How long before oil turns black

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Had an oil change done recently on a 2012 ram 3500 with the cummins. Picked the truck up, drove the 3km home and checked the oil, it was as black as what was in it when I brought it there. I know it's a diesel and they turn the oil black fairly quickly, but that seemed really quick.
Both fords I've owned, a 6.4 and 6.7 would take about 1500km before it was as black as this stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Your oil wasn't changed. Sorry to tell you.


+1 That was my thought too. Diesel oil traditionally becomes black pretty quick but it shouldn't be that black that quickly. I think you might have got hosed. Does the oil filter look new?
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
In a Diesel, the oil turns black almost immediately.


my 6.0 takes about 1500km to turn black. but I dont have any emissions systems besides pcv in it. I dont think the oil was changed.
 
I've had oil turn black in 2 min of idle on my first second oci of T6.(jeep)
I'm with Miller on this one.
 
The oil in my '07 Cummins and '11 Duramax turn the oil black in seconds. My dad's '07.5 and '14 Cummins are the same

As in fill with fresh oil,start truck,wait 10 seconds and shut off. Check the oil and its like it was never changed.
 
I think it depends on the engine and oil.
If it can help you, in my BMW it turns black maybe in 200 miles, whether I use BMW OEM oil or Mobil1 5W30 ESP.
But as for whether oil was changed or not; that is why I am changing oil in my garage.
 
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Originally Posted By: leeaspell
Had an oil change done recently on a 2012 ram 3500 with the cummins. Picked the truck up, drove the 3km home and checked the oil, it was as black as what was in it when I brought it there. I know it's a diesel and they turn the oil black fairly quickly, but that seemed really quick.
Both fords I've owned, a 6.4 and 6.7 would take about 1500km before it was as black as this stuff.


Since your vehicle usually turns oil black in 1500km, and you only went 3, I'd suggest you take a sample and send it to an oil analyzer. Then you either have
(1) Peace of mind or
(2) Evidence
 
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My PSD has a few stages of blackness. Within a few miles the oil turns from clear/amber to a very light gray/black and it is very easy to see through it to see the crosshatch on the dipstick. Within 100 miles it is black and it difficult to see through. Within 500-750 miles, the crosshatch is not visible and it only becomes darker from there to the point of nearly staining anything it touches when I change it at 5K.
 
For those of you who does not/have not dealt with diesel engines, the oil will get black as soon as the engine starts.

Diesel engine produces soot/carbon which is black and the "GOOD" diesel rated oil needs to have the ability to float those soot/carbon which is black instead of becoming a sediment.

Most oil filter cannot filter this soot/carbon particle since they are smaller in size than the filter's ability.
 
My 07 Duramax will change the oil black immediately, like idling in the driveway after an OC and I KNOW the oil gets changed because I do it. It's the stupid EGR dumping soot into the oil. Freaked me out the first time I changed oil.

People should try to know something before they claim foul play.
 
My 06 Cummins turns black immediately, and I know it's fresh oil and filter because I do it myself. No all the oil is removed in an oil change and it stains the oil immediately. Don't worry, at least in a Cummins.
 
All it takes to turn oil black is heat; and the only thing about oil that can be determined from its color is its color.

I agree with Kuato. The only real solution is to take an oil sample and send it in. Then you have either proof it was done or evidence it wasn't.
 
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Originally Posted By: Ihatetochangeoil
All it takes to turn oil black is heat;
A little soot tends to accelerate that in a diesel
grin.gif
 
My Ninja motorcycle used to do that imediate blackening. Did a flush and now it takes a few k mikes to get black again. Too mumch remaining at tranny, would tint it black asap.
 
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