Shelf Life of Mobil Delvac 1 ???

GolfNut

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Vancouver,WA
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2003 Golf 2dr 5-Speed (Black)
I have 2 gallons of unopened Mobile Delvac 1 that have been on a garage shelf for quite some time. The garage can become rather warm for short periods of time during the summer.

To use or not to use is my question... ???

"11012K17A 5666" Is printed on the rear label... I'm guessing this is the date code

 
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turbobrick240

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It's still good. Maybe shake it up a bit before use in case some of the additives have settled out.
 

guillaumeber

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I think shelf life for oil is ridiculous.
Look at this example: I bought OEM manual transmission fluid directly from VW. On the bottle, there was a date; use before xxx. (it was not 10 years, it was relatively short)
On the other side, from the factory, VW says that my transmission is a one-time fill and that the oil should last the transmission's life...

Try and find the logic in this... The oil stays good inside the tranny, but not in a sealed bottle on the shelf?
 

MichaelB

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SE Wisconsin
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I think shelf life for oil is ridiculous.
Look at this example: I bought OEM manual transmission fluid directly from VW. On the bottle, there was a date; use before xxx. (it was not 10 years, it was relatively short)
On the other side, from the factory, VW says that my transmission is a one-time fill and that the oil should last the transmission's life...

Try and find the logic in this... The oil stays good inside the tranny, but not in a sealed bottle on the shelf?

I agree.............think of what motor oil is subjected to inside an engine for X amount of hours or a years time. Many oil reports here say it is still viable. Now if it is in a sealed jug sitting on the shelf and never been subjected to use in an engine it would probably be viable for a very long time. Also, I have never seen additives in oil settle out to the bottom of the jug.
 

turbobrick240

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Also, I have never seen additives in oil settle out to the bottom of the jug.
Have you ever really looked though? I probably dumped hundreds of oil bottles before I ever thought to hold an empty one up to bright light and look for sediment. In my case, I think long term storage and subfreezing temps. caused some of the additive to precipitate. It was a pretty small amount- just a dark streak really.
 

turbobrick240

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Do you think shaking the oil before opening would make your small dark streak reincorporate into the oil?
Actually, dumping about half of the oil first allows for better agitation. I also find that warming the oil to room temp or better really helps encourage the precipitate to redissolve into the oil. I think Valvoline (among others)recommends shaking oil that has sat for a long time.
 

GolfNut

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Does anyone know how to read Mobil's date code?

Without question, it's older than 2017! - Maybe 2012
 

turbobrick240

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I don't know how to decipher the code, but the CJ4 rating was introduced in '06. Your oil is CI4+, it could easily be ten years old- and that wouldn't bother me at all. I say use it up.

Edit: from your corvette forum link it would appear the date code is Dec. 17, 2012.
 
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jettawreck

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I've had Delvac sit around for long periods of time in the garage thru below -0F and high temps. I always drain the gallon jugs virtually dry and they go in my recycle bin. The bottoms are clean as new. Never seen any sediment or residue traces.
Use it or send it my direction.
 

KLXD

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I won't say I always see sediment but I've seen it many many times. I always figgered it was very fine "dirt" or other contamination.

I wonders what level of filtration it goes through before the bottle.
 

turbobrick240

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It's not dirt- just a small portion of the add. pack dropping out of suspension. In non-synthetic group I oils stored for long periods(and cold temps), sometimes some of the parrafin will coagulate at the bottom.
 

n1das

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Are there any chemicals in the container that will get leached out by the oil over time? The type of plastic in the container should be chemically stable and compatible with the oil to be a non-issue. The oil all by itself won't go bad either.

I was thinking about bottled water as a simple example because it does have a shelf life. The water itself in a 20 ounce plastic bottle of water will never go "bad" but it will leach chemicals out of the container over time and start to give it a "plastic" taste. The expiration date on bottled water is due to issues with the container and not the water itself.

If I still owned an ALH TDI, I would use up those 2 gallons of Delvac 1 there. No worries!

:)
 
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turbobrick240

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