Does synthetic oil turn black in a diesel?

[Soundguy]

I imagine the detergent specifics of the oil, the filter scheme and quality, the fuel type / grade used, and the variables.. like op environment.. temp range.. duration of use, etc.. all play a role on the oil.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[gsxr1100]

I agree. Everything was the same on the unit but the oil. Just weird.

 

[trs]

As soon as it turns black you should change as the oil companies are going broke /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RalphVa]

My Exxon stock is still doing fine. My investment advisor is now recommending it to his other clients after his following mine for us.

With high price of crude, think most oil companies and people dealing with getting oil out of the ground are doing great.

Black in diesel oil is mainly from soot. If I changed on my Benz soon as it got black, I'd be there all day changing oil. Change; check oil; black; change again; fire up; check oil; black; change again. Guess maybe by about the 20th oil change or so, it MIGHT stay brown for a while.

Ralph

 

[PineRidge]

I have always used synthetic but I didn't know you were supposed to check it between changes. Tractors don't use or lose oil do they? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bugstruck]

PineRidge, Believe it or not I never check oil in my vehicles except when I buy them for the first change or so. Once I know their consumption patterns I check just before oil changes, to make sure there are no changes in consumption. Once the miles rack up I might have one develop a need to check between changes. You can see that coming. When I was younger I was checking oil levels all the time. Just found it to be a waste of time. I'm still checking the 3130 every 5 or so times I start it. Just to see how fast it gets contaminated and what usage there is, if any. Once I know its pattern it may go several months before I check it. I can't imagine that little bird of an engine using much at all between changes. 18 hours and it hasn't moved a bit. We'll see. I change all mine rather regular so a check before a change gives you allot of snapshots on any vehicle over time. If any of them develop a leak I can spot that fairly quick on asphalt or concrete.

Now that I've spouted off I'll probably be driving down the road soon and see the idiot light come on. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue">....I'll probably be driving down the road soon and see the idiot light come on.</font>

As I read PineRidge's post I couldn't help but think of a time in highschool when someone in autoshop class thought that when the little <font color="red"> red </font> IDIOT light was on that it meant you HAD oil /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. And no, it wasn't me /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. Gerard

 

[EastTexFrank]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> Any kind of engine oil turns black in a diesel </font> )</font>

Yea, that's what I always thought until I met an oilfield bit salesman in Oklahoma about 3 years ago. He used to put a horrendous amount of miles on his truck annually. He was one of those PowerStroke fanatics. He had all kinds of gauges, chips, modifications and things on that truck but one of the things he had was an auxiliary oil filter. He said that the actual filter itself was no more than a roll of Brawny paper towels that a portion of the circulating oil was forced through. Now oilfield salesmen have been known to "exaggerate", especially bit salesmen, but he did have the cleanest oil I have ever seen in a diesel and he said he had 5,000 miles on it.

Has anyone ever heard of this type of auxiliary oil filter????? ... or was he just blowing smoke????

 

[Soundguy]

I've heard of TP oil filters, and also large aux ol filters.. big cartridge units.. like something luberefiner might make..

Since it is soot.. you push that oil thru enough o fhte corect media.. and you are going to clean it. So.. I'd have to agree .. if the guy did have some elaborate aux filter scheme.. his oil probably did stay cleaner ..longer.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[BGL990]

Amsoil makes remote mounted dual filtration systems where an adapter screws on where the oil filter normally goes and there is a supply and return line that go to a conveniently mounted block that has 2 filters. One is a normal full flow filter and the other is a very high efficiency bypass filter. Apparently this filter removes stuff down to ~1 micron. It can't flow enough to pass all the oil directly through it (hence the name bypass filter), but enough trickles through that supposedly all the oil passes through within 10 minutes or so. I've got to believe this is much better than a normal, single oil filter. I'm about to switch to Amsoil oil (5W-30 heavy duty diesel oil) and I'm strongly thinking of putting one of these dual filtration systems and one of their pre-oiler devices on my tractor. I figure the rest of the tractor will outlast me, so I want the engine to also.