Oil colour question

Gel · 05-09-2007 9:26am #1

Shouldn't new oil always be clear in colour. Got my car back from a main dealer a few days ago after a service. The car is not runnning very well and a warning light which had been occasionally coming on is still coming on! I checked the oil and it's black! Surely it should be clear.
It's a diesel 05 megane.
The dealer charged me for 5 litres of oil and a new sump washer.
They also charged me for diesel additive. Where does this go? I presume it has nothing to do with the oil colour?

(I'm not well up on engines so please excuse the question)

barryfitz · 05-09-2007 9:39am

Clear Oil. No way. As soon as you put the brand new stuff into the engine and dip it again it will be dark (pitch black with diesels)!

jaybo1 · 05-09-2007 9:39am

Oil is amber in colour when it is new. It darkens as it passes around the engine. The older the oil the darker it gets. If it has just been serviced it should not be black at this stage. Sounds like they didnt bother changng the oil during the service, especially as the light is coming on.

barryfitz · 05-09-2007 9:41am

jaybo1 wrote:

Oil is amber in colour when it is new. .

Depends on the type of oil.

The way you will know if its new oil is if you put a few drops on the back of your hand and rub it around a bit, you should eventually be able to see your skin colour coming through it.

Jambo · 05-09-2007 9:45am

As jaybo1 said the oil should be amber , this is the case when I service my car and when I check it a few days after for leaks ect !

If you can get a look under your sump guard see it the draining plug on the sump has any visible signs of any work been done around it recently , also maybe visually check to see if your filters ( if they have been changed ) look brand new as there are many cowboys out there " Preforming so called services "

Henry Ford III · 05-09-2007 9:49am

Duckhams Q 20W50 is green.

JoeySully · 05-09-2007 9:51am

As barryfitz said - deisel engine will go black very fast, in fact my brother was surpried on day - he had been drinving a deisel for 4 years and changed to petrol - a week after changing the oil in the petrol it was still clear he thought there was something wrong because he was so used o it goin black straight away with the deisel engine. Changed my oil 150 mls ago and its sitill amber but thats a petrol car. I did have a deisel previous to this and the oil went black very fast.

jaybo1 · 05-09-2007 10:01am

Ill rephrase....

Generally new oil is amberish...Id be more concerned about why the warning light is on... they could have put used oil back in too of course..

Wishbone Ash · 05-09-2007 10:05am

Check the viscousity (spelling?). New oil will be 'thicker' regardless of colour. Used oil will feel like black paint.

gyppo · 05-09-2007 10:23am

jaybo1 wrote:

Oil is amber in colour when it is new. It darkens as it passes around the engine. The older the oil the darker it gets. If it has just been serviced it should not be black at this stage. Sounds like they didnt bother changng the oil during the service, especially as the light is coming on.

Irrelevant information when a diesel engine is being talked about. Oil will turn black within 10 miles of an oil change on a diesel. Also, exactly what light is coming on? A warning light? Which one? Engine management light?? That may have nothing to do with the oil level. The web is a great place for getting advice based on assumptions.

Jambo wrote:

As jaybo1 said the oil should be amber , this is the case when I service my car and when I check it a few days after for leaks ect !

If you can get a look under your sump guard see it the draining plug on the sump has any visible signs of any work been done around it recently , also maybe visually check to see if your filters ( if they have been changed ) look brand new as there are many cowboys out there " Preforming so called services "

See above.:rolleyes:

jaybo1 wrote:

Ill rephrase....

Generally new oil is amberish...Id be more concerned about why the warning light is on... they could have put used oil back in too of course..

See above.:rolleyes:

jaybo1 · 05-09-2007 10:30am

gyppo wrote:

Irrelevant information when a diesel engine is being talked about. Oil will turn black within 10 miles of an oil change on a diesel. Also, exactly what light is coming on? A warning light? Which one? Engine management light?? That may have nothing to do with the oil level. The web is a great place for getting advice based on assumptions.

Hardly irrelavent to say oil is amber (mostly) when new. Also to say It darkens as it passes around the engine is not irrelavant. as is to say The older the oil the darker it gets. No need to be rolling your eyes for the sake of it. I was trying to help the guy by simplifying as he said he was not well up on engines, and by giving some general information.

peasant · 05-09-2007 10:38am

jaybo

Due to the soot produced while burning diesel, brandnew engine oil will be black within a few miles.

You would be able to tell the difference between old black and new black if you had a sample of each to feel and smell ...but you can't by just looking at the dipstick

JoeySully · 05-09-2007 10:43am

Gel wrote:

The car is not runnning very well and a warning light which had been occasionally coming on is still coming on!

OP what warning light is comming on
Is it the Oil warning light or engine warning ligh or something else

Gel · 05-09-2007 12:05pm

Thanks for all the replies.
I spoke to the garage and in fairness the guy was very helpful.
He confirmed that the oil does in fact go black very quickly and he reckoned that the light coming on was related to a drop in brake fluid level due to worn brake pads. I did not have the garage replace the pads at the time of servicing because I could get a local mechanic to do the job at half the price. The pads are being replaced this Friday and I am optimistic that the light problem will be solved.
Cheers again. Great forum!

Oil colour question

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