, I would run and drain it after a day or two and just call it a day.

Have a major complaint to file with Pennzoil if I send out an oil analysis and it returned 80% water.

 

[trumpet12345]

Quote:
Did the oil smell funny? It almost sounds like it had a slug of solvent in it or something, though you'd have likely smelled that. If it came sealed from the store, then I'm sure Pennzoil will want to know about it. I suppose anything can happen in the world of mass production, but that seems unlikely. I don't know how a large scale bottling operation like this works -- are lines flushed with solvent or similar between product changes? I understand that's how fuel line operations work, and that's how they transport more than one type of liquid product through the same line -- the different products are separated by a buffer liquid as they pass down the line.


The collected mixture honestly smells like a blend of heavy cream and a hint of diluted latex paint.

The original oil smelled like diluted heavy cream with hints of oil. I have had "strong" fresh oil, and "mellow" smelling fresh oil, so I never try to gauge it purely on smell.

Was very strange, but sealed, and I assumed it was just something to do with transport of the bottle or what not.

Dilute methanol/water mixes, or chemicals (proprietary or not) perhaps could produce such a product.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: trumpet12345
The 5 qt bottle made me suspicious, as it poured like water, and appeared somewhat milky fresh from the bottle. I was "nudged" to just use it anyway.


I realize this is going to come off as snarky but why... why did you do that?

 

[Rolla07]

If it came out of bottle that way, i def wouldnt have used it...

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Where did you buy the 5qt jug oil? Wallymart is notorious for having used oil in their "new" containers. Ive even seen the wallymart service center employees put suspicious containers on the shelf. I first noticed this problem years ago on a shelf of a qts of supertech syn in the clear bottles, where one obviously had used oil in it. I put it out of place in the filter section but I didn't tell anybody. The last year when I was buying a jug of Pennzoil HM, where most of them had the rings broken and had wildly varying fills.

Just, Keep an watchful eye out - and, Dang it Bobby! Stop pouring RIGHT NOW when somthin' looks phunney going down the phunnel!

 

[demarpaint]

I'd have the cooling system pressure tested just be sure the head gasket didn't fail, it sure looks like a ton of water or coolant is in that oil. In any event I'd change the oil and filter again. At this point I don't think anything else can be done.

Those pictures remind me of the oil I drained from a power washer pump that had bad seals.