This oil stays cleaner longer!

[exranger06]

I have heard a lot of people on this board say that they like a particular oil because it "stays cleaner longer." This does not make any sense to me. This is why: An oil does not make itself dirty, it's the engine that's dumping contaminants into the oil. So, let's say you change your oil every 5k miles. For the sake of argument, let's say that no matter what the driving conditions, temps, etc. the engine always dumps the same amount of contaminants into the oil over the 5k period. Let's call that amount "X". It shouldn't matter what brand of oil you used, you're always gonna have "X" amount of junk in your oil when you drain it out!

It's like if I had 2 pans of oil, with a different brand in each one. I dump a teaspoon of dirt into each one. Did one brand "stay cleaner longer" even though I dumped the same amount of dirt in each one?

 

[StevieC]

I'm guilty of this... It's the wrong choice of words... I should be saying, it lasts longer according to my TBN and UOA, and it appears cleaner on the dip-stick etc...

 

[Colt45ws]

Different oils may seal the rings differently, changing the amount of contaminants being put into the oil. Also, how they handle the contaminants can be different.
But I think pulling the dipstick and saying an oil is clean/dirty just by looking at it is near worthless.

 

[dishdude]

Wouldn't an oil that picks up and sustains more dirt be better? I would rather that dirt be suspended in the oil and drained out than be stuck to the internals of the engine.

 

[grease_monkey]

that's quaker states claim. If the oil get's dirty it's doin its job. at least thats what logic would tell me
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Wouldn't an oil that picks up and sustains more dirt be better? I would rather that dirt be suspended in the oil and drained out than be stuck to the internals of the engine.

 

[jorton]

I think the dirt is in the filter, or stuck to the bottom of the oil pan. If discolored oil hasn't thinned or thickened it is still servicable even though it's not new.

 

[FastSUV]

Back in the 90's I used to discuss oil with my old barber...he was a DYI'er and he used to say he like oils that "floated the trash"...I guess he figured the oils that did not do this as well let it settle in the pan as sludge. But the ring-sealing theory makes sense to me.

But then again, so does "floating the trash"


Castrol used to have a disclaimer on their bottle about the darkness or color of their oil

 

[Quattro Pete]

Add pack in some oils can cause them to turn darker pretty quickly once subject to high engine temps. That does not mean the oil is bad or that it should be changed. In most diesel engines, the oil will turn dark within a few hundred miles of change.

 

[TallPaul]

Perhaps the oil that gets dirty quicker is actually getting some gunk out of the engine versus the oil that says clean doing nothing in the way of cleaning?

 

[jldcol]

If after dunping a spoonful of dirt into brand a oil and brand b oil, the dirt in brand stays in suspension and brand b's does not then I think brand a is cleaner, since this can be transported to the filter and brand b's cannot and thus is available to produce sludge.

 

[zoomzoom]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Wouldn't an oil that picks up and sustains more dirt be better? I would rather that dirt be suspended in the oil and drained out than be stuck to the internals of the engine.


BINGOOOO!

 

[grease_monkey]

Check this link out. remember when i said that was quaker state's claim, well here it is in the "myth versus fact" page it is myth #2 and says oil color
http://www.quakerstate.com/myth_vs_fact.aspx

try that out

 

[ZZman]

Nice link.

I like my oil dirty as the link said. Shows it is doing its job suspending the contaminants.