Silly unimportant question about oil
 

I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).

Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

it can gum up over time and who knows what's going on with the additive
package. but maybe it's ok. it's got to have a reasonable shelf life
for the store and a storage life for the consumer...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

it can gum up over time and who knows what's going on with the additive
package. but maybe it's ok. it's got to have a reasonable shelf life
for the store and a storage life for the consumer...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

it can gum up over time and who knows what's going on with the additive
package. but maybe it's ok. it's got to have a reasonable shelf life
for the store and a storage life for the consumer...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

it can gum up over time and who knows what's going on with the additive
package. but maybe it's ok. it's got to have a reasonable shelf life
for the store and a storage life for the consumer...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

It survived several million years underground before they put it in that bottle...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

It survived several million years underground before they put it in that bottle...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

It survived several million years underground before they put it in that bottle...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on hand
> in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes (which has
> not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has been
> in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold winters.

It survived several million years underground before they put it in that bottle...

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
>
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on
> hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes
> (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has
> been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold
> winters.

I tend to buy oil by the case when it goes on sale. As such, two or three
cases can sit around for a while in my garage before they are used. I have
noticed on occasion that there's a small quantity of a light brown sediment
that forms in the bottom of the plastic oil bottle. I tried asking a few
questions about this phenomena but never received a satisfactory answer.
For what it's worth, I just shake up the bottles before I start doing the
oil change such that most of the air bubbles in the oil have dispelled
before it's poured into the engine. So to answer your question, yes, the
oil can change over time but not being an API chemist I can't tell you the
significance of it. I will try asking some more knowledgable folks that I
know the next time I see them.

Eric

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
>
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on
> hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes
> (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has
> been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold
> winters.

I tend to buy oil by the case when it goes on sale. As such, two or three
cases can sit around for a while in my garage before they are used. I have
noticed on occasion that there's a small quantity of a light brown sediment
that forms in the bottom of the plastic oil bottle. I tried asking a few
questions about this phenomena but never received a satisfactory answer.
For what it's worth, I just shake up the bottles before I start doing the
oil change such that most of the air bubbles in the oil have dispelled
before it's poured into the engine. So to answer your question, yes, the
oil can change over time but not being an API chemist I can't tell you the
significance of it. I will try asking some more knowledgable folks that I
know the next time I see them.

Eric

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
>
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on
> hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes
> (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has
> been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold
> winters.

I tend to buy oil by the case when it goes on sale. As such, two or three
cases can sit around for a while in my garage before they are used. I have
noticed on occasion that there's a small quantity of a light brown sediment
that forms in the bottom of the plastic oil bottle. I tried asking a few
questions about this phenomena but never received a satisfactory answer.
For what it's worth, I just shake up the bottles before I start doing the
oil change such that most of the air bubbles in the oil have dispelled
before it's poured into the engine. So to answer your question, yes, the
oil can change over time but not being an API chemist I can't tell you the
significance of it. I will try asking some more knowledgable folks that I
know the next time I see them.

Eric

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit wrote:
>
> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a few
> years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the container on
> hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between oil changes
> (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5 years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know if
> the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it has
> been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely cold
> winters.

I tend to buy oil by the case when it goes on sale. As such, two or three
cases can sit around for a while in my garage before they are used. I have
noticed on occasion that there's a small quantity of a light brown sediment
that forms in the bottom of the plastic oil bottle. I tried asking a few
questions about this phenomena but never received a satisfactory answer.
For what it's worth, I just shake up the bottles before I start doing the
oil change such that most of the air bubbles in the oil have dispelled
before it's poured into the engine. So to answer your question, yes, the
oil can change over time but not being an API chemist I can't tell you the
significance of it. I will try asking some more knowledgable folks that I
know the next time I see them.

Eric

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit <me@privacy.net> wrote in
news:zldn6fy7c61k$.dlg@hightech.misfit:

> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a
> few years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the
> container on hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between
> oil changes (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5
> years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know
> if the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it
> has been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely
> cold winters.



It's fine. The oil undergoes far greater stress, breakdown and
contamination in your engine.

What grade is it? I mean the API specification (SJ, SL, etc.). Look on the
back of the label. Not that it matters much; I'm just curious.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Silly unimportant question about oil
 

High Tech Misfit <me@privacy.net> wrote in
news:zldn6fy7c61k$.dlg@hightech.misfit:

> I have been carrying a container of oil in the trunk of my car for a
> few years now. I don't do my own oil changes, and I have the
> container on hand in the event that the oil gets a bit low in between
> oil changes (which has not happened since I replaced the PCV valve 5
> years ago).
>
> Anyway, there is no expiry date on this container and I wanted to know
> if the oil would still be good to use at this point. I ask because it
> has been in the trunk the whole time, including during some extremely
> cold winters.



It's fine. The oil undergoes far greater stress, breakdown and
contamination in your engine.

What grade is it? I mean the API specification (SJ, SL, etc.). Look on the
back of the label. Not that it matters much; I'm just curious.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/