Should I expect nasty black smelly oil?

[ZZman]

This is my first GDI engine. I always do my own oil changes. I have read fuel dilution and carbon/soot are major issues with GDI engines.
Should I always expect the oil to come out pitch black and smelling of fuel or ?

What has been your experiences?

 

[Revving2Redline]

Maybe and possibly. It could be your driving habits also. On a more humorous side why are you sniffing the oil LOL.
If you would please tell me a little bit more about the vehicle you're driving habits what oil is recommended and what oil you are using in it right now along with the fuel in any other thing you may find that would help us help you

 

[Jdeere562]

I thought we all sniffed our fingers, after dipping them into something?

 

[vpr5703]

Depends on too many factors, honestly. My wife's 2011 Sonata tends to darken the oil pretty quickly, and at the end of a 7500 mile OCI it's close to being pitch black, but not terribly "smelly." Just smells like used motor oil. My old 2018 Mazda never really did that to the oil. It was dark at the end of a 7500 OCI, but not pitch black.

 

[Pablo]

This is my first GDI engine. I always do my own oil changes. I have read fuel dilution and carbon/soot are major issues with GDI engines.
Should I always expect the oil to come out pitch black and smelling of fuel or ?

What has been your experiences?

Stop asking and get a good UOA

Engines made black smelly stuff long before GDI

 

[ZZman]

Maybe and possibly. It could be your driving habits also. On a more humorous side why are you sniffing the oil LOL.
If you would please tell me a little bit more about the vehicle you're driving habits what oil is recommended and what oil you are using in it right now along with the fuel in any other thing you may find that would help us help you

Hyundai 2.0 turbo motor. It will be almost exclusively short tripped as wife's car. Maybe 5,000-7,000 miles a year. 5,000 mile oci. Usually top tier reg unleaded fuel. Driven normally. Will be using HPL 0w-40 premium oil this first oil change. It recommends 5w-30 but also says 5w-40 is ok too.

 

[ls1mike]

Malibu gets 5000 mile oil changes. Seems the GM 2.0 LTG does not suffer too bad from being direct injected. At an any rate it is never really completely black or sooty. Never any fuel even with an oil analysis. I think some vehicles suffer more from the issue than others.

 

[ZZman]

Stop asking and get a good UOA

Engines made black smelly stuff long before GDI

And here I thought an expert might know.....
I have had all shades of color. Most dark brown not pitch black and definitely not fuel smell.

 

[ZZman]

Stop asking and get a good UOA

Engines made black smelly stuff long before GDI

Might the oil feel gritty because of carbon and soot? I have never noticed that before.

 

[edyvw]

Hyundai 2.0 turbo motor. It will be almost exclusively short tripped as wife's car. Maybe 5,000-7,000 miles a year. 5,000 mile oci. Usually top tier reg unleaded fuel. Driven normally. Will be using HPL 0w-40 premium oil this first oil change. It recommends 5w-30 but also says 5w-40 is ok too.

Short tripped? Don’t go XW40. Go Xw30.
Give it occasionally good hwy run. That is what I do with wife’s Tiguan. She is using exclusively for grocery getting. But, if we go somewhere that doesn’t require trunk space, 1-2hrs away to visit her sister, etc. we use Tiguan to get some “exercise.”

 

[Boomer]

In both of my GDI VWs, the oil darkens to a deep brown but transparent color after 5000 miles. I change it at that point. Neither car appears to burn any oil in that distance.

 

[oldcodger]

If the color of oil bothers you never own a diesel engine. 1 minute of operation after an oil change the oil will look like black ink.

 

[picklyrickly1073]

I’ve never had a car where the oil doesn’t come out dark and smelly at least to some degree, long before GDI

 

[Urshurak776]

Best way is to run it for 3K and do a UOA. Go from there.

 

[Titan]

2018 Toyota 2.5 and 2020 Mini (BMW engine) 2.0 with over 300 HP. Both have GDI, neither have black oil nor "gritty" feeling oil even after 10,000 miles. Honda Accord 2014...oil is a bit darker at 10,000 miles than the other two, but certainly not black nor gritty. None of this means much as far as whether the oil is adequately lubricating and protecting.

 

[Mewbs]

This is my first GDI engine. I always do my own oil changes. I have read fuel dilution and carbon/soot are major issues with GDI engines.
Should I always expect the oil to come out pitch black and smelling of fuel or ?

What has been your experiences?

I'm running on HPL PC5W30-Q for the first time in extended drains, just 5090 miles today off the highway to work & back and the oil smells sweet and fruity. Pretty unheard of for my first time in life since all the oils I used prior before HPL have the typical pungent used motor oil smell. But I can sniff these oils all day and feel good about it, something I don't typically do.

Anyways I agree with the everyone else, you won't get anything until some kind of analysis is done to see how well your oil and engine is running.

 

[JTK]

This is my first GDI engine. I always do my own oil changes. I have read fuel dilution and carbon/soot are major issues with GDI engines.
Should I always expect the oil to come out pitch black and smelling of fuel or ?

What has been your experiences?

I've owned 4 GDI vehicles at this point. Two Nissans and two GM products. Three of them V6s and one 4cyl. All non-turbo. All of them create oil that is nasty looking and smelling compared to the dozens of port and throttle body fuel injected engine I've owned in past.

I realize looks and smells don't necessarily mean anything bad, but how could that possibly be good for extended drains?

 

[ZZman]

I'm running on HPL PC5W30-Q for the first time in extended drains, just 5090 miles today off the highway to work & back and the oil smells sweet and fruity. Pretty unheard of for my first time in life since all the oils I used prior before HPL have the typical pungent used motor oil smell. But I can sniff these oils all day and feel good about it,

Interesting.....

 

[JTK]

Interesting.....

I don't believe his vehicle is GDI though..

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Hyundai 2.0 turbo motor. It will be almost exclusively short tripped as wife's car. Maybe 5,000-7,000 miles a year. 5,000 mile oci. Usually top tier reg unleaded fuel. Driven normally. Will be using HPL 0w-40 premium oil this first oil change. It recommends 5w-30 but also says 5w-40 is ok too.

Regular 87 octane fuel with that HyunKia turbo engine?
Keep us updated on how good it runs on 87. Carbon will likely increase using it. HPL strength is on your side.