Does motor oil go bad?

JohnnyDaJackal · 05-09-06, 02:56

Hello, I have a kinda basic or "dumb" question. As the title says does motor oil go bad with time, not in the engine of course. Reason I ask is I received a little over a case of 5W-20 dino(still sealed) from an online member last summer, and had it sitting in my garage for the past year. During that time we had a pretty mild winter, although we did have some sub-zero temperatures for a couple weeks. I know the motor oil is made to withstand those temps in my car, but is it OK for it to be sitting in the plastic containers the whole time? I guess you can say I'm overreacting, I just want a little assurance before I change my oil with it. I think it would be fine, but like to double check. I'd hate to use it and potentially affect my engine, because I was cheap and didn't buy new motor oil.
Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!

94BlkStang · 05-09-06, 03:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyDaJackal

Hello, I have a kinda basic or "dumb" question. As the title says does motor oil go bad with time, not in the engine of course. Reason I ask is I received a little over a case of 5W-20 dino(still sealed) from an online member last summer, and had it sitting in my garage for the past year. During that time we had a pretty mild winter, although we did have some sub-zero temperatures for a couple weeks. I know the motor oil is made to withstand those temps in my car, but is it OK for it to be sitting in the plastic containers the whole time? I guess you can say I'm overreacting, I just want a little assurance before I change my oil with it. I think it would be fine, but like to double check. I'd hate to use it and potentially affect my engine, because I was cheap and didn't buy new motor oil.
Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!

It has a shelf life of about 5 years. I wouldn't worry about it. I was a Chevron rep for 27 years.

truzoom · 05-09-06, 06:13

Oh yeah it's fine.. some guys over at BITOG have cases stocked up in their attics for future use.

JohnnyDaJackal · 05-09-06, 06:30

I'm not to worried about the actual shelf life as I'm worried about it being exposed to the sub-zero temperatures. I was wondering if the temperature can somehow negatively affect the oil? Probably not, but I figure I ask anyway.

94BlkStang · 05-09-06, 06:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyDaJackal

I'm not to worried about the actual shelf life as I'm worried about it being exposed to the sub-zero temperatures. I was wondering if the temperature can somehow negatively affect the oil? Probably not, but I figure I ask anyway.

Oil should be fine, but for peace of mind you can pour it into another container to visually inspect it before you put it in the car. If it doesn't have any sludge and pours normally, you're good to go. I've had oil stored in my garage that's a couple years old and never had a problem with it. We don't get real extreme temperatures here, but it occassionally will dip into the 20's and high teens and my oil is stored in an uninsulated detached garage.