3500 kilometers ago i changed my oil.i used pensoil platinum synthetic 10w30.when i checked it this morning it looked dark already,as in dirty.the landrover is a 2004 se7 with 64000 kilometers.i have all the service records from landrover and all the oil/fluid changes were done as per schedule.could the crankcase be dirty already or is it the brand of oil.i bought it because it was $26 for a 4 liter jug.
thanks
brett

 

all oil even synthetics will darken as they wear. its just how it is,,,

although if it is super dark and you suspect something you can have a sample of your oil sent out and analyzed for contaminates.

 

i also notice that it leaks oila little bit more now.i have never used syn. oil before so i am wondering if this is to be expected?
brett 2004 se7

 

some people will notice that the synthetic oils tend to leak a bit more. personally, i am not a big believer in the synthetic oil leaking more then regular oil theory. if there is proof to back it up then i will be corrected, but if you have 10w40 dino oil and 10w40 synthetic oil i see no reason why one would seep or leak more over the other.

in the last 6 months i switched from using 20w50 castrol dino oil in my 79' 308 to a synthetic 20w50. it has always left a drip or 2 when driven and then parked for a month, but never more and it has not increased with the switch to synthetic.

now i have only had my rover a couple weeks so i am not totally familiar with its habits as far as leaking go. but i will surely be monitoring it.

 

A little leakage after switching to synthetics is normal. The synthetics have a tendency to clear out the gunk that conventional oil left behind and blocked the leaks. Once the synthetic has had time to recondition the seals in the engine the leaks should slow if not completely stop. I experienced the same thing with my 97 D1 and with my 2001 Dodge diesel. Synthetic lubricant will flow through smaller openings than conventional oils.

As for the oil being dark after such a short distance, I wouldn't be too concerned. It is probably just the synthetic oil cleaning residue out of your crank case. If after another oil change or two it continues to get dark quickly I would have a sample of the oil tested for contaminants as was mentioned earlier. Does your vehicle spend a lot of time idling, warming up or sitting in traffic? Land Rovers do run rich and a lot of idling could cause the oil to go dark early. I noticed my oil was considerably darker after letting it idle a lot when I got caught in a blizzard.

I personally have never used Pennzoil synthetics. I run Mobil 1 synthetics in both my vehicle due to availability although I have also used Royal Purple in the past and highly recommend either of those oils. I would assume that the Pennzoil is on par with the other synthetics on the market.

 

I agree with most of what you said AK, what I dont agree with is that Rovers run rich, they are fuel injected and the ECU controls how much fuel goes into the engine.
If it is not properly tuned then yes, it can run rich. Or if the air filter is clogged.
They do use more fuel at a cold idle so as to dump excess fuel into the cats to warm them up faster, hot cats are more efficent than cold cats.
But that is only for a min, maybe two depending on how cold it is. But once the cats reach normal operating temp then the ECU leans out again.
Fuel injected cars with a fast idle at cold do not run this fuel open fuel loop like this.
The Mistubishi Montero that I had had a fast idle at cold, just like a carburated car, the idle slowed as the engine warmed up.
I used Castrol Syntec 20w-50 in that truck from the first oil change at 5,000 miles until I had to get rid of it 100,000 miles later. (I bought it brand new)
Inside the valve cover looked as good the day it went away as it did the day I brought it home.
I swear by full synthetic motor oil.

 

does anybody know where to get the mobil oil filters here in vancouver, canada.i used a fram at last oil change because i cannot find a mobil oil filter.
brett

 

Oil is meant to collect and trap contaminates like soot, water, and anything else that can harm your engine. Looking at the oil color is not a good indicator of oil wear. If your oil was still clear after thousands of miles it probably isn't doing its job. Whatever oil you do choose just change it regularly and you will be fine. If anything a good synthetic will turn darker faster as it cleans and collects in a way your old oil was not.

Cheers,

Pete