How quickly should freshly filled engine oil darken?

Motor oil is a highly complex mixture of various refined products and additives that prolongs the life of our car's engine. It is designed to work in extreme conditions, and has a lot of properties, including changing the color from golden and transparent to dark and cloudy. And it is with this property that many motorists have a number of questions. How fast should the oil darken? And should it darken immediately after replacement and a small run?

Oil for a car engine, like blood for a person, is vital and necessary to ensure its normal functioning. But if a person’s blood is updated on its own, then engine oil must be changed. Otherwise, low-quality fuel, plug driving or, on the contrary, too active driving style and, of course, the service life will turn it into a very aggressive substance that will cease to perform the main function of the oil - to lubricate and clean the engine. And there, even a heart of steel is not far from a heart attack.

When changing the oil, it is not difficult to notice that the new one has a pleasant golden color, and it is transparent. Old oil is always dark, and even black, and transparency is out of the question. But for what period of time is its darkening permissible, and what threatens the darkening of the changed oil just the other day?

To begin with, there can be many reasons for a change in the color and consistency of engine oil, both negative and quite normal for a lubricant operating in such difficult conditions.

In the first case, darkening of the oil may occur due to the fact that: it was fake, overheated, there were some malfunctions in the crankcase ventilation system or the cylinder head gasket was broken, or maybe this is a consequence of using fuel of dubious quality.

In the second, the darkening happened during the correct operation of the engine oil. Indeed, in addition to lubrication, it, collecting soot, soot and other debris from the piston system, acts as an engine cleaner.

But to find out why the oil turned dark in your engine, you need to act by elimination. That is, to exclude the worst possible causes of color change. And for this it is enough to look back and remember how you looked after the engine; what kind of oil was poured (original and recommended by the automaker or to your taste and choice); how often it was changed and the level checked; whether the oil filter was changed; at which gas stations and with what fuel they refueled; whether the engine has overheated, and whether it is healthy at all.

If the driver has unambiguous answers to all these questions, then there is no reason to worry. Engine oil has darkened due to natural causes and its proper operation. Moreover, a recently changed lubricant can also darken. And this, in the absence of the above negative reasons, is also normal. You just need to take into account the age of the engine and its natural wear and tear.

In other words: if the engine is new, then the oil should not darken quickly. But if he worked for three years, then the quickly darkening oil is even very good. So, it works, and removes accumulated deposits. And the older the engine, the faster the grease darkens.

And vice versa, if, with a battered motor, the driver notices that the oil remains light for a long time, it means that the additives in it do not cope with their task. You need to make sure the quality of the lubricant, and, if possible, replace it.

Keep an eye on your car's engine. Service, change the oil on time and use only high-quality lubricants, and then the motor will serve you faithfully for the period allotted by the manufacturer.