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Oil Shelf Life

by induction1, June 14, 2004



i had some pennzoil (unopened) sitting in a warm garage for a couple years and used it on the last oil change. it was the same stuff as the stuff i bought the other day as far as container style and labeling. i was curious to know whether oil breaks down with time, heat, light, etc and the effects of using old oil. anyway, i finished pouring in the "old" stuff and there was sort of a black line of "dirt" resting on the bottom of the container. i shook it up before even opening it and it was still there but it otherwise looked ok. thoughts? thanks

As long as the API service designation is the same (currently it is SL for regular motor oil) you should be OK. Typically - oil has a shelf-life of three to five years. Most say use it before three years because the API service formulation changes every 12 to 24 months.

That "dirt" you see is probably some of the Pennzoil's " time-released additives " that fell out of suspension - not to worry as long as you change your oil regularly.

Good Luck.



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