Its not Black in my Fine Ride, though im gonna Change it soon, im gonna be treating this car with Kid Gloves.. But this way i know?
What are some things that can make Oil "Black?"
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You don't need to change the oil because "oh [censored] it's a little dark now!" or anything like that. Unless you've got black solid gunk flowing out, like river_rat said, black oil means it is working the way it should.
If you go by the color you'll end up dumping perfectly good oil probably every 3000 miles.
If you go by the color you'll end up dumping perfectly good oil probably every 3000 miles.
Or sooner, maybe every 1k. Alot of the color change is the result of a chemical reaction caused by the heat inside the engine. Color tells you nothing, some oils come out of the bottle very dark.
I disagree.
When my vehicle was new, the oil stayed clean and clear for months. But now with 160 k miles, the oil gets quite black in a couple months.
I would rather change the oil every two months and a bit more expense in oil changes then push dirty oil through my engine and shorten its usable life.
It is amazing where guys are cheap. Wouldn't think of cutting back beer consumption but an extra oil change or two a year and they think its a big waste.
Change the oil with the seasons. nuff said.
When my vehicle was new, the oil stayed clean and clear for months. But now with 160 k miles, the oil gets quite black in a couple months.
I would rather change the oil every two months and a bit more expense in oil changes then push dirty oil through my engine and shorten its usable life.
It is amazing where guys are cheap. Wouldn't think of cutting back beer consumption but an extra oil change or two a year and they think its a big waste.
Change the oil with the seasons. nuff said.
... A very low efficiency filter or "broken" filter will have the oil daker than a decent filter. The oil can oxidise and "break' also, its hard to tell when its the oil dying or its just suspending the oxidised and blowby components. UOA show that 4 k is a very safe OCI and 5K very reasonable on dino too - if youre not a short hopper or "racer".
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
I disagree.
When my vehicle was new, the oil stayed clean and clear for months. But now with 160 k miles, the oil gets quite black in a couple months.
I would rather change the oil every two months and a bit more expense in oil changes then push dirty oil through my engine and shorten its usable life.
Can you point us to some study showing that dark oil shortens the engine's usable life? And how much exactly does it shorten it by?
How many miles do you drive in 2 months and what car/engine?
Good thing you don't have a diesel engine. You'd be changing its oil every 100 miles 'cause that's how little it takes to make it black.
I disagree.
When my vehicle was new, the oil stayed clean and clear for months. But now with 160 k miles, the oil gets quite black in a couple months.
I would rather change the oil every two months and a bit more expense in oil changes then push dirty oil through my engine and shorten its usable life.
Can you point us to some study showing that dark oil shortens the engine's usable life? And how much exactly does it shorten it by?
How many miles do you drive in 2 months and what car/engine?
Good thing you don't have a diesel engine. You'd be changing its oil every 100 miles 'cause that's how little it takes to make it black.
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Or sooner, maybe every 1k. Alot of the color change is the result of a chemical reaction caused by the heat inside the engine. Color tells you nothing, some oils come out of the bottle very dark.
I agree there are varying reasons as to why oil changes colors. But there are times when it's definitely getting "dirty" and holding sludge in suspension in cases where an engine has been abused. I once bought a 1991 Honda Civic in college just to use as a runner. I "cleaned" it by putting in Mobil Drive Clean oil (Mobil5000 precursor) and it took a couple of thousand of miles to darken at all. I decided to try Mobil 1 10w30 and the oil went jet black immediately and burned half a quart within 500 miles. Thinking this was just M1 synthetic "cleaning" the motor and it would get better after a couple of short OCIs, I realized I was wrong and decided to see if Castrol SYNTEC 5W-50 would help, and the exact same thing happened--only it took maybe 500 miles more to go jet black.
A few expensive oil changes later, I bought some SYNTEC blend 15w40 and again the oil burned and darkened significantly less. I recall that it had an aftermarket performance radiator leading me to believe it might have overheated leading to significant sludge deposits. But I never bothered removing the valve cover or anything like that. Other than that, the car basically ran fine and served it's purpose of saving gas money on a long commute..
Or sooner, maybe every 1k. Alot of the color change is the result of a chemical reaction caused by the heat inside the engine. Color tells you nothing, some oils come out of the bottle very dark.
I agree there are varying reasons as to why oil changes colors. But there are times when it's definitely getting "dirty" and holding sludge in suspension in cases where an engine has been abused. I once bought a 1991 Honda Civic in college just to use as a runner. I "cleaned" it by putting in Mobil Drive Clean oil (Mobil5000 precursor) and it took a couple of thousand of miles to darken at all. I decided to try Mobil 1 10w30 and the oil went jet black immediately and burned half a quart within 500 miles. Thinking this was just M1 synthetic "cleaning" the motor and it would get better after a couple of short OCIs, I realized I was wrong and decided to see if Castrol SYNTEC 5W-50 would help, and the exact same thing happened--only it took maybe 500 miles more to go jet black.
A few expensive oil changes later, I bought some SYNTEC blend 15w40 and again the oil burned and darkened significantly less. I recall that it had an aftermarket performance radiator leading me to believe it might have overheated leading to significant sludge deposits. But I never bothered removing the valve cover or anything like that. Other than that, the car basically ran fine and served it's purpose of saving gas money on a long commute..
Real nice.
Poster Turbo Wagon advises not worrying about the black oil untill its " black solid gunk".
Quattro pete says its just " dark" oil. A little magic there, going from clear to dark for no real reason.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
This is the GASOLINE car forum. If you want to discuss diesels, there is a forum for that.
Poster Turbo Wagon advises not worrying about the black oil untill its " black solid gunk".
Quattro pete says its just " dark" oil. A little magic there, going from clear to dark for no real reason.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
This is the GASOLINE car forum. If you want to discuss diesels, there is a forum for that.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2025
Black oil and dark brown are two different things. Your oil should not be black. If it is, I'd suspect that you have a mechanical problem - excessive fuel dilution/blowby.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2025
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Real nice.
Poster Turbo Wagon advises not worrying about the black oil untill its " black solid gunk".
Quattro pete says its just " dark" oil. A little magic there, going from clear to dark for no real reason.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
This is the GASOLINE car forum. If you want to discuss diesels, there is a forum for that.
Where is this dirt coming from? Do you gut your filter before you install it? Your kind of tone isn't really appreciated in a forum that thrives on discussion and knowledge.
Real nice.
Poster Turbo Wagon advises not worrying about the black oil untill its " black solid gunk".
Quattro pete says its just " dark" oil. A little magic there, going from clear to dark for no real reason.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
This is the GASOLINE car forum. If you want to discuss diesels, there is a forum for that.
Where is this dirt coming from? Do you gut your filter before you install it? Your kind of tone isn't really appreciated in a forum that thrives on discussion and knowledge.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Do you have proof?
Every UOA that I've send in had black oil, however the results were good-no high levels of contaminants, wear metals always normal. And I have this device called an oil filter that filters out contaminants that might damage those bearings and valves.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Do you have proof?
Every UOA that I've send in had black oil, however the results were good-no high levels of contaminants, wear metals always normal. And I have this device called an oil filter that filters out contaminants that might damage those bearings and valves.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Do you have proof?
Every UOA that I've send in had black oil, however the results were good-no high levels of contaminants, wear metals always normal. And I have this device called an oil filter that filters out contaminants that might damage those bearings and valves.
+1 oil filters clean out this dirt, down to about 20 microns, which, in case you don't know, is extremely small.
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Do you have proof?
Every UOA that I've send in had black oil, however the results were good-no high levels of contaminants, wear metals always normal. And I have this device called an oil filter that filters out contaminants that might damage those bearings and valves.
+1 oil filters clean out this dirt, down to about 20 microns, which, in case you don't know, is extremely small.
Well I do apologize for advising folks to change dirty, um, I mean dark oil with the seasons.
Dumb me, I get my advise from THE CAR SHOW a.s.e. mechanics that strongly advise that interval, even when the engine is hardly run.
I guess since I have no answer for Quattro pete wanting to know some studies that tell exactly when oil converts from dark to sludge, I should withold from posting any common sense and a.s.e. mechanic endorsed oil change interval.
As for my tone, let pete provide some studies that claim its good for an engine to forgo seasonal oil changes, since he wants to play the prove it game with me. Let him do the proving.
Dumb me, I get my advise from THE CAR SHOW a.s.e. mechanics that strongly advise that interval, even when the engine is hardly run.
I guess since I have no answer for Quattro pete wanting to know some studies that tell exactly when oil converts from dark to sludge, I should withold from posting any common sense and a.s.e. mechanic endorsed oil change interval.
As for my tone, let pete provide some studies that claim its good for an engine to forgo seasonal oil changes, since he wants to play the prove it game with me. Let him do the proving.
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Black oil and dark brown are two different things. Your oil should not be black. If it is, I'd suspect that you have a mechanical problem - excessive fuel dilution/blowby.
.. Fuel Dilution?
What can cause Fuel Dilution?
And if Oil is dark due to that.. Changey time?
Or is Dark Oil "OK" if it has like 100 miles on it...
I ran out of gas in the Blazer, now its Black. Thats why im asking.
Black oil and dark brown are two different things. Your oil should not be black. If it is, I'd suspect that you have a mechanical problem - excessive fuel dilution/blowby.
.. Fuel Dilution?
What can cause Fuel Dilution?
And if Oil is dark due to that.. Changey time?
Or is Dark Oil "OK" if it has like 100 miles on it...
I ran out of gas in the Blazer, now its Black. Thats why im asking.
I wouldn't split hairs with the whole brown versus black oil thing, you'll give people the wrong impression when they see black oil after it drained into their black oil drain pan. Oil gets dark, and it gets dark for a number of reasons, none of which is really a cause for concern. You should never try to judge oil life based on oil color, regardless of past experiences. I would not worry
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Real nice.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Maybe you should go back to reading and listening for a little while longer. Start with the used oil analysis section. And remember dark oil does not necessarily mean the oil is "dirty".
Real nice.
Its Dirty oil and it should be changed with the seasons, at least. You're not pushing "dark" oil through your bearings, you're pushing dirt filled oil through them. You show me where its good to run dirt through the bearings and valves if you want to get [censored] with me.
Maybe you should go back to reading and listening for a little while longer. Start with the used oil analysis section. And remember dark oil does not necessarily mean the oil is "dirty".
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
As for my tone, let pete provide some studies that claim its good for an engine to forgo seasonal oil changes, since he wants to play the prove it game with me. Let him do the proving.
Go look at all the used oil analysis of oils ran 12+ months, including mine.
Others already posted various reasons why oil may turn dark. One of them is the discoloration of additive pack when exposed to high temps. It doesn't affect the oil's performance in any way. It just causes it to change its color. Depending on their composition, some oils will turn darker sooner than others.
If there is any serious dirt that may cause engine wear, it will be trapped by your oil filter, so you're not pumping any dirt through the engine. Whatever dirt there may be (after a while) that gets suspended in the oil, it is so minute that it does not do any harm.
As for the certified mechanics, you'd be surprised how little many of them know about modern engine oils. A lot of them still adhere to the old school 3k miles/3 month mantra because they either didn't bother to stay on top of the subject or they just find it convenient. After all, more oil changes = more business for them.
As for my tone, let pete provide some studies that claim its good for an engine to forgo seasonal oil changes, since he wants to play the prove it game with me. Let him do the proving.
Go look at all the used oil analysis of oils ran 12+ months, including mine.
Others already posted various reasons why oil may turn dark. One of them is the discoloration of additive pack when exposed to high temps. It doesn't affect the oil's performance in any way. It just causes it to change its color. Depending on their composition, some oils will turn darker sooner than others.
If there is any serious dirt that may cause engine wear, it will be trapped by your oil filter, so you're not pumping any dirt through the engine. Whatever dirt there may be (after a while) that gets suspended in the oil, it is so minute that it does not do any harm.
As for the certified mechanics, you'd be surprised how little many of them know about modern engine oils. A lot of them still adhere to the old school 3k miles/3 month mantra because they either didn't bother to stay on top of the subject or they just find it convenient. After all, more oil changes = more business for them.
And maybe you should use some inverted logic on this question.
For ex. Changing your oil with the seasons may not help the engine...........but, it will never, ever be harmful to it.
Then you invert the question.
Not changing oil may be OK..............but, if you're wrong about the condition of the oil, be it black or brown or whatever, you may end up damaging or shortening the life of the engine.
Inverted logic.
For ex. Changing your oil with the seasons may not help the engine...........but, it will never, ever be harmful to it.
Then you invert the question.
Not changing oil may be OK..............but, if you're wrong about the condition of the oil, be it black or brown or whatever, you may end up damaging or shortening the life of the engine.
Inverted logic.
Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
For ex. Changing your oil with the seasons may not help the engine...........but, it will never, ever be harmful to it.
Let's change it every day then, just to be sure.
You may find this thread of some interest:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/changing-your-oil-too-often-will-harm-your-engine.132462/
For ex. Changing your oil with the seasons may not help the engine...........but, it will never, ever be harmful to it.
Let's change it every day then, just to be sure.
You may find this thread of some interest:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/changing-your-oil-too-often-will-harm-your-engine.132462/
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