Car oil in bottle gone black.

homeless9

Hi,

Noticed my car needed topping up with motor oil so got the bottle of motor oil, poured it into my engine, instantly realised it was black, typically it is a kind of clear honey looking liquid, but the oil is now almost jet black. Can I still use this oil or is it now 'off' and could cause issues with my car?

I've had the bottle of oil for over a year, maybe 2 years....

oldagetraveller1

"Can I still use this oil or is it now 'off' and could cause issues with my car?"

You already have used it!

Are you 100% sure it is engine oil? Was the "bottle" sealed? If not, has said bottle been used to store anything else of a black colour?

I've never seen or experienced clean engine oil turning black in it's original container. If it is engine oil, then storing for two years shouldn't be an issue.

Personally, I'd buy sufficient volume of the correct oil and change the filter and engine oil - just in case.

facade

I wouldn't, I've got oil from 20 years ago that is still clear & yellowy, plenty good enough for oiling a pushbike, door hinges etc.

If it is black in the bottle, but was honey coloured when new likely you put Something Else in the bottle and forgot..

Stubod

..as above, "clear" oil should not go black when kept in its original container, (I have the odd bottle which I have had for 10+years and it's still the original colour). Looks like you must have had something else in the bottle, and as suggested you should really get it all drained out and changed pronto just in case.

homeless9

I am so confused. I definitely would not have put anything else in this bottle. I am not a garage / mechanical / DIY guy. And I would definitely have remembered putting something else in this bottle.

It's still got the consistency of oils it's just that it's now almost jet black. It's Halfords ow brand..... so maybe this is why, some cheap Halfords oil made from dead rats.

coffeehound

Sounds like used oil that has previously been drained out of the car and put in the bottle to take to the tip?

David713

homeless9 said:

I am so confused. I definitely would not have put anything else in this bottle. I am not a garage / mechanical / DIY guy. And I would definitely have remembered putting something else in this bottle.

It's still got the consistency of oils it's just that it's now almost jet black. It's Halfords ow brand..... so maybe this is why, some cheap Halfords oil made from dead rats.

But can you 100% guarantee that someone else wouldn't have put something in there?
Is it possible that at some time in the past, you carried out an oil change and what you have in the bottle is the old oil? as this is very often almost black.
For the sake of a few £s worth of oil, if there is any doubt at all that what you put in the car may be contaminated, I would also say that you should drain the engine and  refill with good oil.
Have you run the engine since topping it up?

AdrianC

The most obvious reason for an engine oil bottle containing a viscous black fluid is definitely that, last time a change was done, the old oil got put back in to take to the tip...

Which begs the question of whether the new oil got poured into the tank at the tip... Oops.

lemondrops69

coffeehound said:

Sounds like used oil that has previously been drained out of the car and put in the bottle to take to the tip?

Take to the tip? Isnt that what storm drains are for?

homeless9

David713 said:

homeless9 said:

I am so confused. I definitely would not have put anything else in this bottle. I am not a garage / mechanical / DIY guy. And I would definitely have remembered putting something else in this bottle.

It's still got the consistency of oils it's just that it's now almost jet black. It's Halfords ow brand..... so maybe this is why, some cheap Halfords oil made from dead rats.

But can you 100% guarantee that someone else wouldn't have put something in there?
Is it possible that at some time in the past, you carried out an oil change and what you have in the bottle is the old oil? as this is very often almost black.
For the sake of a few £s worth of oil, if there is any doubt at all that what you put in the car may be contaminated, I would also say that you should drain the engine and  refill with good oil.
Have you run the engine since topping it up?

I barely poured any of it into the engine. As I saw it was black and stopped.

I will just go and get a new bottle of oil tomorrow.

I did live with other people a year ago, that's the only way I think possibly this is someone elses bottle they have used to store something else, though this is a 5 Litre bottle filled to the top. The oil doesn't look dirty, it just looks like oil that is coloured black.

coffeehound

lemondrops69 said:
Take to the tip? Isnt that what storm drains are for?

very mischievous lemondrops69