Black oil

[K man]

Hi all Kioti owners. I have 2014 CK30 HST ( 125 hours ) and notice every years when replacing the oil that it is pretty dark. The tractor is not used very much other than snow blowing or a bit of landscaping, it sits more than anything else in the garage. I was told by the dealer that the Kioti engines are know for this as they do not run hot enough to overheat which causes the oil to be black. Anyone have any input on this.
Thanks

 

[bearthebruce]

Not a Kioti owner.. a 2005 Massey owner. Engine oil always comes out very dark black @100 hours of service. I'm told that it is normal for a diesel engine.

When we first started using this machine, it had been sitting for a lot of years. We put fresh oil in, ran it for about 25 hours and then drained again. It was very very black.

I think what you see is pretty normal on diesel engines.

 

[Robin Veerman]

I have the same tractor, year and model, but 460 hours or so. I change the oil yearly. When I checked the dipstick recently the oil mark was difficult to see, the oil was so clear with about 65 hours on it. I use my tractor for mowing and snow blowing plus other chores. I do run it hard when I can and don’t idle it very much. I use Amsoil synthetic oil and I’m considering skipping the changes to every other year, seeing that my use is around 65 hrs annually. I watch my temperature gauge to watch the temperature and it usually runs quite cool in the winter time. I block the rad with a 4” strip of cardboard right down the centre (winter only!!)and that helps bring the temp up a bit more…

 

[arto98607]

I know it's old school thinking but I change my tractor & mower Diesel engine oil at 50 hour interval and my old engines still purr like new.

For me it's easy to justify: Oil & filters are cheap - Diesel engine overhaul is expensive, even if DIY as I do all maintenance & repairs if needed.


Anyway, the used Diesel engine oil is usually pretty dark and I would not worry much, as long as the oil is not being diluted or the oil level is not going up!

Cheers

 

[LD1]

Its normal. Its not a gas engine, diesel makes soot, oil encapsulates it. Its fine and doing what its supposed to.

The "kioti engines are know for this because they dont run hot enough...." is a BS line fed to you by the dealer to try and make you go away happy and not ask any more questions.

Its NOT a kioti thing....its a DIESEL ENGINE thing.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd say it's more like 1980ish engines. The oil on our 1983 240D Benz was always coal black, even a few seconds after a change. They haven't sealed off the piston rings well enough like in better, more modern engines, like our 2010 VW diesel or 2015 JD. The Isuzu's oil has always been very clean.

 

[Borane4]

Diesel motor oil is always black. When I was an auto mechanic most of the clients had gas engines and I hated doing diesel oil changes because it made my hands uncleanable. That was before all the youtube mechanics started wearing gloves like surgeons to work on cars...

 

[Buggs67]

Re: the oil, mine is also black when changed.
I use my tractor frequently, but not always for more than an hour or two. I average about 100 hrs/year. To have a 7 yr old tractor with only 125 hrs seems strange.
FWIW the manual suggests oil/filter change every 100 hrs. I follow this and use Rotella T6 full synthetic and WIX filters.
And my tractor runs in the middle of the temp range per gauge.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I have a 2014 Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel. It blackens the oil in 50 miles. My Tractor blackens it after about 4-5h of use. It shows it is doing its job.

 

[K man]

Thanks you all for your input now I understand that is normal on Diesel engines. I will still change the oil every Fall just for easier starting in the Winter months as they get pretty cold up here in the North Country.

 

[marhar]

I know it's old school thinking but I change my tractor & mower Diesel engine oil at 50 hour interval and my old engines still purr like new.

For me it's easy to justify: Oil & filters are cheap - Diesel engine overhaul is expensive, even if DIY as I do all maintenance & repairs if needed.


Anyway, the used Diesel engine oil is usually pretty dark and I would not worry much, as long as the oil is not being diluted or the oil level is not going up!

Cheers

View attachment 720517

Oil, filters and air pre cleaners are all cheap. It is like the old commercial, "you can pay me now or pay me later". Make the investment now.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve seen some new diesels running surprisingly clean oil but in general diesel oil is black.

 

[4570Man]

I know it's old school thinking but I change my tractor & mower Diesel engine oil at 50 hour interval and my old engines still purr like new.

For me it's easy to justify: Oil & filters are cheap - Diesel engine overhaul is expensive, even if DIY as I do all maintenance & repairs if needed.


Anyway, the used Diesel engine oil is usually pretty dark and I would not worry much, as long as the oil is not being diluted or the oil level is not going up!

Cheers

View attachment 720517

It’s your money to spend as you see fit but both of my machines recommend 500 hour change intervals. Doing it 10x more then recommended is just wasting time and money.

 

[K man]

For me to do it in 500 hours interval would take forever to reach as I am lucky if I put 20 hours a year on mine but I do it anyways you know the old saying better safe than sorry.
Just saying

 

[Egon]

The duty cycle one puts their engine thru may be a better indication of oil change hours.

 

[JJT]

Send an oil sample to Blackstone. Peace of mind for about $25.

I have 2 diesel Kubota's, the oil in the zero turn is black within 10 hours, the oil in the big tractor still looks new at twice the hours. Both get changed annually, (~50 hours).

 

[RickB]

Its normal. Its not a gas engine, diesel makes soot, oil encapsulates it. Its fine and doing what its supposed to.

The "kioti engines are know for this because they dont run hot enough...." is a BS line fed to you by the dealer to try and make you go away happy and not ask any more questions.

Its NOT a kioti thing....its a DIESEL ENGINE thing.

And the higher percentage of time it runs at far less than operating temperature the more exhaust gasses will get past the rings and into the crankcase.

 

[arto98607]

It’s your money to spend as you see fit but both of my machines recommend 500 hour change intervals. Doing it 10x more then recommended is just wasting time and money.

Thanks for the advice, maybe I should point out to Kubota and Ford how mistaken their recommendations for their Diesel engines were!
They both recommend 100 hour engine oil change intervals under ideal conditions.


I think I will continue 50 hour intervals since it's not always ideal conditions here.
You know, short 15-20 min runs occasionally etc. etc.
Oh, and it can take 3 years to get 50 hours of use sometimes, sometimes only one year.

Ford manual:

Kubota manual:

Cheers

 

[RickB]

Thanks for the advice, maybe I should point out to Kubota and Ford how mistaken their recommendations for their Diesel engines were!
They both recommend 100 hour engine oil change intervals under ideal conditions.


I think I will continue 50 hour intervals since it's not always ideal conditions here.
You know, short 15-20 min runs occasionally etc. etc.

Ford manual:
View attachment 720632

Kubota manual:
View attachment 720633

Don't be snarky. Oil and engine technologies change and drain interval recommendations do as well. What was recommended for your 30+ year old engines is different than what is currently recommended for new engines.
It's your dime, do what you want.

 

[arto98607]

Okay I will go to 500 hour oil change interval starting tomorrow...