Hello again,
One of the things i noticed on all of my cars in the past is that after a while the oil turns dark. It starts out clear where you almost cant see it on the dip stick, then eventually well under 3k miles it starts to turn dark. I know it cant be 'bad' oil.
Any ideas why it turns dark?
Synthetic Oil Harmful?
- MrAl
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Re: Synthetic Oil Harmful?
I’ve been driving a Volvo long before anyone ever paid me to drive one.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
- Rattnalle
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See June's oil thread in the general section for some thoughts on that. I've never really seen that kind of darkening using synthetic oil myself and June seems to confirm that after switching. My oil mostly just seems to slowly fill up with soot and other contaminants rather than change colour itself. If the colour is relevant for actual properties though is another matter.MrAl wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 05:56 Hello again,
One of the things i noticed on all of my cars in the past is that after a while the oil turns dark. It starts out clear where you almost cant see it on the dip stick, then eventually well under 3k miles it starts to turn dark. I know it cant be 'bad' oil.
Any ideas why it turns dark?
- Rattnalle
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Pretty much nobody is an extreme use case. I mean how many minutes in a year do you actually drive the car full throttle? Not they many even if I actually do try to when I canabscate wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 04:58the rest of us just need to read the world least read book![]()
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If you have normal use patterns this is the easy route. Our oil change places here try to sell everyone that they have extreme use and then push 3000 mile changes which, if the owners fix oil analysis, would find unecessary.
The folks here with very low mileage patterns might want to do oil analysis if it gives them piece of mind.
I’ve changed my low miles VW to a 2 year interval so I’m running out of used oil to sell...
I'm guessing cold starts and short driving distance is much more extreme but then you'd still hit the time limit for the oil changes with low milage and be fine.
- bmdubya1198
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The brake fluid is still up for grabs, right? I hope so, I can't stand to spend $4 on that Prestone stuff from Walmart.
00 V70R Venetian Red/Charcoal M56 Swapped 214k
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…and a bunch of other stuff
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- regent
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We carry a low-priced all-purpose mixture of all kinds of refurbished automotive fluids: coolant, brake fluid, transmission oil, engine oil, and power steering fluid.
Disclaimer: It can be used on any self-propelled vehicle in any application (except as a windshield washer fluid)

Disclaimer: It can be used on any self-propelled vehicle in any application (except as a windshield washer fluid)
Example of Precision: Measure with a Micrometer, mark it with Chalk, and then cut it with an Axe.
Disclaimer: We (very) seldom do that
2015 BMW 335i
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2002 S60 2.4 n/a - retired
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Disclaimer: We (very) seldom do that
2015 BMW 335i
2015 XC60 T5 Premier Plus
2002 S60 2.4 n/a - retired
1987 340 DL - retired
- abscate
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Harsh brownies....
Empty Nester
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread
- regent
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Those have not yet been considered for approval by the FDA, not in the CONUS
Example of Precision: Measure with a Micrometer, mark it with Chalk, and then cut it with an Axe.
Disclaimer: We (very) seldom do that
2015 BMW 335i
2015 XC60 T5 Premier Plus
2002 S60 2.4 n/a - retired
1987 340 DL - retired
Disclaimer: We (very) seldom do that
2015 BMW 335i
2015 XC60 T5 Premier Plus
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1987 340 DL - retired
- MrAl
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Hi,Rattnalle wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 06:44See June's oil thread in the general section for some thoughts on that. I've never really seen that kind of darkening using synthetic oil myself and June seems to confirm that after switching. My oil mostly just seems to slowly fill up with soot and other contaminants rather than change colour itself. If the colour is relevant for actual properties though is another matter.MrAl wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 05:56 Hello again,
One of the things i noticed on all of my cars in the past is that after a while the oil turns dark. It starts out clear where you almost cant see it on the dip stick, then eventually well under 3k miles it starts to turn dark. I know it cant be 'bad' oil.
Any ideas why it turns dark?
Do you have a link to that? Sounds interesting. I'll try to find it too.
I’ve been driving a Volvo long before anyone ever paid me to drive one.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
- Rattnalle
- Posts: 1674
- Joined: 1 September 2017
- Year and Model: 2004 V70 2.5T
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Here it is: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=84023MrAl wrote: ↑04 Apr 2018, 10:00Hi,Rattnalle wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 06:44See June's oil thread in the general section for some thoughts on that. I've never really seen that kind of darkening using synthetic oil myself and June seems to confirm that after switching. My oil mostly just seems to slowly fill up with soot and other contaminants rather than change colour itself. If the colour is relevant for actual properties though is another matter.MrAl wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 05:56 Hello again,
One of the things i noticed on all of my cars in the past is that after a while the oil turns dark. It starts out clear where you almost cant see it on the dip stick, then eventually well under 3k miles it starts to turn dark. I know it cant be 'bad' oil.
Any ideas why it turns dark?
Do you have a link to that? Sounds interesting. I'll try to find it too.
- MrAl
- Posts: 1700
- Joined: 8 April 2015
- Year and Model: v70, 1998
- Location: New Jersey
- Has thanked: 83 times
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Rattnalle wrote: ↑04 Apr 2018, 10:14Here it is: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=84023MrAl wrote: ↑04 Apr 2018, 10:00Hi,Rattnalle wrote: ↑03 Apr 2018, 06:44
See June's oil thread in the general section for some thoughts on that. I've never really seen that kind of darkening using synthetic oil myself and June seems to confirm that after switching. My oil mostly just seems to slowly fill up with soot and other contaminants rather than change colour itself. If the colour is relevant for actual properties though is another matter.
Do you have a link to that? Sounds interesting. I'll try to find it too.
Hi,
Thanks much.
What do they mean by group 3 and group 5 oil?
I’ve been driving a Volvo long before anyone ever paid me to drive one.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
That's probably because I've been driving one since 2015 and nobody has offered to pay me yet.
1998 v70, non turbo, FWD, base model, on the road from April 2nd, 2015 to July 26, 2023.
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