After how many kilometers should fresh engine oil turn dark?
- July 12, 2023
- 0
Much has been said and chewed about motor oil, but the topic of lubricants darkening during use continues to pique the curious minds of restless car owners. What
Much has been said and chewed about motor oil, but the topic of lubricants darkening during use continues to pique the curious minds of restless car owners. What does an almost black or translucent fluid on the dipstick indicate shortly after it is put back into the engine?
The reason for writing this note was a conversation with a friend. According to him, before the upheavals in the Russian market of auto parts and components that occurred in 2022, he poured oil into the engine of his passenger car exclusively from one well-known French brand. But after the price increase of everything imported from abroad, the motorist decided to turn his face to the domestic manufacturer. The products of Russian oil companies are now almost several times cheaper. So why pay more?
And he began to pour his “iron conical” products with the same viscosity characteristics into the engine, but from one of the domestic oil giants. And recently he boasted that when he used French grease, it turned dark and black almost immediately after replacement.
And now the household lubricant clearly changes color from golden-transparent to dark brown not earlier than after 3000 km. The motorist considers this fact a sign of the advantage of Russian over foreign. For example, the engine is clean, and the savings when buying lubricants are significant.
At first glance, everything makes sense. But just the exact opposite. The fact is that the dark color of the oil is caused by soot particles, which inevitably get into it after being in the combustion chamber. There is nothing wrong with their presence in the oil. Consider the existence of special “graphite” greases.
To improve their properties, another type of carbon, graphite, is specially added to their composition. The conclusion from the above: fast darkening oil is not a problem, but a blessing. Because this confirms the high cleaning effect of the lubricant. This effectively removes contaminants from the internal surfaces of the engine. The only advice that can be given in this case is to change the usual gas station. There may be something wrong with the quality of the fuel. Or check the injection and ignition system. If there are no complaints about the fuel or the condition of the car, then you can relax and leave everything as it is.
But the fact that the lubricant does not darken after 3000 km of running should be very attentive. This may be a sign that the oil dissolves dirt in the engine very poorly – even if it does not want to accept banal soot. Therefore, the golf is the first brand of oil new to the engine, it makes sense to check the color after 1000 km of driving. If it is practically not dark, urgently replace it so as not to ruin the engine with ineffective lubricant.
globallookpress.com’s photo
The reason for writing this note was a conversation with a friend. According to him, before the upheavals in the Russian market of auto parts and components that occurred in 2022, he poured oil into the engine of his passenger car exclusively from one well-known French brand. But after the price increase of everything imported from abroad, the motorist decided to turn his face to the domestic manufacturer. The products of Russian oil companies are now almost several times cheaper. So why pay more?
And he began to pour his “iron conical” products with the same viscosity characteristics into the engine, but from one of the domestic oil giants. And recently he boasted that when he used French grease, it turned dark and black almost immediately after replacement.
And now the household lubricant clearly changes color from golden-transparent to dark brown not earlier than after 3000 km. The motorist considers this fact a sign of the advantage of Russian over foreign. For example, the engine is clean, and the savings when buying lubricants are significant.
At first glance, everything makes sense. But just the exact opposite. The fact is that the dark color of the oil is caused by soot particles, which inevitably get into it after being in the combustion chamber. There is nothing wrong with their presence in the oil. Consider the existence of special “graphite” greases.
To improve their properties, another type of carbon, graphite, is specially added to their composition. The conclusion from the above: fast darkening oil is not a problem, but a blessing. Because this confirms the high cleaning effect of the lubricant. This effectively removes contaminants from the internal surfaces of the engine. The only advice that can be given in this case is to change the usual gas station. There may be something wrong with the quality of the fuel. Or check the injection and ignition system. If there are no complaints about the fuel or the condition of the car, then you can relax and leave everything as it is.
But the fact that the lubricant does not darken after 3000 km of running should be very attentive. This may be a sign that the oil dissolves dirt in the engine very poorly – even if it does not want to accept banal soot. Therefore, the golf is the first brand of oil new to the engine, it makes sense to check the color after 1000 km of driving. If it is practically not dark, urgently replace it so as not to ruin the engine with ineffective lubricant.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
