What Does Bad Car Engine Oil Look Like? Good Oil vs Bad Oil

In this video, 1A Auto compares dirty and clean engine oil.

🔧 List of tools used:
• Engine Oil

⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[AAuto]

√ *Watch the Video*
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√ *Save Money*

[manyakus]

Color doesn't mean anything. Its the viscosity, lubricant, and ability to trap contaminants that matter. Brown color is when the oil becomes acidic because of the combustion gases that slip through the piston rings to the bottom side of engine. You can put new oil, run the engine for 1 hour and the oil starts to become brown.

[bentrider]

Years ago Frantz motor oil filters had a video on how to check the oil to see if it's dirty. All they did was put a drop of oil off the dipstick onto a clean piece of toilet paper. If there was a black ring around the edges of the drop that meant the oil was ready to be changed.

[gibsosmart]

This is just a marketing jimick. Engine oil should be tested with oil level and oil viscosity not the color of the oil. 1A Auto is fooling people around to buy their spares.

[rorycalhoun]

Oil will NEVER look as clean as in a new bottle after a change. As it will ALWAYS still have previous oil in the engine that mixes with brand new oil.

[Tightlines]

it’s hard to tell by color…… you mechs know that but your viewers don’t know that…… guys your “new oil” won’t look new after 300-500 miles it’ll be dark which is a great indication that your oil is doing its job. Just change your oil after 3000k and I change my oil every 5000 when I use full synthetic oil.

[tigrantashjian]

My owners manual says to replace the oil every 5000 miles but it gets really dirty after 2k miles

[the_explorer-mxwo]

I guess a lot of car if they run after 1000KM their oil is getting that kind of color but we can feel the viscosity by sliding it between our fingers. we can also send the sample to the laboratory if we want to know the condition of our engine inside.

[juanbohorquez]

You put ouut the dipstick by first time and the color looks dark filthy, You clean the dipstick put it into the pan and when You put it out bye second time it's more clear and You can see the descripción levels on the other side, it's not the first time color 🤔 and the dipstick it's inmersed in the dame oil

[nickeleftheriadis]

Look man color does matter if it’s dark the engine is dirty

[thedegenerate]

Color is a poor indicator of oil quality. The darkening is carbon, mostly. Carbon is a lubricant on its own in the form of graphite and other allotropes. Look or feel for grit while feeling or even testing for viscosity. If you want to go to the trouble of pouring a sample through simple viscometers/cups, go ahead. I usually just feel it in my fingers and can tell when it needs changing. Moisture builds up as additives, desiccants, are exhausted or react to form inert compounds in the oil. This is more relevant in cars that sit for longer periods of time like a cottage car or old snow plowing truck. It is difficult to get a lot of moisture in oil when it runs at temp often unless a gasket is compromised or something else is going on. My car requires full synthetic every 10k at 80-100 bucks per change and the reminder is a puzzle wrapped in an enigma to reset or track. It is never correct so I just reset and ignore it. I just write the mileage in my owners manual in the glovebox to keep track.

[Superiorceo]

The indicator is more so the smell and level(determine how much it's been burnt-out) other than the color. Regardless I change my oil every season (cold weather lower viscosity)

[cherryroberts]

Someone had cooking oil accidentally and put it in my I've drank the oil out of my 85 Chevy and how do I clean it out to get the cooking oil all the way out

[frankmontez]

Bought a used car recently and thought that oil was good but after watching your video it looked like that old oil you showed. Gonna need to change it

[pouyaazar]

WRONG! The brown color can't tell you the oil is bad...Color change is so normal. the only way to check it out is viscosity and the oil shouldn't be too think or too thick.

[mirola]

Black engine oil means very little, especially when it's a diesel engine (black after 100 odd miles, you want to tell me oil goes off over such a distance?).
Change every 6K miles max, or within 1 year, whatever comes sooner.

[SalTheSlime.]

my oil was pitch black, i changed it today after 15 years ( btw its a lawnmower) and now the oil is clear and hard to see on the dipstick, is clear a good sign?

[jimborghini]

I got an oil change recently on my 2011 jeep and it was so clear I could barely see it on the dipstick. Hope that's a good sign.