Hello, I'm wondering if motor oil has a known shelf life. I "discovered" a forgotten container of Castrol GTX in my mom's garage. It's likely almost 6 years old. Any harm in putting it to good use?
Thanks, Jim
The API "S" designation may be out of date for some of your newer vehicles, but other than that, it should be good. There might be a small amount of residue at the bottom of the bottle, too. Got a lawnmower that needs an oil change? Or a chainsaw needing some cheap bar and chain oil? That's where I use my old and odd bottles...
Rick
Sure. When I open a case or otherwise buy bottles w/o a case, I'll tighten up the cap to try to get a tigher seal. I guess one potential problem is a little bit of moisture getting in there (not hermetically sealed), but I wouldn't worry too much about it in a full bottle.
I just changed my oil today, and I used a 5 quart jug of Mobil 1 5W-30 The jug used a break-apart cap (I'd hesistate to call it "tamper resistant") and a foil/plastic seal. I suppose oil in a hermetically sealed bottle like that should have an indefinite shelf life. Most of the large 4-6 quart jugs come with airtight seals.
As others have mentioned, keep the bottles tightly closed. Also, the oil's properties will be left much more intact if it is stored in a stable temperature environment. Repeated heating and cooling between day and night as well as seasonal temperature shifts are not good for the oil. Essentially, oil stored in an outdoor garage or shed will break down faster than oil stored in a fruit cellar.
-Danny
properties will be left
Repeated heating and cooling
the oil. Essentially,
in a fruit cellar.
I don't know about breaking down per se. The oil itself should be fairly stable. I once called Mobil's 800 # to ask about the shelf life of Mobil 1, and was told that the bottle would probably break down before the oil was unusable.
Now hot and cold cycles might cause condensation of water vapor in the bottle. I try not to keep an opened bottle for more than six months. I've heard discussions of people buying drums of assorted fluids, and the consensus is usually that they have to be used quickly before water condensation becomes an issue. It's probably not an issue for a shop doing 20-50 oil changes a day.
You can do an archive search on ANY automotive forum, including this one, and find opinion is split right down the middle. Both sides have their points. Neither is 100% right.
But if we MUST rehash things, let's at least concentrate on an important issue:
Ginger or Mary Ann?
Rick
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