Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
#1579705
02/16/14 01:45 PM
02/16/14 01:45 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 220 Aurora, CO
jbeintherockies
OP
enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 220
Aurora, CO
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Hello, I'm wondering what people have learned about engine oil, in particular, if it actually goes 'bad' after a certain amount of time sitting in the engine. I need to change my oil in my Barracuda. It is pushing 10 months old at this point. Haven't driven the car much due to lousy weather. There might be ... 2k miles on this oil (Valvoline VR1). I think I have read that engine oil should be changed every 3k miles or 6 months. How did they come up with those numbers? Probably marketing, but maybe the 6 month mark the oil begins to break down? I don't know, and that is why I am asking. Thank you in advance.
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: jbeintherockies]
#1579706
02/16/14 01:47 PM
02/16/14 01:47 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,847 Oakdale CT
gdonovan
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,847
Oakdale CT
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Been my experience the answer is no.
"I think its got a hemi"
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: gdonovan]
#1579707
02/16/14 02:12 PM
02/16/14 02:12 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,686
Andrewh
master
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so what goes "bad" in oil are the additives package, that provides protection against things like acid, suspension of particles in the oil and stuff like that.
the general rule of thumb is for regular oil, 5k miles or 6 months which ever comes first and for synthetics 10k miles or 1 year.
the reason being, if you don't drive a lot, you probably don't drive very far either.
running an engine for short drives, where the engine never hits operating temp, is very bad for the engine, as water vapor is never fully removed from the oil. This allows the acids to build up and then reduce the additive package effectiveness.
This however doesn't mean you MUST change it at these times. It is just a guideline.
If for instance, you only drive it once a week, but you always drive it an hour each way or something, then you are probably fine for quite some time.
you could also have the oil tested. however for most people, it would be the same testing it cost wise, as just changing the oil.
Typically the run 30 bucks to test, and an oil change for even synthetic only runs around 35 bucks, 40 with oil filter.
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: Russ H.]
#1579710
02/16/14 03:50 PM
02/16/14 03:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696 Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696
Bitopia
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Maybe 5,000,000 years give or take a few. Could be like wine, gets better with age. In your example, I would NOT change it strictly based on age.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: 71birdJ68]
#1579712
02/16/14 05:18 PM
02/16/14 05:18 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,243 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,243
Bend,OR USA
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Quote:
Unless it's in a climate controlled garage it will collect moisture over time just because of temperature changes. If its milky white I'd change it, if not drive it an hour or two to cook out the water. But remember as the water leaves there will be less in the pan.
If it is milky looking you've waited to long to fix the cause of the water in the oil. If you let a motor, fuel tank or oil barrel sit in a uncontrolled enviorment(SP?), inside or outside, water will condensate on the inside of the metal container, it will even condensate inside of a non metal fuel cell My point is when you let anything sit that has the abiltity to hold fluids water will condensate with the outside air tempertaure changes, stored inside or outside OP, as far as the oil going bad in a container, have you ever seen a "use by" date on any oil? I haven't I have seen enough water condensated inside a 55 gallon drum of diesel oil from sitting that when I went to remove the last 5 gallons of oil it was noticeable differences in the color and thickness I had offered to transport some 55 gallon barrels, 12 of them,to the scrap yard for the oil left in the barrels. Thier barrel pump would not suck the last 5 gallons out of them They ended up with no hazardous waste containers being stored during a Cal OSHA inspection on a trucking company as a favor to the owner, a freind of mine I have had oil that was brand new that ended up with some water in it. It had enough water in it to turn it milky from running a hemi motor on the engine dyno with a faulty head gasket. The dyno operator sugeested heating the oil in a pan on a stove to get it hot enough to make the water evaporate and save the oil for the next time,it was some of the older Kendall GT racing oil, I tried it When I put the 3 gallon cooking pan on the hot plate the oil was very milky looking, as it heated up it started to become clear as the water and oil got hot and seperated, water is heavier than oil, and the water sank to the bottom of the pan When the oil and water got hot enough, above 215 degrees F at 3000 Ft. above sea leval, the water would turn into steam and make great big bubbles rise through the oil and ended up slopping oil all over the place, I was lucky enough to get the hot plate turned off before some of the oil ignited on the burner Be very careful with your experiments is my message
Last edited by Cab_Burge; 02/16/14 05:19 PM.
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: Grizzly]
#1579715
02/17/14 03:18 AM
02/17/14 03:18 AM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,460 Florida STAYcation
dOOc
The village idiot's idiot
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The village idiot's idiot
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,460
Florida STAYcation
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Quote:
Yep, brought to you by the same bunch that tell you Pepsi goes bad if it's been on the shelf for too long.
.... but CARBED beverages DO go "bad" after awhile ESPECIALLY if they are in plastic bottles. Cans do also ... but it takes a lot longer.
They lose their "fizz".
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: gdonovan]
#1579719
02/17/14 01:09 PM
02/17/14 01:09 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,785 Utah and Alaska
astjp2
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master
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Utah and Alaska
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Now to rile up the arm chair quarterbacks, the facts by Shell oil engineers state that the oil gets acids in it when it sits after being ran. This occurs when the by produces of combustion and the moisture mixes within the crank case is converted to acids and they will start to eat away at different parts of the engine. 6 months on an oil change helps prevent this on an engine that is occasionally driven. The only way to prevent this is to get the oil temps up to 140* F for an hour to evaporate the moisture each time you run the engine.
Also oil does have a problem after it sits, when the manufacturers put the additives in, they do it at specified temperatures, typically they can begin to fall out of suspension within the oil after 4 years. It may not always happen in 4 years but manufactures have tested and proven it WONT in the first 4 years. Only testing can demonstrate whether they have or not. For the cost of a case of oil, I will use only fresh. Tim
1941 Taylorcraft 1968 Charger 1994 Wrangler 1998 Wrangler 2008 Kia Rio 2017 Jetta
I didn't do 4 years and 9 months of Graduate School to be called Mister!
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: astjp2]
#1579721
02/17/14 03:21 PM
02/17/14 03:21 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696 Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696
Bitopia
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Quote:
Now to rile up the arm chair quarterbacks, the facts by Shell oil engineers state that the oil gets acids in it when it sits after being ran. This occurs when the by produces of combustion and the moisture mixes within the crank case is converted to acids and they will start to eat away at different parts of the engine. 6 months on an oil change helps prevent this on an engine that is occasionally driven. The only way to prevent this is to get the oil temps up to 140* F for an hour to evaporate the moisture each time you run the engine.
Also oil does have a problem after it sits, when the manufacturers put the additives in, they do it at specified temperatures, typically they can begin to fall out of suspension within the oil after 4 years. It may not always happen in 4 years but manufactures have tested and proven it WONT in the first 4 years. Only testing can demonstrate whether they have or not. For the cost of a case of oil, I will use only fresh. Tim
So if the "additives" settle out, it would seem they could also be just as easily re mixed, with little harm, maybe just shake you motor thoroughly before starting after sitting.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: jcc]
#1579722
02/17/14 03:31 PM
02/17/14 03:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Quote:
Quote:
Now to rile up the arm chair quarterbacks, the facts by Shell oil engineers state that the oil gets acids in it when it sits after being ran. This occurs when the by produces of combustion and the moisture mixes within the crank case is converted to acids and they will start to eat away at different parts of the engine. 6 months on an oil change helps prevent this on an engine that is occasionally driven. The only way to prevent this is to get the oil temps up to 140* F for an hour to evaporate the moisture each time you run the engine.
Also oil does have a problem after it sits, when the manufacturers put the additives in, they do it at specified temperatures, typically they can begin to fall out of suspension within the oil after 4 years. It may not always happen in 4 years but manufactures have tested and proven it WONT in the first 4 years. Only testing can demonstrate whether they have or not. For the cost of a case of oil, I will use only fresh. Tim
So if the "additives" settle out, it would seem they could also be just as easily re mixed, with little harm, maybe just shake you motor thoroughly before starting after sitting.
No matter where the additives are, when you pour the oil into your motor the additives are going with the motor oil and they will mix just fine if it is even a concern. lol
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1579723
02/17/14 03:54 PM
02/17/14 03:54 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,243 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,243
Bend,OR USA
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I use to own and operated a small single engine airplane, it would sit in the hangar a lot like most other airplanes not flown comercially. I would change the oil and filter every 50 ht=rs and send a oil sample in for testing. I took the airplane out for a flight to warm the oil up for changing one spring cool day, the motor has a oil coller and a thermostat in the line to the oil coller, oil temps. normally rane between 190 F and 210 F, depending on teh outside air temps and how fast I made the airplane climb out on take offs This particular day I flew it for around 20 mintues, oil temps did reach 190 F before landing. I sent the sample in and it came backwith high water content Alos the acid content numbers where higher than normal When water and oil mix you do end up with some acids in the oil I have seen condensation in my valve covers after letting teh car sit for a few weeks with the exhaust evac vacume system hooked up, not seen since I quit using them Lots of gremlins out there
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: Engine oil - does it go 'bad' after 6 months; a year?
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1579724
02/17/14 03:55 PM
02/17/14 03:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,785 Utah and Alaska
astjp2
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,785
Utah and Alaska
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Now to rile up the arm chair quarterbacks, the facts by Shell oil engineers state that the oil gets acids in it when it sits after being ran. This occurs when the by produces of combustion and the moisture mixes within the crank case is converted to acids and they will start to eat away at different parts of the engine. 6 months on an oil change helps prevent this on an engine that is occasionally driven. The only way to prevent this is to get the oil temps up to 140* F for an hour to evaporate the moisture each time you run the engine.
Also oil does have a problem after it sits, when the manufacturers put the additives in, they do it at specified temperatures, typically they can begin to fall out of suspension within the oil after 4 years. It may not always happen in 4 years but manufactures have tested and proven it WONT in the first 4 years. Only testing can demonstrate whether they have or not. For the cost of a case of oil, I will use only fresh. Tim
So if the "additives" settle out, it would seem they could also be just as easily re mixed, with little harm, maybe just shake you motor thoroughly before starting after sitting.
No matter where the additives are, when you pour the oil into your motor the additives are going with the motor oil and they will mix just fine if it is even a concern. lol
Uhmmm NO they wont. But all of the chemists on here would know that...that's like saying that if you soak your cooked bacon in bacon grease, the grease will go back into the bacon...when you put it back into the fridge. Do what you want, you will anyways, but I do know that it is an FAA violation if you put expired oil in an airplane, there was an airline who flew piston powered airplanes had several engine failures because they were using 15 year old oil. Shell tested it and found that the additives (detergents) separated causing bearing failures.
1941 Taylorcraft 1968 Charger 1994 Wrangler 1998 Wrangler 2008 Kia Rio 2017 Jetta
I didn't do 4 years and 9 months of Graduate School to be called Mister!
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