Used Oil color?

[kartracer55]

What do you guys think about looking at the color of used oil?

For example, In the winter I do a lot of short trips where the engine may not even see operating temp (less than 3 miles) so I know there is a ton of fuel getting by the rings. So I tend to change it every 3 months in the winter, and go by mileage in the summer. But even at 3000 miles, my 3.0 v6 with 4qt capacity on Conventional oil comes out as a dark amber color. A friend of mine has a Lexus IS300 with a 3.0 and aprox. 6 qt capacity and less than 50k on it, and his oil after about 4500 miles came out almost looking like diesel oil. We both used the same brand oil filter (valvoine by Champion Labs) and the same "76" brand Gf-4 SM rated bulk oil.

Does the color of the oil indicate anything?

 

[HighRpm]

Yes something else is going on. A good start is an UOA?...
Hows the mpg?

 

[02zx9r]

how much stuff is suspended in the oil

not really

 

[lewk]

yes and no. its getting darker because its functioning in line with its purpose. darkening does not indicate a need for change though, particularly with diesels. the only way to no for sure would be to do a used oil analysis at your OCI.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: kartracer55
Does the color of the oil indicate anything?


I think it's indicative of how much dirt and combustion byproducts are being suspended in the oil. If my oil gets darker than a dark amber, I drain it out. You said that your oil gets real dark by 3000 miles; well, 3000 miles is a long ways on just 4 quarts of oil in my opinion.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

If my oil gets darker than a dark amber, I drain it out. You said that your oil gets real dark by 3000 miles; well, 3000 miles is a long ways on just 4 quarts of oil in my opinion.


Thankfully we have "science" to confirm or debunk such speculation.

Do you cut your head open when you have a headache to let out the evil spirits?

 

[dwendt44]

Depends on the engine. Some will turn oil black in short order, others, like mine, don't.
Some oils are almost clear going in, some, like the Quaker State I use in my beater, is fairly dark right from the bottle.

 

[mstrjon32]

I run 4 quarts of Mobil 1 in my car and change by the GM OLM. After about 3K-4K, the oil is definitely black in color, but I run it with the original filter until the OLM indicates 0% life, usually between 7500-8000 miles. No consumption or other problems so far, and the engine looks shiny and clean through the filler hole. I take the dark color to mean that the oil is just doing its job.

 

[hi-miler]

Copiers use carbon black as the black "ink" that makes all of those copies in all of those offices all across the world. It's one of the blackest blacks that makes anything it touches well, black! What do engines create? Carbon black! The color of the oil has more to do with the ability of this ingredient to color than any real or percieved contamination. We put food dye in what we eat all the time and don't seem to mind, is it that much different with other things in life?
If you have a concern then get an analysis kit and find out for sure. All else is speculation, including my opinion.
Steve

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Thankfully we have "science" to confirm or debunk such speculation.


If you want to spend your money for a used oil analysis to see how far you can push 4 quarts of oil, that's your business; but I don't see the point in spending $20.00 on a used oil analysis for $12.00 worth of oil. used oil analysis were developed to analyze large volumes of oil used in large machinery. I can understand a trucking company wanting to know how far they can push 42 quarts of oil in each one of their trucks, but to have just 4 quarts of oil analyzed from your Honda is just plain ridiculous unless it's your hobby.

And besides, changing 4 quarts of oil at 3000 miles never did hurt an engine that I'm aware of.

 

[Fester]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Thankfully we have "science" to confirm or debunk such speculation.


If you want to spend your money for a used oil analysis to see how far you can push 4 quarts of oil, that's your business; but I don't see the point in spending $20.00 on a used oil analysis for $12.00 worth of oil. used oil analysis were developed to analyze large volumes of oil used in large machinery. I can understand a trucking company wanting to know how far they can push 42 quarts of oil in each one of their trucks, but to have just 4 quarts of oil analyzed from your Honda is just plain ridiculous unless it's your hobby.

And besides, changing 4 quarts of oil at 3000 miles never did hurt an engine that I'm aware of.
+1

 

[glennc]

There are several counterpoints to that. The main one is that just one or two analyses will allow you to determine the appropriate OCI, and instead of changing every 3k or guessing on a longer interval you can both eliminate waste and save money.

There are other reasons, but to me that is the one that can pay off for everybody.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Or to determine coolant leaks, such as the intake manifold gasket issues on certain GM motors, or head gasket issues. They're also good for finding out whether or not you have an intake leak. I think they're nice to have to see how your motor's wearing.

 

[bruce381]

""What do you guys think about looking at the color of used oil?""

No use unless it is Milky to indicate water color means nothing.
bruce

 

[hi-miler]

3000 mile oil changes is cheap insurance indeed. No argument there.
But!
I personally put a lot of miles on a vehicle and don't really relish the thought of getting down under my vehicles in my current physical state once a month just to change the oil.
Matter of fact I'm looking into a Mighty Vac to be able to pull the oil out through the dipstick tube. That way I would only have to change the filter say once every 3 or 4 oil changes depending on how many total miles I had on the oil changes.
Now I'm sure this is bound to raise eyebrows with some of you, especially the 3k interval guys that think it necessary I look at the underside of my vehicle along with changing the oil using the pan plug.
Cmon honestly, how many of you keep your vehicles as long as I do? Mine still pass inspection without a problem. I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I'm just saying that color of oil has merit if it's milky or has some other evidence than just "dark". What's wrong with one or two tests that determine the oil you use hasn't used up even half of its life at 3, 4, or dare I say, 5 thousand miles? Cost benefit? Two tests to determine that you can change your oil every 6k instead of every 3k? Even at $40 each it's still quite a bargain.
I feel like we get on this site, read all of this research from numerous credible sources and then fall back on superstition. 3k oci's are what the manufacturers of old and todays lube shops want us to believe. What if they said 4 instead of 3?
Steve