Notices
RX-8 Discussion General discussion about the RX-8 that doesn't fit in one of the specialty forums.

Engine oil turning black...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old 06-23-2008, 11:45 PM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
ashwins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Raleigh
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Engine oil turning black...

Is it normal for the engines oil to turn black? I am guessing its carbon deposit. Is it time to change oil? I check engine oil regularly, in the past 1 year that I owned the car, this is the first time I am noticing that the engine oil is darker?
Old 06-24-2008, 12:09 AM
  #2  
Rotary Powered Countryboy
 
04RX8man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 4,811
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
uh as the oil gets used it gets black in any car engine no matter what that is the dirt and from getting hot etc inside an engine change at 3000 miles like usual and keep adding when u need it
Old 06-24-2008, 12:13 AM
  #3  
SR Dubbed Rx8
 
cmr333's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Jacksonville FL.
Posts: 596
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
im not trying to be a dick or anything but is this thread for real lol
Old 06-24-2008, 12:14 AM
  #4  
One Shot One Kill
 
xsnipersgox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
ahahahha, alrite.. engine oil in Chinese is call "black oil" ... i hope u know why now.
Old 06-24-2008, 06:40 AM
  #5  
Registered
 
Go48's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Fayetteville, PA
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Depending on how you drain the oil, you will only be replacing about half the oil in the system. The oil coolers and oil lines hold a lot of oil, so as soon as you run the engine after an oil change, the old oil mixes with the new and it turns dark. Change your oil frequently and the color won't matter.
Old 06-24-2008, 11:55 AM
  #6  
93.5 octane
 
mmats69's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
needs to be closed
Old 06-24-2008, 12:15 PM
  #7  
Out of NYC
iTrader: (1)
 
nycgps's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 19,881
Received 32 Likes on 30 Posts
New Oil is like Lemon-Tea kind of golden-ish color. (Except for Royal Purple, they Purposely add some dye to it to make it look like Purple, but will fade out in maybe 10 miles of use)

Old oil is always dark/black, consider the heat, pressure, and dirt that its *absorbing* ...
Old 06-24-2008, 12:16 PM
  #8  
on his 3rd rx8
iTrader: (3)
 
dozer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: santa ana, ca
Posts: 6,034
Received 10 Likes on 5 Posts
ahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhah LMFAO!!!!!!!.....oil change!...my bad dude, i dont mean to be rude, but this is funny
Old 06-24-2008, 01:35 PM
  #9  
Administrator
iTrader: (7)
 
Jedi54's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: The Dark Side
Posts: 22,394
Received 2,629 Likes on 1,879 Posts
it's normal.
change your oil every 2.5 - 3,000 miles.
Old 06-24-2008, 01:58 PM
  #10  
ಠ_ಠ
 
Socket7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Under the Dumbarton Bridge
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 5 Posts
When was the last time you changed the oil in this car? A complete drain and refill + a new filter?
Old 06-24-2008, 02:04 PM
  #11  
Registered
 
leemoshuffle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 22
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
oil q

Don't pick on this guy people.

To answer your question;
It is prefectly fine for the oil do get very dark.
like the guy said, it will change color because of
the temp, carbon, etc.
Just be sure to change it reguarly.
I usually pour 0.50 quart of oil just to drain excess carbon.
what kind of oil are you using?


leemoshuffle
Old 06-24-2008, 02:12 PM
  #12  
hakuna matata!
iTrader: (41)
 
alz0rz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,002
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Change your oil.. just in case no one has mentioned it yet and it's not obvious..
Old 06-24-2008, 02:20 PM
  #13  
Registered User
 
XAreXAteX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GA
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
wow..rip a guy for asking a question...Your sooooo cool i wish i could be just like you.
Old 06-24-2008, 03:19 PM
  #14  
I zoom therefore I am.
 
laythor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 4,919
Received 12 Likes on 11 Posts
as has been said:


check oil level often
change oil often
drive it like it's stolen

If you really want the "clean oil" look... change the oil, drive it a day, change again.
Old 06-24-2008, 03:54 PM
  #15  
space reserved for shirt
 
ShinkaTeen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Pasadena,ca for school SD for home
Posts: 668
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
this thread made me lose hope for humanity.

j/k.

no im not.

but dont be offended.
Old 06-24-2008, 04:10 PM
  #16  
Banned
 
crafted_soul's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Green Side, yo!
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry to be a party pooper...but my engine oil never turns black......is it normal?













hahaha
Old 06-24-2008, 04:13 PM
  #17  
Asshole for hire
iTrader: (1)
 
paulmasoner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Colfontaine, Belgium
Posts: 3,214
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
this might just be the most unbelievable post EVER on an automotive forum...
Old 06-24-2008, 05:13 PM
  #18  
Purveyor of fine bass
 
Astral's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Worcester, MA
Posts: 1,618
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Yup, it's normal, and here's something many probably don't know. Engine oil loses its color really quickly (within like 1000 miles), so color alone is not at all a good indicator of the wear.

http://www.motor-oil-engineers.com/oilcolor.htm: "In general, the color of an oil does not have any bearing on its lubrication ability or whether or not the oil is suitable for continued use."

http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html: "And don't worry about the engine oil turning black. It will lose it's golden-brown colour within a few hundred miles of being put in to the engine. That doesn't mean it's not working. Quite the contrary - it means it is working well. It changes colour as it traps oxidised oil, clots and the flakes of metal that pop off heavily loaded engine parts. Just don't leave it too long between oil changes."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...801210_pf.html: "Do not be alarmed when motor oil turns black, which can happen long before the oil's protection value is used up. Engine combustion produces soot, and other byproducts disperse throughout the oil, turning it dark."

http://www.usasyntheticoil.com/oil-c...ubrication.htm: "The color the AMSOIL on your dipstick (or any oil for that matter) has absolutely no bearing on whether or not the oil is suitable for continued use or if it should be drained and replaced."

From my experience, synthetic oils stay "golden" for a longer period of time, but I don't think I've ever drained golden-colored fluid from my last car when using synthetics. Haven't used synthetics on the RX-8 and I don't do the oil changes myself anymore, so can't relate any experiences there.
Old 06-24-2008, 10:34 PM
  #19  
Mu ha.. ha...
 
Razz1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cali
Posts: 14,361
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
This is funny all they tech in scholl nowadays is how to use a cell phone........

Got to learn sometime.

Start reading the stickies in the tech section.
Old 06-24-2008, 11:03 PM
  #20  
SR Dubbed Rx8
 
cmr333's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Jacksonville FL.
Posts: 596
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
wow this is still going lol
Old 06-25-2008, 09:34 AM
  #21  
Registered
 
puch96's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Milan, Michigan
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
....there seems to be a passion talking about oil in this forum..... not matter what the topic is.....
Old 06-25-2008, 08:24 PM
  #22  
Registered
iTrader: (1)
 
User24's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: California, Chula Vista, Otay Ranch
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Serious, who likes to come home after a hard day's work, only to find a bunch of nonsense going on at rx8clubz that needs to be put under control?

Last edited by User24; 06-25-2008 at 08:29 PM.
Old 06-25-2008, 08:44 PM
  #23  
Metatron
iTrader: (1)
 
StealthTL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: A Pacific Island.
Posts: 7,280
Received 173 Likes on 130 Posts
Cool

Serious, who likes to come home after a hard day's work, only to find a bunch of nonsense going on at rx8clubz that needs to be put under control?

I look forward to it.........


S
Old 06-26-2008, 05:33 AM
  #24  
I don't buy Kool-Aid
 
DOMINION's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Vegas Baby!
Posts: 8,823
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Eeewwweee Rotary douche!
Old 06-26-2008, 05:44 AM
  #25  
OK, OK, It's hers!
 
WooHoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Does 5W20 turn black faster than 5W30? Will premixing keep the oil color less black over time? (Heh,Heh )


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: Engine oil turning black...



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:27 PM.