Oil looks Dirty after change

The car (2003 cab) has 47,500 miles on it. Got one of those coupons from the dealer in the mail, so took it in. The filter cover didn't look like it was touched/removed, so I took an oil sample and it still looked dirty. Oil is Mobil-1 0w40. Last oil change was about 9,000 miles ago. I went back to the dealer and they said they changed it again "just to be sure" and gave me the "removed filter" which did look clean, but again the oil looks dirty when taking a sample after getting home. Here is a pic of the sample after the first oil change, the sample was taken after about 70 miles: IMG_0429.jpg Here is pic after the 2nd oil change. The 2nd change sample is on the right in larger bottle. The 2nd sample was taken after about 20 miles. IMG_0430.jpg For a comparison here is a picture with new oil direct from the bottle compared to the two samples. IMG_0431.jpg What do you think? I read somewhere that Mobil-1 turns color quickly, but this just doesn't seem right. Thanks,

My Mobil 1 stays golden for at least 1k miles probably more like 3k ...how long had old oil been in car ? It's possible you had lots of carbon build up etc. and new detergent in oil is flushing that out ... But if that is the case I'd drive a couple of hundred miles more and go to good indie and get the oil properly changed ...

I don't think the new oil should look that dark(not the same as dirty) after only 70 miles IMHO but I could be wrong. Was the service performed by a Porsche dealer? I can't believe they gave you a second change on the house and I certainly do not think they would claim to have changed your oil twice but yet not even change it once. Also, it's hard to see the second oil sample in the colored bottle. Is it also very dark? You mention that the filter housing does not look like it was touched but you should see scrapes(new marks in the old dirt) on the bottom of the housing from the socket tool. Also, check the drain plug. If the drain plug looks new then they definitely completed the oil change.

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Yes, it was a Porsche dealer. Yes, I didn't believe they changed the oil a second time "on the house" either, that was the reason for taking the 2nd sample. Yes, the second sample looks exactly the same as the first. It isn't as black as before the change, but it still doesn't look right. Yes, after the first change, the lack of marks on the filter housing is what made me think of taking a sample. After the 2nd "oil change" the filter housing was cleaned/wiped off.

They didn't change it. They changed the filter which can be done without dropping the oil. Save all the palaver, do the oil change yourself. I do NOT change my drain plug when changing oil. Use synthetic and drop it every 5000 and cut your filter open to check for debris. I use Excess 800 motul synthetic.

Or ... Take it back to the dealer ... Show the general manager the oil sample .. Have a " master tech" do it again while u watch .. Or loan you a. 991 to tool around in for the day ..,can't believe a Porsche dealer wouldn't take responsibility for this

Could be that the filter they gave you came from another car.

This all sounds shady, from a porsche dealer nonetheless. We need one of those undercover news investigations on this.

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They may have only changed the filter the 2nd time as the housing looked like it was cleaned or at least wiped off.

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It had been about 9,000 miles since the last oil change. The service writer said something like "with an engine with 47,000 miles on it, you can't expect the oil to look fully clean after a change" I sent a sample to Blackstone about 3 months ago and they said the oil was OK for another 3K miles. The oil looked very dirty in that sample, so when the coupon came I had the oil changed. The sample after the change (pictured above) isn't as dirty as the one taken 3 months ago, so I think the dealer did do something, but it still doesn't seem right.

Oil can darken pretty quickly after a change, especially if they didn't warm the engine/oil thoroughly before draining and/or let it sit for a while after removing the drain plug to drain out as much of the old oil as possible. Neither step is a tech highly incentivized for as he (she?) needs to churn and burn cars through his rack to make any money. That said, I also have had plenty of service writers and mechanics blatantly bs me about work they forget to do or did incorrectly. Porsche dealers are better than most, but the oil change guy is also usually the low man on the totem pole.

^agreed. I had to drain 1 qt (long story) from my Audi (non turbo) one after less than 100mi. It was dark, enough so that it looked ready for a change based on color alone. Keep in mind when they drain it, there's still a good amount sitting in the engine, which gets mixed in with the new instantly. And if the old oil was 9000+mi, it was surely pretty dark

It can take a few hours for the oil to completely drain out of a 996 engine. If there were no marks on the oil filters housing after the first oil change, they didn't change the filter and all the dirty oil just mixed in with the clean. You would have been better off using the coupon for toilet paper. Amazon.com has a great price on Motul 8100 E-cess 5w-40 in 5 liter jugs. Just saying.

Well not exactly, the amount of oil in the filter housing isn't much when compared to the rest. Therefore, not touching the filter will hardly make a difference. Also, the colour of the oil is meaningless too.

How does the oil look when you drip some on a paper towel?

We had a jeep one time went in for an oil and filter change . I took it and the guy after about half an hour said 'OK you can take it now' So I drove across the car park and the sound of the engine did not sound right. I do not play music when driving but my wife always does. Its a good job it wasn't my wife driving it as I heard a loud whistling and on checking my rear view mirror, saw the owner waving frantically and running across the car park. They had completely forgotten to put new oil in the car after dropping the old oil. The owner thought his son had put new oil in and the son thought his father had put new oil in. Neither had, so there was I setting off in a jeep Cherokee with no oil in the engine. Needless to say that was the last time that I ever used that garage. Savorystout I use the same oil as you do in the Porsche...changing it every 5000 Miles along with a new filter. I too buy it on line from Amazon.

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This is what I'm wondering about, how much dirty is left normally versus the tech forgetting to change the filter. When I perform a change, I put in about 1/2 quart of fresh oil when the drain plug is out to help flush-out the old oil. I was also thinking there may be some baffles or something in the location from where I'm taking the sample. I just put a hose down the dipstick tube and pump-out a few ounces. To test this I went for a short drive on some twisty roads before taking another sample, but there was no difference in the color from the 2nd sample.

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It is somewhat deceiving as looking at the dipstick or some drops on a paper towel does not show the oil as dark as a larger sample. You can see this in the first pic if you look at the cap of the sample bottle. Hey Targa996, do you take samples or is the 1k and 3k color just from the dipstick or drops on a paper towel?

They might have just sucked the old oil out through the dipstick or fill tube. That is the way the Mercedes dealer did oil changes when we took ours in for the "free" oil change every 10k during warranty period. The oil always looked dirtier then at the 5k interval when I changed it. I changed it at 5k so every other, half assed dealer change (IMO), was free.

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Exactly the opposite thinking. It always looks darker filled in a bottle even though the oil might be relatively new. However if you pour some drops on a paper towel, you can tell its true condition between a 5k oil vs. 100 mile oil even though they both may look dark in a bottle.

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If you look at the 3rd picture, the side-by-side of new oil in the same type of bottle as the "just changed oil" there is a big difference in the color. I don't have the before sample to compare, that is why I'm asking for opinions. I can try to get pictures of a comparison with drops on a paper towel, though I think the camera may not pick it up well.

I just changed my oil 221 miles ago with Mobil 1 0W40. The oil on the dipstick looks light and clean, in clear plastic tubing like dark honey, and in an oil analysis container much darker.

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Why so few miles on the oil change?

I just took a sample from the dipstick tube so the OP could see that oil looks dark even after a fresh change. Took out 3 ounces, and will put 3 fresh ounces back in. In other words, the dealer probably changed the oil and filter, and Mobil 1 probably changes color as soon as the engine reaches operating temps and the oil runs through the system. As you will recall from my Blackstone report, my last oil change was at 58xxx miles on Oct 8, and I've only put another 221 miles on since. I used an oil extractor to pull this sample from the dipstick tube (which is how I change the oil on our Mercedes C350). For the porsche, I drain from the drain plug and change filter each time. I was just trying to provide "data," to ease the OP's concern about his recent dealer oil changes. Of course, it is really easy to change oil on the 996, and I would encourage the OP to watch the video, buy some rhino ramps, an oil filter wrench, oil drain pan and socket set and/or torque wench and do it in about 20 to 30 minutes tops on his own. Then the OP will know for sure the work was done, and for about 70 bucks (not including the getting started costs). I personally had never changed my own oil on my cars, until I paid a Porsche dealer once to do so, and vowed never again. If I can do it, anyone can. And you can't beat 70 bucks, and with those savings you can all send in a sample to blackstone for 30 bux with TBN and post your reports.

Why not just put back the oil that you just removed or does that go against religion?

Guess I could have, but I dumped it into my oil container without thinking much about it. I'll consult the Talmud, the New Testament and BITOG to see what they all say.

The good thing about our cars is you don't even need a jack or ramps to change the oil. My car is lowered and I'm still able to reach everything without lifting the car.

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Thank you sds911! This is exactly what I was looking for. I'll buy you a beer the next time I'm in your area, ever go to San Manuel? I stop there sometimes when I'm passing through for the holidays. Yes, I have the Blackstone report from 3 months ago to post, just haven't gotten to it yet. I like the idea you posted in the other thread about everyone posting the reports to compare. I recently saw the video and have most of the tools as I change the oil in my other cars. I was somewhat wondering about the angle of the car with the rear wheels on the ramps. Do you leave the front wheels on the ground or jack up the front or ??? Thanks again,

The photo of sds911 paper towel is what I was talking about. Even if the oil "looks" dirty in a cup or container it will still look pretty clean on a paper towel if it's low mileage. It would look a lot more dirty than that on a paper towel for example if it had 5k miles on it and that's the reason why I asked if you tried some drops on a towel.

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Just don't do what I did and drive away with the drain pan under the car.

I simply drive the back of the car onto the Rhino ramps, and I have even used two 2x4 boards under each wheel. Front wheels on the ground, no need to lift - just let it drain for 15 to 20 minutes until it barely drips. Just gives you a bit more space to take off the drain plug (and then prepare for the gushing oil -- get a large open 12 to 16 quart round plastic oil pan to catch the deluge, plus some oil mats to catch any spills), and the oil filter cover. Wear chemical resistant neoprene/plastic type gloves too, and be careful not to burn your hands on hot oil. I've been to Harah's Rincon, but not San Manuel. I like Vegas better.

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I normally just look at dipstick ... If dark will do towel test. On my Porsche I always change at 1 year .. Which is before 5k for me ...oil is looking darker after 3k on dipstick but before that it looks pretty clean. Agreed a full sample does look darker.