D4d Oil Colour

[AidanKildare]

Hi,

I've got a Corolla 1.4 D4D with 18,000 miles on it. After each oil change by the Toyota dealer the oil looks as black as it was when I left it in. Is this normal or should it not look clear for at least a short while after the oil has been changed? The car usually does country runs only - very little city driving.

Thanks for any suggestions/advice...

Also (while I'm here) are the front seats usually prone to annoying squeaks and do Toyota have a fix? (it's a Turkish built E12 saloon, 2006 model)

Thanks again

[poultonjoe]

Hi,

I've got a Corolla 1.4 D4D with 18,000 miles on it. After each oil change by the Toyota dealer the oil looks as black as it was when I left it in. Is this normal or should it not look clear for at least a short while after the oil has been changed? The car usually does country runs only - very little city driving.

Thanks for any suggestions/advice...

Also (while I'm here) are the front seats usually prone to annoying squeaks and do Toyota have a fix? (it's a Turkish built E12 saloon, 2006 model)

Thanks again

It should stay clearish for a few hundred miles before it goes really black again.

[Andy]

Don't know about the D4D, but all the Surfs and Landcruiser diesels that I have owned the oil has gone black very quickly, that's why they have very short service intervals.

[moonstone mart]

On the D4-D's/DIESELS the second after i have refilled the engine/sump and dipped it with the dipstick the oil on the end is usually black.

This is with leaving it draining for a while too.

The only times i have filled a D4-D and the oil has been clean is when removing/cleanign and resealing the sump.

Pretty normal.

Mart

[AidanKildare]

Thanks for all the responses. Its my first diesel so I'm used to seeing clean oil on the dipstick - good to know that black is not unusual. Guess I can just relax and enjoy it.

Thanks again.

[dacarinaeman]

Hi all,

I have a 1995 Carina E 1.6 with the 4A-FE Lean Burn Petrol engine. I have always noticed my oil going black within 1200miles of an oil change and this occurs even after using engine flush and leaving the engine drain for a considerable length of time. But on the last few occasions I have began to put diesel into the engine along with the engine flush and I run the engine at about 2000 rpm for about 10 mins and then drain. When I think that the oil has all drained out I pour more diesel into the engine and wait until it drains out of the engine and I do this a few times until the diesel is almost clear when draining from the engine. I then manually fill the filter with the new oil and then fill the engine up with oil.

Since doing this I have noticed that the oil remains cleaner for about 3000 or 4000miles. I do long journeys typically about 450 miles a week. I use Castrol GTX Magnetec 10w 40, toyota filter and I drain at 5000 miles.

I prefer to do the work myself as I think that garages do not spend much time waiting for oil to drain, hence contributing to the black oil. I wud not advocate putting diesel into the engine and running it for very long but I have had no adverse effects, my engine has 190,000 miles on the clock and still returns 43 mpg approx and I do drive it pretty hard

For any engine I would change the oil at about 2000 miles short of the recommended interval, use good quality oil and filter, though I appreciate that on new vehicles you will prob want to keep going to the dealer to keep your service history up to date.

Sticking to good quality oil and service intervals is crucial for engine and turbocharger longevity which in turn will lead to fewer probs with starters, alternators, Battery, oxygen sensors, cats etc

Hope this rant will help somebody or give some ideas.

[H4RR15]

Toyota dealers often either mix new oil with some of your old still left in there of they sometimes dont change it at all trust me ive experienced it you should get a full report of what they have done or better still watch them change it..