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Why new oil turns black right away

6K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  farfromovin 
#1 ·
Just wondering why after changing the oil and driving home just 3 miles the oil is filthy black? When the Rotella goes in it is pure golden. But soon as it runs in the motor it is black. The Hemi in my Challenger stays looking clean. I'm sure, folks in the know will say the emissions system is the cause. But I don't know. The other question is, is the oil OK. I'm sure even though it is black but brand new it is still good?
Anyone else notice how the new oil turns black almost immediately?
 
#9 ·
i just got mine back yesterday from GDE, love it

ordered a mahle filter and will change the oil asap - was due in another 3k miles anyway.
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure it's necessarily the EGR... My 2004 Cummins has no EGR and it turns black immediately too. It may look bad, but it doesn't affect it's analysis.....
 
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#11 ·
It is the detergents used in the oil combined with blow by from diesel engine operation. Without that EGR feeding back in the oil will stay its original color longer. My Super Duty would get black in a 100 miles and no EGR 15 qts of oil....
 
#12 ·
yeah it can't be the egr - because if shutting that off meant more of the soot would go out the pipe (instead of caught in the oil), then the dpf regens would be more frequent not less like they are with the GDE

i'm not bothered by the oil changing color immediately - as posted above the analysis shows it's still good regardless of the clarity
 
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#13 ·
Oil turning black could be related to how hard the engine is worked. I have a 2002 Ford F250 with the 7.3 diesel that has no EGR. I use Shell Rotela and the oil stays very clean even at 4,000 miles. Asked the Ford Technician about that many years ago. He said start pulling a heavy trailer with it and watch how soon it will get black. So it might be a combination of many things. Al
 
#14 ·
EGR would be considered a contributing factor, but not a cause. The cause is soot forms during combustion in-cylinder and a portion of the gases slip by the rings and down into the engine oil. An engine with high blow-by could lead to increased soot in the oil, but in general the VM engine is quite dirty. Turning off the egr reduces soot a little bit, but changing the pilot injection, main injection and post injection is the most effective method to reduce soot formation. With the GDE tune the soot is reduced by more than 80%, so less junk to slip by the rings.
 
#16 ·
Dealer can't detect the GDE tune with the Wiitech diag tool as it will appear stock via teh part number. If you have an issue, just take it in for normal service.

The longer it stays stock the more warranty you will need.
 
#17 ·
Sorry for all the questions. As far as my DEF fluid goes. Does the consumption rate stay the same. It lasts about 10,000 miles(if I waited for it to be close to empty) even though I top it off more often to keep it fresh. What about Regen's can I expect less regens with your tunes. I currently have only seen 2 in 27K miles. What about impact on the DPF filter. If your website has these answers you can just provide me a link and I will go look. Thank You.
 
#20 ·
Black oil when new is nothing to worry about. The oil is designed to suspend that combustion soot that blows by while still providing ample lubrication for 10k miles.
 
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