[siacelestar]

Just a general question really... but it kind of stuck in my mind for a while so just want to know more about it... :innocent:

Engine oil... what colour should it be normally... i know when new it should be a yellowish colour... but after a few days and some runs the oil has turned black again...

is that normal or is there something wrong? (please don't.. can't really bear hearing there is any more problem... :kaffeetrinker_2: )

Cheers everyone

Phil

 

[ScoobyChris]

Yep perfectly normal - it's the oil picking up soot particles as it circulates, iirc, and happens surprisingly rapidly after the engine is started

Chris

 

[willchops]

mine goes black straight away,thats just diesels for you :sad: ,mine stays golden all year round in my litte rover GTI.

I'd say it's just normal.

Darren

 

[DavePage]

I concur to the above. In a diesel, goes black pretty rapid and its nothing to worry about, as Chris said, its just the soot particulates :L

In petrols it stays clear for much longer because they dont have the same compression ratios to deal with as us Diesel geezers do - so its important to use a good grade oil to protect your engine

 

[siacelestar]

Phew! :whistling: well what a relief! :tongue:

after changing the oil it stayed yellow for a day... then next day after a spin... back to original colour! h34r:

Cheers everyone!

Phil

 

[kithmo]

Phew! :whistling: well what a relief! :tongue:

after changing the oil it stayed yellow for a day... then next day after a spin... back to original colour! h34r:

Cheers everyone!

Phil

It stayed yellow for a day ?
Definitely something wrong there, it should go black 2 milliseconds after starting the engine LOL. :whistling:
Seriously though, it depends how you change the oil. The more old oil you can get out the better. If you let it drain hot for about 20 minutes (and if it's a TDCi or TDDi with a paper element oil filter, thoroughly clean out the filter housing), it will be cleaner for a little longer. If you just let it drain for a minute or so and bung a new filter on (or in the housing without cleaning it) then it will turn pretty murky straight away.

 

[siacelestar]

a day.. yeh coz after the oil change i just drove about 20 yards to a parking space... then that's it for a day.. :whistling:

Even so.. the colour wasn't fresh yellow.. but darkened already...

checked my housemate's Polo petrol and the colour is yellow even after monthes....

Phil

 

[jowettdriver]

Tell you something else as well, having just changed the oil on my mk2, wear old clothes if you DIY because diesel oil stains beyond belief!!!!!!! Must be all the soot particles. Even resorted to washing my shirt in petrol but no go, had to bin it!!! LOL

Tim

P.s. oil went black again within 15 miles!!! Thats diesels for you!!

 

[siacelestar]

Well i have got a set of clothes just for these purposes... fluorescence green polo shirt... navy blue trousers... :eek13: but i won't mind wearing them to take any abuse in dirt....

Phil

 

[fellie]

diesel engine oil will go black almost instantly .. it traps deposits and gumph unlike oil in a petrol engine ..

petrol eng oil should stay 'new looking' until the next change ..

 

[TdciDick]

Its not the oil but the engine that makes it go dark quickly. If you look at the API oil ratings you'll note that they normally have a S and a C rating. eg SP CF. That means the oil is rated for both petrol and deisel engines. Most oil's are duel purpose but the branding suggests oterwise.

Also the oil recommended for the TDCi (by Castrol) is not the GTD but the GTX!!
Go check it yourself.

 

[siacelestar]

CF... diesel and petrol... well didn't notice that really but will look into it next time...

Castrol... well probably going to get that off fleabay next time.. but using the halfrads one at the moment...

not too worried... as the 5W30 spec is met... :whistling:

Phil