Oil turns reddish?

[Stelth]

Just dumped my last fill of NextGen Maxlife from my '01 GMC Savana 1500. I've been checking the oil level every time I get gas, and while it didn't use any significant oil during the 3100 mi. OCI, it did seem to take on a reddish cast. Not red like ATF, just more red than the golden-brown I'm used to.

Does it mean anything?

 

[LeakySeals]

Maybe its varnish, and this oil is cleaning. A second run will tell the story.

 

[mrsilv04]

Some oils change color.

I use Valvoline Maxlife in a 2000 Grand Am 4 cylinder, and about 750 miles in, it turns a bright yellow.

 

[SOHCman]

I was just noticing the color of mobil one HM, it almost instantly turned a bright urine yellow in a few different engines I am running it in.

 

[LeakySeals]

Yeah, its very light to begin with so you can see it. Its mixing with the small amount of old oil remaining in the engine. I see that too.

 

[2000RX300]

I just drained my 3rd OCI of NextGen. It definitely had a red cast to it... I'm glad that I am not the only one who it's happening to...

 

[SuperDave456]

I just poured some Rotella 15w40 from a 4qt jug to a 1qt container to top off with.
It was so much darker than the 10w40 I was using before that I thought I grabbed a bottle filled with used oil at first.
Turns out that the 15w40 is just a lot darker than I am used to.

I've also seen Green German Castrol and bright green Maxlife soon after it is put into engines.
Interesting stuff.

 

[KCJeep]

Maxlife often gets a glow to it that is entertaining. All the HDEO's I've used have been significantly darker than PCMO's, higher TBN's, more calcium etc.

 

[4x4chevydude]

I run Nextgen and never noticed it being red I will have to see if mine does that as well.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Maxlife often gets a glow to it that is entertaining. All the HDEO's I've used have been significantly darker than PCMO's, higher TBN's, more calcium etc.


Yeah it is intoxicating.

 

[zerosoma]

It means it's STRAWBERRY!

 

[Falken]

If I recall Pennzoil Ultra briefly took on a slight strawberry tinge that lasted a few weeks early in the OCI, like someone added bit of ATF to the sump. Found it odd.

 

[mount]

I literally just dumped the plain Valvoline Next-Gen 5W-20 out of the Town Car, and I definitely noticed it was red where the stream got thin and the light showed through.

 

[freezing1]

I had this happen one time on a 135K Honda Accord. No ATF loss, no other symptoms - very strange.

It was GF-4 Syn-Power 5W-30 BTW, which was what I normally used.

 

[TC]

Oil turning red = Measles.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: freezing1
I had this happen one time on a 135K Honda Accord. No ATF loss, no other symptoms - very strange.

It was GF-4 Syn-Power 5W-30 BTW, which was what I normally used.



Funny you mention this, I recently had the oil changed in my 94 Accord 2.2L non v tec at 129k miles and I noticed this as well. It is not lighter red but it definitely has a reddish cast to it.

I don't know what oil was installed since the dealer did the change, but I checked the ATF and no loss was noticed.

I tend to think it is some varnish as well, perhaps the newest SN formulas do a better job at cleaning, I'm sure the previous oil was SM formula.

 

[dparm]

I suspect it's a chemical reaction to varnish or something.

 

[Coprolite]

Originally Posted By: TC
Oil turning red = Measles.


It's just that time of month. Give it a few days and it will go away.

 

[skellyman]

Originally Posted By: Coprolite
Originally Posted By: TC
Oil turning red = Measles.


It's just that time of month. Give it a few days and it will go away.

Ha Ha HA !!!!