[stn0091]

How long can I keep motor oil sitting around? I was thinking of stocking up on some since there's a sale going on and my maintenance minder is at 15% now anyway.

I plan on keeping it all in my garage; I don't really have a place to keep it around inside the house.

 

[reframmellator]

I'm unaware of any shelf life issues with motor oil. The condition inside an engine are so much more severe than your garage that the antioxidant additives won't even breathe hard. Motor oil is more likely to become obsolete (your new car might need a newer service classification than what's on your shelf) that go bad. But I doubt you're planning to buy that much.

 

[stn0091]

So, if I were to buy like four gallons of oil, only 4.2qts of which I'll use for my pending oil change and store the rest (enough for two more oil changes), things would be fine?

Cool.

Thank you.

 

[Accord2004]

Have you read bobstheoilguy?

He mentions that keeping oil stored is bad because it the outside temperatures causes the oil to solidify. Its better to buy the oil close to when you are going to do your next oil change. Read bobistheoilguy for more information.

 

[ncelk]

Unopened, my rule of thumb is 3 years.

 

[reframmellator]

I went to the BITOG forum and looked up the thread. The guy in question had a bottle of Valvoline in his shed for fifteen years and had a deposit at the bottom. A lubriicant engineer said it was the additive package settling out after all those years, aided by sitting undisturbed and perhaps by the temperature cycles. Sort of like the chocolate in chocolate milk, given enough time.

It did not "solidify." If it did, why wouldn't it "solidify" in your engine during ten days in the airport parking lot in the middle of winter or summer? And I'm not talking about pour point here.

Seeing as how suspended solids will eventually settle out, four years doesn't seem unreasonable. I might shake the bottle now before use, and I wouldn't have done that before. One BITOG claimed oil companies state a shelf life of two years.

 

[JRabDawg]

how long does it sit on the shelf at walmart, hah!

 

[The Pope]

how long does it sit on the shelf at walmart, hah!

How long has it been sitting in the ground?

Additives can settle out, but a quick shake and it's all good.

 

[JRabDawg]

just saying that you never know how long it sits on the shelf, could be months and months

 

[reframmellator]

just saying that you never know how long it sits on the shelf, could be months and months

One thing I would not associate with Wally World would be slow moving inventory.

 

[Aviography]

One thing I would not associate with Wally World would be slow moving inventory.

Agreed, they are one of the true practitioner of JIT (Just In Time) philosophy, they also don't want to be carrying overheads by having excessive stock on their shelf, they rather pass that overhead cost onto the suppliers.

 

[JRabDawg]

I am definitely not an expert on their supply chain, but I have seen dust on some bottles there. Maybe my experience was an outlier.

 

[SatinSilver]

Just take the old jug of oil to the paint store. Then place it in one of their paint "shakers" when no one's lookin. :banana:

 

[sjlee]

How long can I keep motor oil sitting around? I was thinking of stocking up on some since there's a sale going on and my maintenance minder is at 15% now anyway.

I plan on keeping it all in my garage; I don't really have a place to keep it around inside the house.

Different brands state different shelf life expectency, but as a rule of thumb, it should be fine even after 2 years.

ExxonMobil - 5 yrs

Valvoline - They don't give a specific time period, but rather state:

"Valvoline motor oil does not have a documented expiration date. Under optimal conditions, the product is stable for an extended period of time and can be used as long as the American Petroleum Institute (API) rating on the label continues to meet or exceed the requirements listed in your owner's manual. If the rating is still current, shake the container before use to blend any additives that may have settled."