how long can engine oil be stored once the bottle's been opened?

Tom_Jane · 30-05-2010, 06:09 PM

read title.

**ebxr8240** · 30-05-2010, 06:13 PM

4 ever...

BOSHOG · 30-05-2010, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

4 ever...

i wouldve thought it had a shelf life, are you sure about this?

irish2 · 30-05-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOSHOG

i wouldve thought it had a shelf life, are you sure about this?

Keep the bottle closed so no moisture can enter it and it will last years.

**ebxr8240** · 30-05-2010, 06:28 PM

Like a good red...

galaxy xr8 · 30-05-2010, 06:33 PM

That's good to hear as I have used some old stuff before, when I say old, I bought a 20ltr drum as it was cheaper and did all my own oil changes, and as I don't do many klm's a yr, it was a fair while till I used up the 20 ltr drum, I keep't it clean and in a cool enviroment.

zdcol71 · 30-05-2010, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

Like a good red...

I would have thought that like "a good red", once it is open and subject to moisture, it may have a limited life in the bottle?

LUXO_8 · 30-05-2010, 06:43 PM

if there were a shelf life, it would be on the bottle

**DJR-351** · 30-05-2010, 06:44 PM

Just to mix things up a bit....

Scroll to bottom of the page...
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

Engine Oil Shelf Life.
I couldn't decide whether to put this in the FAQ or the main page, so it's in both, because I get asked this question a lot. Typically, the question is along the lines of "GenericAutoSuperStore are having a sale on WickedlySlippy Brand synthetic oil. If I buy it now, how long can I keep if before I use it?"
In general, liquid lubricants (ie. oils, not greases) will remain intact for a number of years. The main factor affecting the life of the oil is the storage condition for the products. Exposure to extreme temperature changes, and moisture will reduce the shelf life of the lubricants. ie. don't leave in the sun with the lid off. Best to keep them sealed and unopened.

Technically, engine oils have shelf lives of four to five years. However, as years pass, unused engine oils can become obsolete and fail to meet the technical requirements of current engines. The specs get updated regularly based on new scientific testing procedures and engine requirements. But this is only really a concern if you've bought a brand new car but have engine oil you bought for the previous car. An oil that is a number of years old might not be formulated to meet the requirements set for your newer engine.

If your unopened containers of engine oil are more than three years old, read the labels to make sure they meet the latest industry standards. If they do meet the current standards, you might want to take the extra precaution of obtaining oil analysis before using them. An oil analysis will check for key properties of the oil and ensure that it still meets the original manufacturing specs. Of course the cost of getting an analysis done on old oil is probably going to outweigh going and buying fresh stuff. So it's a double-edged sword.
As a general rule, the simpler the oil formulation, the longer the shelf life. The following is a guideline under protected conditions:

Product Shelf Life
Base Oils, Process Oils 3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils 2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils 3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils 2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils 1 year

The following are signs of storage instability in a lubricant:

•Settling out of the additives as a gel or sticky liquid
•Floc or haze
•Precipitates/solid material
•Colour change or haziness
Water contamination in a lubricant can be detected by a "milky" appearance of the product.

BOSHOG · 30-05-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish2

Keep the bottle closed so no moisture can enter it and it will last years.

years isnt forever.

would mineral oil and synthetic also have different shelf lives?

to the OP, i get my oil in bulk from my mate who works for FUCHS and he gets me 4x5l bottles instead of a single 20l drum purely so "it doesnt go off". theyre his words not mine

Wardo · 30-05-2010, 06:51 PM

We have drums of oil sitting around for ages at work, I usually give them a shake and then decant onto a clean rag, if it looks clean, good to go!

Only mineral though, Hydraulic and synthetic get a much closer inspection.

irish2 · 30-05-2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOSHOG

years isnt forever.

would mineral oil and synthetic also have different shelf lives?

to the OP, i get my oil in bulk from my mate who works for FUCHS and he gets me 4x5l bottles instead of a single 20l drum purely so "it doesnt go off". theyre his words not mine

If your THAT concerned mate change your oil every 1000k's. Oil 1000k's old will be worse than oil stored properly for 3 years.

BOSHOG · 30-05-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish2

If your THAT concerned mate change your oil every 1000k's. Oil 1000k's old will be worse than oil stored properly for 3 years.

are you sure? i mean if youre qualified to make the judgement ill do as im ordered!

FFS way to make a good thread into a bitchfest

irish2 · 30-05-2010, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOSHOG

are you sure? i mean if youre qualified to make the judgement ill do as im ordered!

FFS way to make a good thread into a bitchfest

Every time your engine cools you get condensation on the inside of your crankcase. By heating and placing the oil under pressure you are shearing the friction modifiers within the oil, effectively changing the oils weighting over time. This would not happen to sealed oil.

BOSHOG · 30-05-2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish2

Every time your engine cools you get condensation on the inside of your crankcase. By heating and placing the oil under pressure you are shearing the friction modifiers within the oil, effectively changing the oils weighting over time. This would not happen to sealed oil.

that makes total sense

i usually change my oil between 3000-5000km because it doesnt get driven much so i probably wont have issues with this

i have 2 unopened bottled of syn and 1 open (4 litres left) will these both "go off" in the same timeframe?

pottery beige · 30-05-2010, 07:21 PM

stop thinking so much.. your head will hurt....

JimNiki · 30-05-2010, 07:23 PM

haudraulic lifters not so important
solids a bit more important
also crusing not so important
racing/redlining more important

all oils will lubricate
only the better ones will prevent serious damage if metal contacts metal under severe circumstances... Have we had the ZDDP discussion anywhere...?

GK · 31-05-2010, 01:22 AM

I keep some older oil around the place (say 5 or more years) in sealed containers, in case I want to flush the diff or gearbox when I do a fluid change.

As for the cars though, I wouldn't really keep oil for longer than a few years. I do buy a number of containers when it's on special however! LOL!

GK

Mainlube · 31-05-2010, 01:36 PM

This one I decided to bounce off the Chemists (even though I have my own opinion)

The text book says around 2 years (you know how I feel about text book worriers)

Guide lines as follows, you need to consider ......

As long as the OLD spec still protects your machine.

As long as the container was resealed after opening. (if left open to the air can oxidise)

Stored under cover (not in rain or sunlight) under 40C

The maximum I would (and the Chemist would) keep oil and still use .......

10 years

But the book says 2 years (they're hoping you'll buy more!)

Cheers

Steve

LTDHO · 31-05-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOSHOG

years isnt forever.

would mineral oil and synthetic also have different shelf lives?

to the OP, i get my oil in bulk from my mate who works for FUCHS and he gets me 4x5l bottles instead of a single 20l drum purely so "it doesnt go off". theyre his words not mine

Is 4x5 same price as 1x20?

BOSHOG · 31-05-2010, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Is 4x5 same price as 1x20?

im pretty sure it is. i paid $180 for 4x5l FUCHS TITAN supersyn 5w40

prydey · 31-05-2010, 04:48 PM

while the oil i use is readily available, i see no reason to stock pile it. buying in bulk is sometimes cheaper but it can depend where you buy it from. i use shell helix ultra, which is upwards of $60 at most auto stores and sometimes over $70 for 5L. it is also available at BIG W for $40 - $50!! they obviously have much better buying power than your average auto store.

Bossxr8 · 31-05-2010, 08:47 PM

Depends how quickly you put it in the fridge after opening.

JimNiki · 31-05-2010, 09:17 PM

I've got 4 tins of full gloss and semi gloss por15 in our main fridge
been there for 2 years? keeps longer.

Falc'man · 31-05-2010, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mainlube

This one I decided to bounce off the Chemists (even though I have my own opinion)

The text book says around 2 years (you know how I feel about text book worriers)

Guide lines as follows, you need to consider ......

As long as the OLD spec still protects your machine.

As long as the container was resealed after opening. (if left open to the air can oxidise)

Stored under cover (not in rain or sunlight) under 40C

The maximum I would (and the Chemist would) keep oil and still use .......

10 years

But the book says 2 years (they're hoping you'll buy more!)

Cheers

Steve

Always appreciate the expert's opinion. Thanks.