Oil in bottle shelf life

[MattsCraft]

OK, so here is the question. We all know (well most) the rules on oil life in the engine etc. but does it have a shelf life from new in the bottle? The reason I ask is Sam's used to sell Shell Rotella T 15W-40 in 3 gallon packs (perfect), this year they only had 6 gallon packs for $75+Tax. I went ahead and made the purchase, only need the 3 gallons to do my engine and tranny, will the 3 gallons in the bottle still be good next year? It is a better deal, NAPA etc. sells 3 gallons for $55.

Cheers, can't wait to see the debate on this one

P.S. anyone around Cincinnati want 3 gallons? $40 and they are yours!

[MattsCraft]

OK - So I had a minute, did some google search and here is what I found. Carry on...

http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

Engine Oil Shelf Life.

I couldn't decide whether to put this in the FAQ or the main page, so it's in both, because I get asked this question a lot. Typically, the question is along the lines of "GenericAutoSuperStore are having a sale on WickedlySlippy Brand synthetic oil. If I buy it now, how long can I keep if before I use it?"
In general, liquid lubricants (ie. oils, not greases) will remain intact for a number of years. The main factor affecting the life of the oil is the storage condition for the products. Exposure to extreme temperature changes, and moisture will reduce the shelf life of the lubricants. (an increase of 10°C doubles oxidation which halves the shelf life) ie. don't leave it in the sun with the lid off. Best to keep them sealed and unopened.

Technically, engine oils have shelf lives of four to five years. However, as years pass, unused engine oils can become obsolete and fail to meet the technical requirements of current engines. The specs get updated regularly based on new scientific testing procedures and engine requirements. But this is only really a concern if you've bought a brand new car but have engine oil you bought for the previous car. An oil that is a number of years old might not be formulated to meet the requirements set for your newer engine.

If your unopened containers of engine oil are more than three years old, read the labels to make sure they meet the latest industry standards. If they do meet the current standards, you might want to take the extra precaution of obtaining oil analysis before using them. An oil analysis will check for key properties of the oil and ensure that it still meets the original manufacturing specs. Of course the cost of getting an analysis done on old oil is probably going to outweigh going and buying fresh stuff. So it's a double-edged sword.
As a general rule, the simpler the oil formulation, the longer the shelf life. The following is a guideline under protected conditions - indoors at about 20°C:
ProductShelf LifeBase Oils, Process Oils -3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils -2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils -3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils -2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils -1 year



The following are signs of storage instability in a lubricant:

• Settling out of the additives as a gel or sticky liquid
• Floc or haze
• Precipitates/solid material
• Colour change or haziness

Water contamination in a lubricant can be detected by a "milky" appearance of the product.


Read more: http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_b...#ixzz1bQBgw5wf