Dirty Oil
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Junior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 63
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Dirty Oil
Changed my oil lastnight, and it was really dirty (very dark, nearly black) much more so than I was expecting.
The mechanic at my last change (stripped bolt) said the same to me.
Any thoughts on why this would be? SHould I change filter brands, or perhaps more frequent oil changes?
The thermostat / temp guage were both changed last January, and all the guages seem fine.
Thx crew.
P.
The mechanic at my last change (stripped bolt) said the same to me.
Any thoughts on why this would be? SHould I change filter brands, or perhaps more frequent oil changes?
The thermostat / temp guage were both changed last January, and all the guages seem fine.
Thx crew.
P.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 538
Likes: 2
From: Florida
Idunno why everyone bashes Fram filters. I've used Frams on my last 3 vehicles and found that they keep the oil cleaner longer than most other filters. On my Ranger I go 5K miles between changes and the oil is just starting to get dark brown. The one time I used a Purolator Ultra filter, the oil was nasty black at 3K miles.
My '88 F150 didn't burn any oil when I traded it in at 200K miles. I was the original owner and only used Fram filters. My Ranger has 140K miles and doesn't burn a drop of oil and has only had Fram filters for the 7 years I've owned it.
So if the oil is nasty black, I suggest using Fram oil filters and seeing what the oil looks like after 3-5 thousand miles.
My '88 F150 didn't burn any oil when I traded it in at 200K miles. I was the original owner and only used Fram filters. My Ranger has 140K miles and doesn't burn a drop of oil and has only had Fram filters for the 7 years I've owned it.
So if the oil is nasty black, I suggest using Fram oil filters and seeing what the oil looks like after 3-5 thousand miles.
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 161
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From: Spring Hill, KS
Good oil is not only a good lubricant, but also a good agent to dissolve carbon. You will always have carbon deposits in your motor, and if the oil dissolves that carbon, when you change your oil...you are also getting rid of "excess" carbon (which is good) If you are getting unusually dark oil after a relatively short time (<3000 Miles), you could have a more severe problem then the oil fiter...
Before you do anything drastic, change oil and filter to different brands...Fram => Bosch & Mobile => Quaker State ......just as examples (not saying those brands are worth anything!)
Before you do anything drastic, change oil and filter to different brands...Fram => Bosch & Mobile => Quaker State ......just as examples (not saying those brands are worth anything!)
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Junior User
Joined: May 2004
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So, the fact that the oil is very DARK may be a good thing ( removing carbon deposits and so forth).
Dirty (i assume meaning foriegn material -coolant, metal shavings, chucks etc - are a bad thing)
Using a poor quality filter would mean less of the junk is being filter out, therefore the oil would appear darker. I have dark oil, so Ill try a higher grade filter next time.
I didnt check the type the shop put on, and I usually have been using Motomaster (house brand) filters, but I'll try a better quality next time and see the difference.
Thanks all.
Dirty (i assume meaning foriegn material -coolant, metal shavings, chucks etc - are a bad thing)
Using a poor quality filter would mean less of the junk is being filter out, therefore the oil would appear darker. I have dark oil, so Ill try a higher grade filter next time.
I didnt check the type the shop put on, and I usually have been using Motomaster (house brand) filters, but I'll try a better quality next time and see the difference.
Thanks all.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 3
From: California Desert
I use NAPA Gold oil filters. They are produced by Wix, arguably one of the best filter manufacturers. You may also want to inspect the box that houses the air filter. If there are any holes or gaps that could let excess dirt into the system.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
Phtty, you may find the following sies on construction & filtering efficiency information on different oil filters interesting & informative.
Oil filter construction quality, filter media type, & surface area, varies greatly.
MotorCraft filters are Pure One synthetic media in a Pure Plus container. They are a very good buy for the money.
For oil filter construction, http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html
For oil filter efficiency data, this site offers some input on various micron particle size filtering/vs time, until the filter cloggs & the bypass valve opens.
This data is somewhat dated, but is nontheless interesting. http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html
Between these two sites, you should be able to make a decision on a good alternative oil filter to choose for your situtation.
Let us know what you choose & how it turns out.
Enjoy the reads!!!!
Oil filter construction quality, filter media type, & surface area, varies greatly.
MotorCraft filters are Pure One synthetic media in a Pure Plus container. They are a very good buy for the money.
For oil filter construction, http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html
For oil filter efficiency data, this site offers some input on various micron particle size filtering/vs time, until the filter cloggs & the bypass valve opens.
This data is somewhat dated, but is nontheless interesting. http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html
Between these two sites, you should be able to make a decision on a good alternative oil filter to choose for your situtation.
Let us know what you choose & how it turns out.
Enjoy the reads!!!!
