Oil

Oil most certainly does't come pre blackened!

But I would hazard a guess that it's a diesel, in which case black oil is perfectly normally, due to the higher amount of soot produced by the combustion.

I had this happen to me, Vauxhall diesel, changed the oil & filter & the customer took it away & swore blind we hadn't changed it as the oil was black & not clear !! he wouldn't have it, so we changed the oil again while he watched & showed him the colour after we had run it, which was black again, bloody customers !!!!

Diesel = Probably black Petrol = Probably not

I've never seen new oil which is black. Depends what it is.

"reg" wrote in news:f6jgqb$mtf$ snipped-for-privacy@aioe.org:

Mate of mine had a brand new 205 diesel turbo. He swore by Millers synthetic, but had to use the Peugeot main dealer oil when he had it serviced or so he claimed. He got the car back, drained the dealer fitted oil, which always came out black, even though it was in for only a few miles. He refilled with his favourite Millers and drained that when a service was due, and replaced it with their stuff, just in case the Pug People invalidated his warranty for using the wrong oil. When he drained the Millers after 6000 miles, it came out darker but still clear if you know what I mean. After the service he took it home and replaced with new Millers synthetic. He also kept the engine so clean the brass bits sparkled, and as for the inside of the car... spotless. He told me once that the service manager once came up to him and said that his car was the only car that came in cleaner than it went back out. The Pug guys could not afford the time to keep it up to his standards. He may sound a bit anal about his motors, but I'm quite glad, as his job is looking after the reactors on subs. I quite like that attention to detail in a job like that. :-)

What do you have to compare this with? Many cars blacken their oil very quickly. But the colouration is no reflection on its ability to lubricate.

My last four cars have been diesels - and every one of them had clean oil immediately after a change. OK, it might be very slightly dark - but never (ever) 'black' It's the first thing I check after a service and if, like the OP, I discovered black oil after a few miles I'd be on the phone to trading standards before you could say 'bloody garages'

It seems you all think this is a diesal car, no noooo it is not its petrol so what you're saying is they've conned me. I've only had the car a week & have only done 30 miles, surely this would not change in this short time. I've got nothing to compare it with. Dunno what it is..... Ican understand you saying "bloody customers" but equelly I can say "Bloody Dealers" :o) pk

Ask to see some decanted from the ORIGINAL container.

I had my old serria for 4 years from new and desided to do the service my self. When I tried to remove the sump plug it would not budge, and i had to use a pipewrench and a scaffolding pole to remove it. When I was at the main dealers buying a new sump plug I asked the service manager if the car had a full service history how had they changed the oil when the sump plug had clearly never been out, he took me in the workshop and showed me them sucking the oil out of the dipstick hole. I thought that it removed most of the oil but left the crap at the bottom ready to pollute the new oil. Perhaps some dealers still do this hence the black fresh oil. just a thought. Rob

If it's a petrol car, I'd say you've been had. It normally takes a couple of hundred miles to darken rather than blacken oil in a petrol car. And it's not unknown for dealers to skimp on servicing as part of a new car sale. I'd check all the other items that should have been done - brake bleed nipples for a start. At a guess they'll have done none of it.

You have left it a little long really. Also what the condition of the oil filter. Does it look new?

Surely the point is that the dealer told you that they had used black oil and no one here has ever come across it ! Ask who makes it and it's spcification.

If the dealer was genuine, why did he have to lie to a customer. It's stupid because it would have been far more sensible to say it must have been over-looked.

Andy

Have you ever tried to speak to your local trading standards office about improperly done car service? I doubt you would get much help...

Chris

Alot depends on the engine, and previous servicing. If a good qaulity oil is used, and changed reguarly, then the oil should be cleanish looking after an oil change, but if cheaper oil is used, and servicing is done at the maximum mileage, then it can go black very quickly. Also the engine design itself makes a big difference. Something like a transit engine, which retains about 1/2 a liter in the various corners of the engine, the new oil will go black straight away. But if you try rubbing the old and new oils between your finger and thumb, you'll be able to feel the difference. The old oil will fell thinner, as well as appear dirtier.

Why?

Chris