rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

Consider my car was parked for over 6 months with just eventually starts without been on the road for a mile, and god knows how long this engine was seated without any serious use (JDM engine with 80k miles)

Two weeks ago I checked all the fluids, so I did today and the oil was much darker than two weeks ago, it was light brown, right now is very dark, is this normal after two weeks of daily driver?

I mean I know the oil gets burned (darker) over time with the use of the car, but I just believe is too soon to be that dark, is there a way to know if the engine is burning the oil normally?

Levels seems to be ok, however I have no idea what oil did the "mechanic" used on my car. Thanks!

cmachemer

iTrader: (3)

During my first year of school my car sat at home for ~4 months and I noticed no difference in the oil/any other fluids when I brought her back with me after Christmas Break...and this was before I switched to synthetic. I would hazzard a guess that there's something amiss here. How long ago was the oil changed?

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

Well, The oil was put on this engine around february, but the car didn't see any miles along 6 months, just about 40 miles on march and then it was just seated, I kept checking the oil and it always looked like new, even two weeks ago when I finally fix it the oil was very light brown, clean and clear, but yesterday when I checked the oil it was very dark.

My odometer doesn't work so I don't know how many miles I've put on it so far, but my guess is around 150 miles.

I'm willing to switch to synthetic, but I don't know if that would be a waste of money if something is wrong inside, os should I just change the regular oil and watch if it gets dark very soon again after two weeks?

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

the oil darkens due to many things, one of which is unburned fuel (and soot) in the oil. it gets scraped off cylinder walls as you're driving.
So if you do lots of cold start/stop driving and short trips, your oil will get black very quickly.
If the car is running rich and not getting good mileage, it will also do the same thing.

does it smell like gas when you smell the dipstick, or is it just dark?

Either way, what the car really needs is an oil change and then to be fired up and driven a good hour or so to blow the cobwebs out. cars are designed to be driven, not to sit.


also keep in mind that the additives in the oil start to break down once in the presence of oxygen and heat, so it'll last indefinitely in a bottle on the shelf.. soon as you put it into the engine, the additives are only good for 3-4 months. If this oil is 6+ months old with no change, then it's definitely time to change the oil, even if it's only got 500 miles on it.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

just change as normal with regular oil and see if it does it again. price for a synthetic change is like $30 if you do it yourself.

1993-VG30E-GXE

What matt says, I experience with my max. I put in new oil and a new filter and drained half a liter out immediately after idling and doing the dip stick test, and short drive test, and it was already black. My O2 sensor was old and worn at this point too...but color alone likely doesn't warrant change. My car sat for a whole winter and more, when I tried to get it back on the road the fuel pump was broken, 2 injectors didn't work, and it wouldn't start.

Jordan91SE

Cheaper oil brands tend to breakdown or turn black faster then others because of the viscosity. All oils have a weight, i.e. 10w30, where 10 is the viscosity rating and 30 is the temperature that oil can withstand.

I've noticed that Valvoline, Havoline, and Penzoil, brun faster and darken quicker then most. I have always used Castrol GTX oil because it tends to stay cleaner longer. I use the non-synthetic in my Max and thinking about going to a syntec-blend.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

if you knew what you were talking about you might be dangerous

start here: API.org

goon9

iTrader: (13)

...He seems to think he knows oils.

But fails to use synthetic?!!?!??!!?1?ONEONE1111

I don't use non-synthetic, even in my work truck. Let alone wouldn't ever touch penzoil or halvojunk.

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

Well, most of my driving is like this on weekends, and weekdays my trip is about 10 miles to work and is city driving not highway. question would be why? I mean why does it get dark quickly with this kind of driving?

I wish I knew how to measure my MPG, odometer doesn't work good, and without that I have no idea how to know if I'm getting a good mileage or not, my best estimate is like this, I filled up sunday, after today I have exactly half tank and I've just use it for work monday to friday, this means I've traveled aprox 100 miles, I think that's not good right? what's half tank? 6 gal? if 6 gal that will be 16 MPG

You were right about this, it has some smell like gas, not stinky but yeah it does smell like gas a little

You are right again, but it was seated because it wasn't working good not by my choice, and great that you clear up that the oil is breaking once in contact with the engine, because I was thinking wrongly "no miles = brand new oil".

Well, I just did the oil change today, let me drive it a little bit and I'll keep checking the oil color.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

keep in mind how much gas got dumped into your cylinders back when one of the injectors was hooked straight to a 12v line!! whichever one got the power signal out of the inhibitor harness.. plus when you were driving it, it ran like trash.

burhan92SE

use Royal Purple dats wat i use....its gud very gud

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

You are right caped, then I guess I did right to get rid of that oil which was the same when I was running on 3 cilynders

But I think you bring that up because the gas smell on the oil dipstick right? or you mention that because of my MPG?

Everything seems fine, you know compared as before it's very strong, I only noticed small things (like the "too fast start" mentioned on the other thread) but I guess nothing to worry about, even tranny shifts very smooth, I can barely notice the shifting, and if I do is when I watch the RPM, so right now I only worry about the oil color (if it does it again) and well also the exhaust is still stinky as hell I don't wanna worry about that but I'll have peace of mind until I pass the smog check we have here in CA.

BTW, what is Royal Purple???

burhan92SE

http://www.royalpurple.com/

vernk

if this is the first time that you have ran the engine, it could be due to under maintained issues from where the engine came from, so basically the oil that you put in, is flushing out the dirty bit of oil that is always in a engine in oil passages and such. If everything is running good and everything It might do that for the first few oil changes, that and what was said about oil breaking down.

coolsun

iTrader: (10)

sorry to jack but my dip stick does not measure correctly and gets all the way to the top of the check thing (above thick part) which i poured only like 4 quarts. i wanto to know how much should i pour in with a new oil filter?

vernk

vg30e should be 4.5 quarts

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

4.3 quarts according to the fsm....

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

are you serious about this thing? I don't know it looks fishy. It just looks like a billy mays ad.

Anybody else using this can vouch that this thing really works as said on their web site, it really got my interest if it really makes the engine run colder and since anyways I'm moving to synthetic soon, I might consider this thing.

burhan92SE

i use that every time i change oil now ...i have seen a big difference with this oil like car is more responsive and before my car used to do around 102km or 105 in 13/L in city and now it does around 125km in 13/L....i never use any other oil now.....u can use it and see wat happens.....nothings wrong with trying on it right....plus its more expensive than other oils...donno about down dere in states......i m gonna switch my transmission oil and engine coolant to royal purpal too, soon...and see wat happens

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Royal Purple is good stuff. I use their tranny fluids/gear oils and assembly lubes in my cars. I use Mobil 1 for engine oil mainly because it's cheaper and easier to get, but RP oils are considered some of the best.

for a 15 year old Maxima that's already running marginally? pour in some castrol GTX and call it a day.

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

Well I think I can give it a try next time, but you're right it's a bit expensive.

BTW, what weight should I use? 10w30? I mean for this Royal purple, well I don't know about regular either, for this oil change I used Mobil 10w30 but this was like a "testing" oil change, is that weight correct? please remember this engine is supposed to be a JDM with 80k miles.

One more question, when using synthetic how often is recommended to change the oil?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

5w30 for weight

gapboi210

Oh great here we go I see another blah blah blah non-synthethic oil is the devil in ur engine thread brewing. To each their own. I use Castrol GTX, change my oil regulalrly and have torn apart several motors at the shop. As long as it was changed regularly there isn't any buildup or unusual wear. I'm not saying that Synthetic isn't better but in our engines for a 20 year old car, I'd say results will be minimal if any. Juse change it often and use a good name. Let the posts fly that I am pouring sin into my engine by using Castrol.

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

when switching to synth, you have to remember that dino will still be present in the system. just change the oil on a regular basis (3k miles or 3 months), and you will be okay.
another thing to consider when switching to something as expensive as royal purple is the condition of the engine. I would recommend getting your oil tested next change (use some regular oil, just stick with what you've been using). there is a link somewhere in the fluids and lubricants forum here on the org.

rmdl51

iTrader: (4)

So, you mean test my oil to see if my engine have issues? if it doesn't have any then switch safely to royal purple and even with the synthetic change the oil as the regular 3months 3k miles basis?

Actually this oil change I just did was to make sure I don't have any other issues with the engine, well I'll be inspecting the color and smell of the oil.

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

yes. there are companies that check the oil for what contaminates are in there. if the test comes back with acceptable results, then I would recommend the rp lubes.
if the tests come back bad, I would just use the normal oil until I could resolve the issues.
no sense in spending almost twice as much for oil than you could on a bad engine.
pearls and swine and all.

vernk

some things to keep in mind when switching to synthetic on a older engine you might get some seal leakage due to the oil being thinner and your oil weight should be some what determined by your weather, now your in CA that means that it never gets that cold and if you look under the hood or in your users manual it will say that you should use 10w40 for a vg30e in warm weather 10w30 for cool weather or 5w30 for sub zero weather.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

always run 5w30. it does help your fuel economy over a 10w* oil.
Look at any new car and you will see that 5w30 is the heaviest weight used. 5w20 has become very common.

gapboi210

don't forget to adjust it to your climate though

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

you oughta check into using a stabilizer in your fuel and oils if it's gonna be in storage. Or look into preserving the systems with storage oil!