shelf life of motor oil (sealed in bottle)?
tbird
the original bottle?
thanks
y_p_w
I was told by Mobil customer support that the Mobil 1 should outlast the
bottle it comes in. I'd guess the same for most conventional motor
oils.
m...@here.com
> Does anyone know what the shelf life of motor oil is - sealed unopened in
> the original bottle?
Whatever is in motor oil should be reasonably stable up to
engine temperature, should resist oxygen, water, free radicals,
etc. So for all practical purposes -- longer than a "shelf
life" of a human being. ;-)
ThomasDefender
oil may not be qualified for a new engine in ten years, unable to provide the
lubrication demands. Thats why oils are constantly upgraded every 2-3 years,
engines demand more from them.. See the letter code on the can, then check
your car's requirements.
Diesel Fool
few years more.
> Does anyone know what the shelf life of motor oil is
AC/DCdude17
y_p_w wrote:
>
>
> I was told by Mobil customer support that the Mobil 1 should outlast the
> bottle it comes in. I'd guess the same for most conventional motor
> oils.
I'd guess synthetic oils resists deterioration much better than dyno oil.
Afterall product of our industrialization called chlorofluorocarbon lasts few
hundred years to even a thousand years. The aerosol gas used by your
grandparents is still intact in our atmosphere even under harsh weather. Its
true that dyno oil came from under ground from thousands of years ago, but
petroleum products does deteriorate especially when it is not isolated into one
pure chemical. For example some grade of kerosene is photochemically reactive
and if you leave it in the sun it'll get ruined.
MELEPERA
container to keep out any moisture, and the stability of the additive package
that is used. I would not say that engine oils (be they petroleum or synthetic
based) are good forever as that is wishful thinking. These plastic containers
are certainly not materials that completely eliminate the potential for
moisture contamination and they DO have a certain degree or porosity. Once
very small amounts of moisture come in contact with the additive ingredients
(which is more likely the case than not), you are playing Russian Roulette if
you think that the oil's shelf life will go on forever.
m...@here.com
> are certainly not materials that completely eliminate the potential for
> moisture contamination and they DO have a certain degree or porosity. Once
> very small amounts of moisture come in contact with the additive ingredients
> (which is more likely the case than not),
All the motor oils I've seen have the opening on the bottles sealed with an
aluminium seal, and bottle itself is reasonably thick. So I find it a
little difficult to believe that any significant amount of moisture can get
into such a bottle.
y_p_w
m...@here.com wrote:
> All the motor oils I've seen have the opening on the bottles sealed with an
> aluminium seal, and bottle itself is reasonably thick. So I find it a
> little difficult to believe that any significant amount of moisture can get
> into such a bottle.
I'll preface this by saying that I'm not sure where you're
posting from.
At least in the U.S., most consumers buy motor oil in 1
quart (947 ml) plastic bottles. I haven't seen new motor
oil in a can for maybe 8 years. The bottle caps are
sometimes unlined, but most now come with a softer plastic
lining, which I assume is meant to provide a tighter seal.
The exception is Red Line synthetic oil. Their quart
bottles have always come with seal of plastic with either
paper and/or aluminum. I've also purchased 4 or 5 quart
plastic bottles that came with a plastic/aluminum seal.
It would be pretty easy to partly unscrew a bottle cap,
which would allow air to enter. I do this sometimes
with bottles where a vacuum or pressure has developed -
and use the oil soon afterwards. Even so - I doubt
that an opened bottle of motor will degrade like the
oil in the crankcase.
tbird
in the plastic bottle would be good for a few months. Looks like its def.
good for at least 2 or 3 years. In the meantime, I found the following site
that has a bit of information, if you are interested. Thanks to everyone
for taking the time to answer.
www.escape.ca/~dbrad/shelf.htm
"y_p_w" <y_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3AC8D884...@hotmail.com...
AC/DCdude17
tbird wrote:
> thanks to everyone for answering - actually, I was just hoping unopened oil
> in the plastic bottle would be good for a few months. Looks like its def.
> good for at least 2 or 3 years. In the meantime, I found the following site
> that has a bit of information, if you are interested. Thanks to everyone
> for taking the time to answer.
>
> www.escape.ca/~dbrad/shelf.htm
They are rating it very conservatively. Their data on shelf life of
transmission oil is 3yrs, gear oil is 2yrs.. that is in unopened bottle. Most
of us don't change transmisison fluid for 6 to 7 years and its not too rare for
a differential to have the same fluid throughout its life.
MELEPERA
etc.) all have a certain degree of permeability. This permeability will allow
for very small amounts of moisture to pass through. Even though you "think"
that the container is reasonably solid and thick, it is not like steel or glass
that have essentially no permeability.
John Kunkel
I was hoping someone would point that out, plastic containers can only
keep moisture out for a finite period. Once the container has gotten
moisture into it, then you'll find a solid precipitate on the bottom of
the bottle. Oil contains a drying agent, lime. It works by absorbing
moisture when cold, and releasing it (as vapor, which goes out the
crankcase vent) when the oil is hot: CaO + H2O <==> Ca(OH)2
If allowed to be moist for a long period of time, the particles of
Ca(OH)2 coagulate and fall out of the oil. It has then lost some of it's
ability to keep your engine dry and prevent corrosion.
So look in the bottom of the bottle for this precipitate. If none, it's
OK.