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My Oil is BLACK-------------Problem?

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Old Mar 8, 2009 | 10:00 PM
  #1  
risky business's Avatar
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My Oil is BLACK-------------Problem?

Alright, first off. I change oil for a living.... I have changed motor oil on my dads s2k after 5k (synthetic) and it has come out dirty, but not black.... working at tire kingdom i see plenty of oil come out black.

now onto my situation. i change my oil every 2k (1k if im feeling bored)
today i was bored and had the oil in my garage, in the past i used 5w-30, but this time i decided to go with 10w-40. i changed the oil last 1,000 miles ago (1 month.)


when it came out, it came out so black it was almost grey, every time i have ever changed the oil it comes out pitch black, is this normal for rx8's? does any1 have somewhat clear oil comming out?

my only explanation would be maybe i have poor compression, and somehow am getting blow bye. i would think i would feel this tho. ( i could in my last car that had this problem)


basically im just asking if any of you have clear oil comming OUT when you change it.


thanks in advance, and yes i know i babble
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Old Mar 8, 2009 | 10:06 PM
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Wow, you must like changing your oil. I think our oil tends to be dirty because only about half is changed at a time since a lot stays in the oil coolers. You can get more out by using one of those oil suction things or a little more by jacking it up on one side and then the other while its draining.
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Old Mar 8, 2009 | 10:08 PM
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^ i use a lift haha

i didn't think about the oil coolers tho...
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 12:17 AM
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You do know that after maybe 500 miles ANY CAR's new motor oil will turn into almost black.

Color is NOT an indication of Oil's quality.

Most oil today can last couple thousand miles without any problems. Sure its "additives" will decrease. but its still ok.

you change oil for a living? You should know that !
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 02:01 PM
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Originally Posted by risky business
basically im just asking if any of you have clear oil comming OUT when you change it.
Yeah, when I drained the factory-fill at about 1K, it was dark amber. Once that's done, forget about draining "clear" oil, because you only get a bit more than half when you drain the pan. If you want to drain clear oil on an RX-8 I think you'll need about a 250 mile OCI and wait for the 3rd change.
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 03:25 PM
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I think its the oil filters. I used wix a few times, then bought mazda OEM.

After switching back to mazda OEM my oil is black after 1,000 miles. I'm thinking about switching when I run out.
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 08:09 PM
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From: Jacksonville Beach, FL
Originally Posted by nycgps
You do know that after maybe 500 miles ANY CAR's new motor oil will turn into almost black.

Color is NOT an indication of Oil's quality.

Most oil today can last couple thousand miles without any problems. Sure its "additives" will decrease. but its still ok.

you change oil for a living? You should know that !
yes indeed. i do always see black oil at work

but as i stated, when i changed my dads syn oil on his s2k after 5k miles it was still very clear and not dark.


was just wondering
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 08:11 PM
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i jack each side of my car up when changing my oil.

jack up drivers side, let it drain. put it back down.
jack up passenger side. let it drain, put it back down.
jack up drivers side and put the plug back in.
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 09:39 PM
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Its the weight of the oil.

I have noticed different weights, different colors.
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 10:24 PM
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Yeah I was thinking that too, depending on the weight of the oil, different shades of black(?) can mean different things.

I know this is off topic, but By the Way, Risky what was your other car that you had that "broke"?
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 12:54 AM
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i had an 86' 911 targa. with 263k miles on the orig engine and tranny. not sure if it was blow bye really. at first i thought it was, basically when i redlined in second, i would get a bad noise and smoke out the tail pipes.... then it would do it at redline in first, then 6k, then 5k... so i just stopped driving it hard and started only revving to 4k haha


gone, but not forgotten....



Last edited by risky business; Mar 10, 2009 at 12:56 AM.
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by risky business
yes indeed. i do always see black oil at work

but as i stated, when i changed my dads syn oil on his s2k after 5k miles it was still very clear and not dark.


was just wondering
It might have something to do with its filter, or the way he drives. but again, unless the oil flows like water (you can tell), its almost always fine.
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by risky business
yes indeed. i do always see black oil at work

but as i stated, when i changed my dads syn oil on his s2k after 5k miles it was still very clear and not dark.


was just wondering
maybe he doesn't drive the car? Or he changed oil @ Honda behind your back but allowed you to change it just to not hurt your feelings?
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by delhi
maybe he doesn't drive the car? Or he changed oil @ Honda behind your back but allowed you to change it just to not hurt your feelings?

nope, he doesn't trust the dealer. he normally does it himself, but we took it to work and did it together... and about the mileage thing, he puts about 25k a year
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 11:28 AM
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From: killADelPhia
is 10-40 good for the 8???
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 01:13 PM
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yes,except in winter
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