Should I be concerned about 3 year old milky looking engine oil?

[Gstick]

Did an oil change on my 2015 Camaro SS/1LE which has 12000 miles on it 2 days ago. (last oil change was at 10000 miles, but was July of 2020) I only use Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic 5W30 with a Mobile 1 filter in this car. I still had 3.5 quarts left over from 2020 in the 5 quart jug which has been sitting (with cap on tight) in a heated garage since 2020. (I live in Pennsylvania) After shaking up the 2020 PP jug, then pouring into the funnel, the oil looked milky (not golden clear) I really didn't think much about it, until I poured the NEW PP 4.5 quarts into the funnel & it was golden clear. I haven't driven the car yet other than firing it up after the oil change checking for leaks, backing it off the ramps & back into the garage. Now I'm wondering if I should NOT drive the car, & go buy two NEW 5 quart jugs + a filter, drain out what I just put in & do a complete change. Is it possible that the 3.5 quarts of PP 5W30 from 2020 went bad ?

HELP!

 

[Soft Cars]

It's because you shook up the bottle. You got the oil all emulsified with air.

 

[cheesepuffs2]

It's fine. Motor oil that is decades old (but was sealed in the original container) had been tested to be fine.

 

[Eddie]

agree

 

[Gstick]

So in other words, don't worry about it, & drive the car. Got it!

 

[Titan]

I was prepared to get riled up about "milky-looking oil that was drained from a car that hadn't had an oil change in three years". Instead, I get a nothing-burger. Good for you it's nothing! But, as for me, now I have to go elsewhere to get riled up about some disaster-in-the-making.

 

[userfriendly]

I wouldn't use it.
What's the worst that can happen if you use it?
If you recycle it, you lose $15 worth of oil.

 

[Gstick]

I wouldn't use it.
What's the worst that can happen if you use it?
If you recycle it, you lose $15 worth of oil.

Are you saying that you would drain it out & put new oil in?

 

[userfriendly]

Are you saying that you would drain it out & put new oil in?

No, I'm saying that I wouldn't have used it in the first place.
What could possibly go wrong?
When in doubt, the safe course of action is never wrong.
Sadly, last year I had to throw out 3/4 of a pail of synthetic TO-4 Caterpillar drive train oil because it turned white from humidity.
$120 gone. The pail never had the cap off and the breather hole was sealed.
The container because it was not full, breathed with hot and cold cycles.

 

[cheesepuffs2]

So in other words, don't worry about it, & drive the car. Got it!

Exactly. Awesome car by the way, how do you like it? Any problems with it?

 

[XCIDMigs]

Why not just do another oil change way sooner? With that low miles you have clearly saved a ton of money on gas and any other maintence. Then you can eliminate the stress and claim its part of the engine "cleaning" you are doing. I also would not have used that lefetover bottle. Once the cap is open its getting "air" to mix with the contents and then whatever breakdown is happening after that you can't control. I would liken it to opening a good bottle of wine, yes you can recork or use one of those vacuum sealers but its not ever going to be what it was when you opened despite people claiming you "let it breath" by shaking it. I have shaken a ton of older bottles and its never once turned them milky looking It would keep me up at night and I suspect you as well otherwise why the posting??

 

[Gstick]

Exactly. Awesome car by the way, how do you like it? Any problems with it?

Love the car & absolutely no problems at all.

 

[cheesepuffs2]

Why not just do another oil change way sooner? With that low miles you have clearly saved a ton of money on gas and any other maintence. Then you can eliminate the stress and claim its part of the engine "cleaning" you are doing. I also would not have used that lefetover bottle. Once the cap is open its getting "air" to mix with the contents and then whatever breakdown is happening after that you can't control. I would liken it to opening a good bottle of wine, yes you can recork or use one of those vacuum sealers but its not ever going to be what it was when you opened despite people claiming you "let it breath" by shaking it. I have shaken a ton of older bottles and its never once turned them milky looking It would keep me up at night and I suspect you as well otherwise why the posting??

I've read a lot of things on this forum, but alikening an open oil jug to the rapid oxidation of uncorked wine is not what I had on my bingo card tonight.

Oil jugs are not vacuum sealed. There is air in the jug. It is not creating breakdown. Breakdown of what, exactly, anyway? Is the air going to shear the oil out of the grade, or deplete the ZDDP? There's no exhaust blow-by contaminating the oil when it's just sitting in an opened jug. It isn't turning acidic. It isn't being diluted by fuel. It's absolutely fine.

Look up windage in an engine. Lots of air churning anytime your car vehicle is running.

 

[MSCH]

Now I'm wondering if I should NOT drive the car, & go buy two NEW 5 quart jugs + a filter, drain out what I just put in & do a complete change. Is it possible that the 3.5 quarts of PP 5W30 from 2020 went bad ?

HELP!

honestly, I doubt the oil went bad sitting in a sealed jug on shelf... so the question really amounts to is the oil contaminated or is it nothing to worry about... I'd say if it sat overnite and cleared up go ahead and use it... but if it looks muddy get rid of it

 

[XCIDMigs]

I've read a lot of things on this forum, but alikening an open oil jug to the rapid oxidation of uncorked wine is not what I had on my bingo card tonight.

Oil jugs are not vacuum sealed. There is air in the jug. It is not creating breakdown. Breakdown of what, exactly, anyway? Is the air going to shear the oil out of the grade, or deplete the ZDDP? There's no exhaust blow-by contaminating the oil when it's just sitting in an opened jug. It isn't turning acidic. It isn't being diluted by fuel. It's absolutely fine.

Look up windage in an engine. Lots of air churning anytime your car vehicle is running.

They are not vacuum sealed new but they are sealed, some with the foil etc, he used something that was not at all and then was exposed to way more of the "air" than a new sealed bottle would have been. I could care less about this whole discussion but the reality is the OP is sweating his decision otherwise he would not have started the thread to begin with. I say for his mental health sake nothing wrong with entertaining his "bingo card" by telling him to go ahead and change it out with new, he clearly loves this car and has taken care of it its not some rusty DD you can run tractor oil in and forget about.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

So OP did you drain it out immediately, or drive it like that?

 

[Gstick]

So OP did you drain it out immediately, or drive it like that?

Been driving it with zero problems. I do pull the dipstick before starting every time & the oil is golden and clear with no milkyness at all.

 

[thescreensavers]

It's fine. Motor oil that is decades old (but was sealed in the original container) had been tested to be fine.

Metal can or plastic jug though

 

[Gstick]

Plastic jug.

On another note, I changed the oil/filter in a 2016 Chevy Spark using 5W20 Pennzoil Platinum & after shaking the jug, the same looking milky color poured out. So, I am 100% confident that shaking the jugs vigorously is what is causing the look of the oil.

Thank You Soft Cars, you nailed it!