C6 Tech/Performance LS2, LS3, LS7, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Dirty Oil.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 12, 2015 | 05:27 PM
  #1  
ULOSECLOWN's Avatar
ULOSECLOWN
Thread Starter
Instructor
All Eyes On Me
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 110
Likes: 5
Default Dirty Oil.

I own a 2009 C6 30K miles. I have owned this vehicle for 7 months.
I have noticed after a GM dealer oil change my oil still appears dark,or dirty. I this normal? 2 oil changes completed.
Reply
Old Jun 12, 2015 | 08:09 PM
  #2  
Sayfoo's Avatar
Sayfoo
Safety Car
Veteran: Army
20 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,221
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Default

Do you have any idea (receipts) how often the oil was changed before you got the car?
The engine could be a little dirty inside and the new oil's detergent may be dissolving it. Or maybe the technician didn't let it drain real well and there was a little left in.
A little darker could be normal, but if it is as dark/black as when you took it in, go back and have them check it.
Reply
Old Jun 12, 2015 | 08:35 PM
  #3  
CMY SIX's Avatar
CMY SIX
Safety Car
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,684
Likes: 107
From: Opelika Alabama
Default

2 questions do you know what clean motor oil looks like? IE: mobil1 5w-30, is your dealer putting mobil 1 5w-30 synthentic in?
Reply
Old Jun 12, 2015 | 10:30 PM
  #4  
AORoads's Avatar
AORoads
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Default

A few more questions: the car has 30K on the car, and you have had it seven months. How many miles have you put on the car, and what is the frequency of oil changes you are making, 3K miles, 5K, etc.?

I do think it's possible that whomever you bought it from didn't change the oil much, or at all. Did you happen to look at the oil dipstick when you bought the car? And if so, was it dirty then?
Reply
Old Jun 12, 2015 | 10:54 PM
  #5  
2k Cobra's Avatar
2k Cobra
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,327
Likes: 44
From: Sacramento CA
Default

Send it to Blackstone Labs for analysis.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 02:05 AM
  #6  
zali0104's Avatar
zali0104
Racer
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 285
Likes: 6
Default

Here the thing...in my opinion the average corvette owner will change his oil 1,500 miles. Problem is, it may take 6 months before the car does 1,500 miles. The owner however starts the car every other day for 15 minutes. therein lies the problem.This ie when your pride and joy runs dirty. A cold engine generates the most emissions contaminating the oil with corrosive byproducts that can break down oil. This can cause the discoloration. Also remember the detergents, anti foaming additives and friction modifiers can make the oil dark when new.
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 12:00 PM
  #7  
Orion2011's Avatar
Orion2011
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 306
From: Shelbyville Kentucky
Default

While I don't own a Vette yet... I do change my own oil and have since I first started driving.

It is impossible to get every last drop of the old oil out. It won't take long for the new oil to look black. You can't judge oil by it's color, the only way to be sure is to have it lab tested.

Assuming you don't have a shyster charging you for oil he never put in, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 12:25 PM
  #8  
zali0104's Avatar
zali0104
Racer
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 285
Likes: 6
Default

The baffeled oil pans in corvettes require extended oil drain periods. About half hour. That hardly ever happens at the dealership where you get paid per job. Me being an ex chevy tech I know.
I can thus see about a half quart oil not being drained.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-7

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 02:10 PM
  #9  
2k Cobra's Avatar
2k Cobra
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,327
Likes: 44
From: Sacramento CA
Default

I had 43K miles on my 07Z when I sold it and the oil never looked dirty after an oil change. (dry sump car)

My 13 GS has 13K miles on it and when I get the car back from the dealer the oil is so clean, you can hardly see it. (Wet Sump car)

BTW: Both cars ran Mobil 1 full syn. The 13 uses their Dexos version.
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 03:23 PM
  #10  
AORoads's Avatar
AORoads
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Default

Originally Posted by 2k Cobra
I had 43K miles on my 07Z when I sold it and the oil never looked dirty after an oil change. (dry sump car)

My 13 GS has 13K miles on it and when I get the car back from the dealer the oil is so clean, you can hardly see it. (Wet Sump car)

BTW: Both cars ran Mobil 1 full syn. The 13 uses their Dexos version.
I agree and I have another car that I use Mobil 1 on/in, and it is hard to read the dipstick the oil's so clear.
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 08:26 PM
  #11  
Dano523's Avatar
Dano523
Race Director
10 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,629
Default

If the oil was not change out regularly, then it will cause the oil to go dirty on the fast side. The new oil is just doing what is supposed to do, and that is to clean the engine while protecting it.



Having said that, even with a dirty engine from someone not changing the oil when needed, the new oil should look clean for a few hundred miles, hence before it has enough time to start pulling off the old deposits. So if the motor oil is dirty right after the oil change, then they did not allow enough time for the old oil to fully drain out, or the oil that gets trapped in the oil cooler/accusump (if 12v vavled and you need to put the car into run mode to dump the oil out of it) was beyond filthy to start with.

In either case, would take the car back to dealer to have the oil changed again.


Also to note, the mobil 1 motor oil may have a long, long friction service life, but once the oil gets dirty (pulled about as much as it can from the motor), change the oil.

Also to note, the motor oil should be changed once a year as well (no matter the min mileage). The oil, also collects some other nastiest in a year from the motor as well.
Reply
Old Jun 13, 2015 | 09:49 PM
  #12  
buckmeister2's Avatar
buckmeister2
Le Mans Master
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 5,187
Likes: 1,216
From: Las Vegas Nevada
Default

Originally Posted by ULOSECLOWN
I own a 2009 C6 30K miles. I have owned this vehicle for 7 months.
I have noticed after a GM dealer oil change my oil still appears dark,or dirty. I this normal? 2 oil changes completed.
You said, "after a GM dealer oil change", but you did not say if it was 30 miles ago, or 3,000 miles ago, and you have not added that info, even though everyone is asking.

If it has been just a couple hundred miles, or less, since they "changed" the oil, and it is near black, my bet is that it was not changed. Most of us on here have done oil changes for decades, I sure know I have. I have changed cars that had 20K on the oil. After a change, the oil was a near-clear honey color, and lasted for at least 500 miles. If your oil is dirty after just a hundred miles or so, I don't think there is any way it was changed. Very possible the job got shuffled around, and the original tech changed the filter, then someone else took over, and thought the oil, too, had been changed.

Whatever the scenario, I would be back at the dealer, like yesterday.

Do you have the oil analysis back yet?
Reply
Old Jun 14, 2015 | 09:37 PM
  #13  
Not So Fast's Avatar
Not So Fast
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,001
Likes: 988
From: lake havasu city arizona
Default

Originally Posted by CMY SIX
2 questions do you know what clean motor oil looks like? IE: mobil1 5w-30, is your dealer putting mobil 1 5w-30 synthentic in?
I had mine changed , yes the dealer, and when I check it, it isn't as clear as my wife's car after a change but it uses 0-30 Mobil1 whereas the Vette uses 5-30 Mobil1. I have not looked at fresh Mobil1 5-30 to compare from the container, does it look a little darker??? The Camry has 16,000, the Vette 26,000.
It doesn't look dirty just darker
Thanks
NSF
Reply
Old Sep 3, 2015 | 06:16 PM
  #14  
ULOSECLOWN's Avatar
ULOSECLOWN
Thread Starter
Instructor
All Eyes On Me
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 110
Likes: 5
Default Changed by dealer every 5k

Originally Posted by aoroads
a few more questions: The car has 30k on the car, and you have had it seven months. How many miles have you put on the car, and what is the frequency of oil changes you are making, 3k miles, 5k, etc.?

I do think it's possible that whomever you bought it from didn't change the oil much, or at all. Did you happen to look at the oil dipstick when you bought the car? And if so, was it dirty then?

mobile 1 oil only....
Reply
Old Sep 3, 2015 | 06:19 PM
  #15  
ULOSECLOWN's Avatar
ULOSECLOWN
Thread Starter
Instructor
All Eyes On Me
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 110
Likes: 5
Default

Trying to locate a competent Corvette repair shop in Tucson AZ.
Dealers are useless.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Dirty Oil.





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:07 AM.

story-0
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-2
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE