i just changed my oil this morning(2nd time since i got the car). both times that i have changed it, the oil was black, and i mean black. i poured it on an aluminum pan and let it drip off and the pan was black, there was a slight tint of gold but the rest was black. why is this? is this normal? does it really get that dirty? thanks for the help.

 

What did it taste like? If it tastes like chicken, it's good. If it tastes like beef, it's roast, I mean toast.

 

Yes it's normal.

Is something wrong?

See the Oil Analysis Sticky on how to get your oil analyzed so you will know for sure.

Unless it is a white or green hue, brown or black oil is normal.

 

How about purple?

 

Well, normally that can indicate a recent change to Royal Purple synthetic, but if Barney has been around your car recently I would just go ahead and change it.

 

thanks guys!

 

Barney stays far ahead of Jeff's car, and how dare you bring him into this.

 

This is normal. Combustion byproducts, carbon deposits, and other contaminants are picked up by the engine oil where they're kept in suspension. Engine oil is designed to form a barrier around them and prevent them from wearing against engine parts.

Some particulates are just too small to be collected by the filter. Furthermore, the oil you drain from your sump is is unfiltered, so it would naturally have a higher concentration of contaminants than oil that's passed through the filter on its way to vital engine parts. This accounts for the dark color.

If your oil is dark, then it's doing its job.

 

Just how dark is it? My oil is changed every 7500 miles and is always a relatively still light brown. I use 10W30 dyno oil, have 93,000 miles and do regular servicing. Just how hard are you working your engine? What mileage do you have? How often do you change oil? Do you change the filter every time? I'm not disagreeing with anyone here, its just that I find BLACK oil a little unsettling, whether or not it is normal.

 

its like extra extra black soy sauce, pepsi or coke syrup, hhm... i had it in a pan and about 3mm thick, you could not see the bottom. then about 2mm, its a brownish color, then about 1mm thick, barely there, you could see the goldish brown. i do drive my car hard and i change the oil every 4000 miles. i just changed the oil filter last time i changed the oil. i use 10W30 exxon brand oil.

 

Have you try to use motor flush like Gunk or STP?

When I was in the SE-R list, I learn that sludge can build up inside the engine, and will cause the motor oil to go black. Check your oil couple days later (since you just change it this morning), and if it already turn black, then you might want to try to use a flush.

 

You have a carbon buildup that may link back to another problem. When was the last time you changed your plugs?

 

It's normal for oil to be black when you change it. That means its doing its job picking up dirt, carbon, etc.. into suspension. In fact, oil color has very little to do with its ability to protect the engine. Now, if you drained your oil, and sludge, slop, and goo came out, then you've gone too long without an oil change. If not, you should be fine. Change dino oil every 5k miles (or more if you do freeway driving), and with synthetic, refer to the oil analysis sticky. From what I gather, synthetic is good for a minimum of 7500 miles under almost all driving conditions (except if you run a taxi service).