Prophylactic check on my “DARK” engine oil

Prophylactic check on my “DARK” engine oil

A while back I had the first “free” service of my unit at local VW dealership

Came home and looked at the oil level, and noticed the color was dark-ish, but full.

I was out today, and dropped in on Jiffy Lube.

Sun was bright, and I ask the attendant to dip my oil.

It was 100% full, and was the same dark-ish color.

He told me his (15 year) *experience* with diesel oil was this.

The oil goes in clear-ish then darkens rather quickly.

OK, TDi people ~~ what is the straight skinny?

Oil turns black with soot almost immediately after a change. Totally normal. In fact, diesel oils are designed to hold soot in suspension and they add to the oil's viscosity. This is one reason why it's not a good idea to change oil more frequently than the manufacturer's recommended interval.

Some engines turn oil black faster than others. But they all do, eventually.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Oil turns black with soot almost immediately after a change. Totally normal.

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I'm with IBW here.

Mine turns black as soon as I upend the jug.

The oil gets dark faster than in gasoline engines, here is an example of M1 ESP 5w30 after 250 miles (from a EA288 tdi):

I use this rather than worry about oil turning black:

^ Damn, I haven't seen that stuff in a long time. We used to have a few cans of that and a bunch of cans of Agway 30 wt. out in the barn when I was a kid.

The closest I get to Jiffy Lube is stopping at the light next to one. Not sure why you even stopped there.

aja8888 said:

I use this rather than worry about oil turning black:

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Wait..oil came in a paper can?

Tdijarhead said:

Wait..oil came in a paper can?

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And before that, it came in glass jugs!

If you had an oil burner (not a diesel) back in the day, a lot of service stations sold cheap, used motor oil in glass bottles. If you were lucky they'd filter it through some cheesecloth.

Tdijarhead said:

Wait..oil came in a paper can?

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Those cardboard cans had some kind of an internal coating for a liner so oil did not leak out IF the can was not damaged too bad. I saw a lot of dented cans back in the day where the outside of the can was 'wet' where the dent was. Most leaky cans I saw was when a can was dropped and the leak was along the top or bottom seam where the metal ends were crimped to the paper tube.

I had a couple of those spouts that one pushed into the metal lid. They were always a bit messy to use. A can opener and a funnel worked better. I do not miss the old paper cans.

whitedog said:

The closest I get to Jiffy Lube is stopping at the light next to one. Not sure why you even stopped there.

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Stopped there to get his opinion on the "color" of my oil. This TDi is my first diesel, and I didn't want-need an opinion of the local WAG folks.

My life time limited knowledge of oil "color" boils down to: Clear is OK. Dark is bad.

When our front line driver was a 2001 Camry, (and all the earlier units) we used Jiffy Lube. This particular location is the first red light out of my neighborhood.

Currently, we both are driving new-ish cars with free dealership oil, filter and tire rotation etc.

Not too sure what the boss will do with her RAV4 LIMITED, as time goes by, regarding the maintenance. Up to her ~~ for sure ~~

My TDi, may get one more free(?) service, before it is sold back to WAG. Really does no matter much to me, one way or another. All I want to do, is check the level, from time to time. IF, I was down even half a quart, I would scamper back to my local WAG for a pint of correct WAG oil.

When I was a youngen' I did my oil-filter, & "lube" in my home garage. Later I used Jiffy Lube.

When I get my (new) replacement, I will take advantage of the free 2-3 year service "stuff." It will be a gasser. After that, I have no plan.

If the cost of dealership (normal) service maintenance gets too high, I may-might fall back to Jiffy Lube.

Today, planning to go see Mom in Stillwater, if she is home. Might take a shot at a personal best MPG. Going to be warm-ish today. Here comes Air Conditioning driving. Guessing the cost of temperature comfort will be 'bout 1-3 MPG ~~ Oh well.

turbobrick240 said:

If you had an oil burner (not a diesel) back in the day, a lot of service stations sold cheap, used motor oil in glass bottles. If you were lucky they'd filter it through some cheesecloth.

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Remember those days well.

When Havoline was $.50 a quart, some owners of shot engines would ask for "used" oil. ~~ Was the cost of the dirty-used oil about $.10 ?

Results would be (approx) 10 or 20 cents for oil and (approx) 12-14 gallons of FireChief at 29.9 cents per gallon

Customers might pay with 4 "singles" and get some silver nickle and copper in change. Remember those days well

When I saw aja8888's pic I was reminded of my stupidity years ago when I used ARCO graphite in the engine of my first car. I thought I was being so smart, black crap almost ruined my engine. I didn't think anybody still remembered that stuf

Actually I remember those "paper" can days well. When I was a kid that's what the oil my Dad would buy always came in. I guess I was just trying to get a rise out of anyone old enough to remember those old oil,cans.

I have to say though I don't remember those glass bottle, used oil days, I think that's a little before my time.

Rembrant said:

I'm with IBW here.

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+1
Within minutes of an oil change, the soot that is in remaining oil will darken it...Make it black pretty fast.

Tdijarhead said:

Wait..oil came in a paper can?

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Yup...More like cardboard, with a foil layer...
Some of the fancy stuff had metal cans....

ZippyNH said:

+1
Within minutes of an oil change, the spot that is in remaining oil will darken it...Make it black pretty fast.

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As long as it is normal --- I've no concern.

However, my first fear was the WAG dealership did not really change the oil and/or the filter.

Soothing to understand the truth. Dark oil is OK ~~ and much easier to see on the nutty dip stix

I'm I the only paranoid geezer that really would like to SEE the goings on, as your vehicle is behind those dark and silent closed doors

I take particular umbrage, when they move my radio station.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...x28jtvfnGP_UlkifA&sig2=R5Z2vqOc3fEqkWmbs9QW-w

From The Jerk. He hates these cans!

Well, carp! I'm having trouble posting links from my phone.

To clarify: Fresh oil is light amber. After only a few seconds in the engine, it darkens...some. It shouldn't be black, the way 10k used oil would look.

It looks exactly like what around 5 quarts of new oil, mixed with a couple of tablespoons of old black oil, should look. You should still be able to see through it. That has been my experience.

whitedog said:

From The Jerk. He hates these cans!

Well, carp! I'm having trouble posting links from my phone.

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Navin R Johnson is too funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckqJXuW-yCk

Tdijarhead said:

When I saw aja8888's pic I was reminded of my stupidity years ago when I used ARCO graphite in the engine of my first car. I thought I was being so smart, black crap almost ruined my engine. I didn't think anybody still remembered that stuf

Actually I remember those "paper" can days well. When I was a kid that's what the oil my Dad would buy always came in. I guess I was just trying to get a rise out of anyone old enough to remember those old oil,cans.

I have to say though I don't remember those glass bottle, used oil days, I think that's a little before my time.

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I worked for ARCO when that oil came out and did an oil change on an old VW Beetle with it. The oil leaked through that air cooled four cylinder like crap through a goose. You should have seen the garage floor, and that graphite-impregnated oil did not come out of the concrete.

I used to buy "re-processed" motor oil in glass jugs for my 1959 Rambler that burned a quart every 200 miles or so. I think I used to pay $0.19/quart for it. I kept a case of it in the trunk.

So were does the prophylactic come in? So you have congacal relations with your girl and then wear the prophylactic when you check the oil? Or is it check oil with the prophylactic on first and then have congacal relations? My girl would not be happy with either. I think it would creep her out.

From Wikipedia: Prophylaxis is a Greek word and concept. It means any action taken to guard or prevent beforehand. The corresponding adjective is prophylactic.

I am waiting for his reply full of conjugate able verbs; you know, words that can end with "ing".

2015vwgolfdiesel said:

My life time limited knowledge of oil "color" boils down to: Clear is OK. Dark is bad.

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Sadly, you are not alone. I'd bet a good majority of Americans have the same opinion.

Also a hundred years of people telling us we need to change our oil every 3k miles seems ingrained in the masses as well.

Unless you have a major contamination issue (fuel or coolant), physically looking at your oil to determine its usefulness is basically worthless.

But this issue has been discussed enough -just on this forum- to surely be news only to a rank neophyte to diesels. I was introduced to the arcana of combustion ignition engines by an old veteran, many years before we bought a diesel. He told me that black oil is good oil, because it means that the oil is doing its job to carry the soot, and it's not causing trouble being deposited somewhere in the engine.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

From Wikipedia: Prophylaxis is a Greek word and concept. It means any action taken to guard or prevent beforehand. The corresponding adjective is prophylactic.

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Just seems like a strange word to describe a preventative maintenance schema.

Rico567 said:

But this issue has been discussed enough -just on this forum- to surely be news only to a rank neophyte to diesels. I was introduced to the arcana of combustion ignition engines by an old veteran, many years before we bought a diesel. He told me that black oil is good oil, because it means that the oil is doing its job to carry the soot, and it's not causing trouble being deposited somewhere in the engine.

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Combustion ignition? I've heard of spark ignition, compression ignition, and even hot bulb ignition, but combustion ignition is new to me.

Ol'Rattler said:

Just seems like a strange word to describe a preventative maintenance schema.

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More appropriate use is in medical situations, such as a prophylactic dose of antibiotics.