2017 Honda CRV w/ black oil

[bobcatz]

2017 Honda CRV purchased last winter with 5,000 on the odometer. Changed the oil first time using Pennzoil Platinum 0W-20 with a new Honda -A01 filter (the Filtech version). As I usually do, I drove the car around the block and back up on the ramps to check for leaks. Everything looked good, except I noticed the oil was already turning a discernible black color. Yes, I did clean the dipstick before adding new oil. This is the new 1.5 liter turbo engine. Has anyone else seen this phenomenon with this engine in the CRV or related models?

 

[HemiHawk]

Totally normal. Some cars will still have that honey like appearance for 1k miles, others around the black it looks dirty. I will say my GTIs oil looks darker much quicker compared to my non-turbo engines.

 

[tig1]

I have never seen that in Fords, but I don't drive vehicles with turbos. After my normal 10K OCi the oil always looks dark amber, but never black.

 

[parshisa]

Glorious 1.5T. Does the same with the oil in my Civic

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Well that PP may have a bit more cleaning ability than the old oil from the dealership did. See what it looks like after you change it again in 6 months or a year.

Having said that the oil in my Duramax is like coal in less than 500 miles.

 

[kschachn]

Or just as likely it has nothing to do with "cleaning", I have a hard time believing that a 2017 model with only 5K on the odometer needs any cleaning.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: tig1
I have never seen that in Fords, but I don't drive vehicles with turbos. After my normal 10K OCi the oil always looks dark amber, but never black.


With all the port injected Ford's I've driven since 1989, the oil has always came out dark honey with my 5,000 to 9,000 mile OCI's. With our new 2017 Explorer with the 2.3 EcoBooost the oil comes out black, not diesel black, but black. However after a 7,000 mile OCI with Mobil 1 the UOA was excellent despite the "black" oil and the TBN was at a most usable 3.9. Again the color of the oil does not seem to be an indicator of it's usefulness left.

Whimsey

 

[AirgunSavant]

Could me all of that Honda Moly we keep hearing about

 

[CT8]

Break in time is the hardest time the oil will see in an engine. Study up on the engine break in process.

 

[bobcatz]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Having said that the oil in my Duramax is like coal in less than 500 miles.


Since I run both Ford Navistar and Dodge Cummins pickups at work, I know how black the oil can get with the turbo diesel truck motors. Surprisingly, the Ford actually takes a 1,000 or more miles to appreciably darken. Yes, I was expecting the Honda 1.5 turbo to oxidize the oil quicker than a NA engine, but I didn't expect a drive around the block (~1/2 mile) would blacken the oil that quickly.

Ken

 

[parshisa]

It was likely the leftover form factory fill that mixed with the fresh oil and darken it. I've overfilled once and had to drain some few miles after the change and it was dark already

 

[bobcatz]

Instead of saying "2017 Honda CRV purchased last winter with 5,000 on the odometer". I should have said "2017 Honda CRV purchased NEW last winter with 5,000 NOW on the odometer." This is first oil change from the factory fill. According to the dealer, break-in oil was 0W-20 synthetic blend. The CRVs are built in Japan, so I don't know if they ship with oil in the crankcase or filled after arrival. I think the cars are driven off the ship, so I guess they are shipped with oil. I have figured out all Honda engine oils sold by U.S. dealerships are manufactured by Phillips 66, which I consider to be a more than acceptable product. I would have thought an engine built to modern tolerances would be broken in by 5,000 miles.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

I don't have a Honda, but my DIT engine does seem to darken my oil very quickly.

BTW, Honda Moly might be great, but I'll take Red Molly over it anyday...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5V0RkCIaXo

 

[bobcatz]

Originally Posted By: parshisa
It was likely the leftover form factory fill that mixed with the fresh oil and darken it. I've overfilled once and had to drain some few miles after the change and it was dark already


I'm hoping such is the case. The fill is only 3.7 quarts, so it probably doesn't take much hanging up in nook and crannies to cause the discoloration.

 

[parshisa]

For sure. Max I could put back in was 3.2 with filter, so there's a least 0.3-0.5 leftoveres sitting in the cranck case

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Could me all of that Honda Moly we keep hearing about

Bingo. First oil change is always dark.

 

[Danh]

The CRVs sold in the US are made in the US or Canada, so if the OP has one mad in Japan it's quite a rarity.

The ff on my 2015 and 2017 Honda DI K24Ws didn't darken unusually. As these engines presumably have the same ff oil and assembly lubes as thare 1.5T I don't think the oil is th culprit. More likely it's a characteristic of the 1.5T: they are inclined to dilute the oil with fuel and likely collect tiny DI particulates as well. So normal, but not necessarily desirable.

 

[FZ1]

The Honda DI's dilute. Add the turbo to a 1.5 DI motor pulling 3400 pounds with the aerodynamics of a brick and there could also be some blow by on these Hondas.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

color is not a good indicator of oil wear/quality

 

[Indydriver]

Are you suggesting that one lap around the block caused the oil to darken discernibly from when you installed it? Or that PP is a little darker New than Honda FF?