How dirty is your oil?

[hazmat]

Well, I'm at 65 hours now. I did the 50 hour service at 50 hours. When I changed the oil & filter, it was quite black. Now when I've checked the oil, it is black again.

I've checked the air filter & cleaned it.

Is this just SOP for a diesel engine, or do I have a contamination problem?

[jinman]

Yes, it is common for oil in a diesel engine to look dirty long before the oil would in a gasoline engine. In my Dodge Cummins diesel, the oil is very dirty looking at 3,000 miles. That's with 11 quarts of oil. Because of high compression and the ash content of burned diesel fuel, your oil will always look dirty. The good news is that the oil looking dirty means its detergent properties are good and it is carrying away all contaminants.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Stonewall]

Probably not a worry. Diesels will blacken their crankcase oil with carbon very quickly, ususally with in 10 hours of loaded operation (cutting, tilling, etc.). It should still feel smooth to the touch though.

[hazmat]

Thanks for the sanity check. Stonewall, you must be psychic, it was dark after 10 hours, but still smooth.

[djradz]

Sorry guys, I'm not seeing the same on my TC 40D nor did I on my old 1720. Maybe I'm putting less hours on or working it lighter. However, after 10 hours, the oil still looks pretty much amber to clear. I usually change my oil once in the fall (to 5w-30) and again in the early summer (to 10w-30) here in Michigan. Not putting a lot of hours on these days so the oil is probably getting changed every 30-40 hours. Maybe that's the key. Or else, one thing I do is rarely idle below 1500 RPM for any length of time, and I've had the "cold running engine" fix done. Don't know if either of these make a difference, but that's my experience.

[stmiller2]

The oil in my TN 55 was still amber colored at the 50-hour service interval. Now at 90+hours, the oil is still amber colored. Most of my hours were spent bush-hogging at 2300 rpm.

[hazmat]

Oh oh, now I'm a little worried. Looks like we are tied, 2 for dirty oil OK, two against. Anybody want to break the tie? I think a call to the dealer or bring him a sample might be in order.

[Soundguy]

I have about 26 hours on my tractor since oil change and my oil is a dark amber.. but not as dark as molases.. just a tad darker than honey.

I might add though, that the engine has less than 100 hours on it since a rebuild from the dealership, so may not have had time to accumulate much deisel soot.

Soundguy

[Mosey]

If you're still under warranty and not sure, then why take a chance? Call the dealer and make sure! I don't remember how long it took the oil to get dirty after the first and second oil change, but it seems like it didn't take long. Next time I'll keep a closer eye on it.

[spencer200]

Dont worry hazmat I just came back from a New Holland oil supplier meeting. The new engines create more soot from the burning process of fuels therefore making the oil turn blacker faster. We where told this is just from the engine processes getting more refined and better. So the experts say anyways.