Saving summer oil during winter season?

[mjs2011]

This may be a dumb question. I added auto-rx to my fresh oil change this summer. I think it was July or August. I bought 3 bottles of the stuff, 2 for the oil as a cleaner, and a 3rd for the maintenance intervals. There are at most 2000 miles on this oil. Now, its getting really cold here. Today it was around 5F. The truck wouldn't start today, it cranked really slow, so I am forced to make sure the batteries are topped up at all times, but changing to a 10w-30 helped out last winter also.

So with only 2k on my current oil, (Rotella 15w40), which also has $50 worth of Auto-rx in it, is it advisable to drain this oil, filter it somehow, and store it to be put back in next spring. Normally I wouldn't fuss about this, but with the Auto-rx, and the low mileage 10 quarts of oil, that would be alot of money down the drain, especially when your a broke college kid like me.

 

[oregon96psd]

If it were me I'd fix my starting system and not screw with saving old oil, but thats just my opinion. Gear reduction starters, good batteries and cables do wonders.

 

[mjs2011]

Its not so much the starting system as it is numerous short trips, not enough time to keep the batteries charged up. My alternator is suspect, but at this point, a replacement isn't feasible.

Regardless of the starting system, 10w30 is an absolute must for me. Temps in the winter here get down to -20, with an average well below 0 from december through january. So either way, the oil is getting dumped and changed, I just hate to waste it.

 

[jim_22]

Burn it in your WVO tank. The problem with oil is that is oxidizes, even just sitting. You might try Rotella synthetic 5w40. It is expensive but it is really good for cold weather.

 

[PwrSmoke]

What about plugging it in? Block heaters do wonders!

I Have drained oil and reused it on numerous occasions. The key is to; A) make sure the drain plug area is clean; B) drain into a super clean container that you can seal up after. No need to filter the oil before reusing it if you took these precautions.

Oil doesn't oxidize any more rapidly in a sealed (or resealed) bottle, less rapidly in fact, than it does in the crankcase and if the oil has a strong antioxidant package, the oil can be good after YEARS and even DECADES in the crankcase. The amount of oxidation that would occur in just a few months is infinitesmal.

 

[mjs2011]

I do use a block heater, but can't all the time. School and work parking lots don't have plug-ins.

I may just drain the stuff and put it in some sealed jugs for the winter. Is a particular temp necessary? Cold storage or warm?

 

[PwrSmoke]

Doesn't matter within the realm of the human biosphere.

 

[crashnzuk]

I thought the drain interval on Auto RX was 2,500 miles? Seems like you're close enough to just let it go.
Travis..

 

[dunk]

I was tempted with all the snake oil, being new to diesels, but decided against it. What does that stuff do? Supposed to clean and increase compression? I looked extensively online and recall finding one person mention before and after compression numbers and there was a marginal increase. I recall looking at beofre/adfter pictures under valve covers but don't recall whether there was any appreciable difference so doubt there was.

The stuff is supposed to clean, and maybe does a little. Does it clean $50+ worth? per oil change? Not for me it doesn't. For what it costs I'd just as soon pull the engine when the time comes and clean it proper and rering or do the machine work to rebuild it. Gaskets, rings, and bearings don't cost a lot and there are worse ways to spend a weekend. If it were me and that was my $50+ oil in a bucket I'd run it through a few microns sock filter and dump it in the tank like any other oil change. As for starting, see the group 31 thread. Figure out why it cranks slow, mine did the no start thing alst winter and I know it was from undersized weak batteries and junky cables. If you stuff is top notch, then maybe oil is the issue. If not, fix the other stuff first. I'd sooner run a 5w40 synthetic before expensive additives, cheaper and well documented through oil analysis.

 

[icanfixall]

Auto RX simply works very well cleaning the internals of the engine SLOWLY. It wont break off chunks of sludge that will plug up the piston oil cooling jets. Might try draining out half of the oil and installing the thinner grade. Probably be easier to drain all of it out and then add back in half what came out. Or even a quarter of what came out. As for storing it I see no issues with that. Just keep a lid tightly on the containers. You probably can find the 1 gallon mt jugs at many truck and farm repair shops in the trash.

 

[mjs2011]

I thought the drain interval on Auto RX was 2,500 miles? Seems like you're close enough to just let it go.
Travis..

The change interval is 3-5k, with a filter change at the midway point, I believe.

 

[mjs2011]

I was tempted with all the snake oil, being new to diesels, but decided against it. What does that stuff do? Supposed to clean and increase compression? I looked extensively online and recall finding one person mention before and after compression numbers and there was a marginal increase. I recall looking at beofre/adfter pictures under valve covers but don't recall whether there was any appreciable difference so doubt there was.

The stuff is supposed to clean, and maybe does a little. Does it clean $50+ worth? per oil change? Not for me it doesn't. For what it costs I'd just as soon pull the engine when the time comes and clean it proper and rering or do the machine work to rebuild it. Gaskets, rings, and bearings don't cost a lot and there are worse ways to spend a weekend. If it were me and that was my $50+ oil in a bucket I'd run it through a few microns sock filter and dump it in the tank like any other oil change. As for starting, see the group 31 thread. Figure out why it cranks slow, mine did the no start thing alst winter and I know it was from undersized weak batteries and junky cables. If you stuff is top notch, then maybe oil is the issue. If not, fix the other stuff first. I'd sooner run a 5w40 synthetic before expensive additives, cheaper and well documented through oil analysis.

My slow cranking is ONLY after maybe a week or so of short trips around town, multiple starts driven for only 10-20 minutes at a time. Thats just the nature of my commutes. Not enough time to keep that batteries topped up, though I do plan to add a battery maintainer to the mix for the winter. Every time is gets to cranking slow, I throw the charger on it, and it is good to go again.

 

[madpogue]

At those temperatures, you should be using 5w40 in the winter. If you're only going 2000 miles in the summer, just put in the 5w40 in the first place. And additives are a BAD idea in diesel oil, less so in our IDIs than in a HEUI engine, but still, any additive that takes the place, volume-wise, of the oil itself means less lubrication.

A 10-minute trip indeed won't recharge the batteries after a start, but a 20-minute trip should. If you can't get the charging system working just right just now, then simply take a longer trip a couple times a week, at least until you get the trickle charger going.

For the times you can plug it in, it would also be good to get warmers for the batteries. Gang them together with a good heavy-duty triple tap, something like this - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Tower-Ma...e-Tap-Cord-Manual-Reset-30338024-08/202510258 - and hang that plug out through the grille. Temperature has a big impact on battery capacity.

 

[CDX825]

I don't see a problem in draining it and re using it. Like Jim said just make sure everything is clean.

I'm a firm believer in thinner oil during the winter. It makes a night and day difference in how the engine starts and runs.

 

[82F100SWB]

Based on your useage you would probably see great benefit in a 3G alternator swap, the better output at low rpm would probably greatly improve battery recovery.
As for storing your used summer oil for re-use, there is no reason you couldn't.
Personally I am long past running different oils, my IDI leaked/consumed far more Dino oil than it ever has synthetic(gallon in 6000 miles vs a quart of 0w40) so I just run 0w40 in everything year round.