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Carbon fingerprint

I have purchased a Honda Accord Tourer 2.2i-ctdi. The car was first registered on 18/09/2007 and I purchased it in February 2009, at 18 months old, with 11,200 miles on the clock. The service interval is 12,500 or 1 year whichever comes first. In this case 1 year came first and it was serviced at 9,335 miles. On checking the oil I find it is very, very black which seems very unusual even for a diesel for oil that has only run for approx 2,200 miles. Is this normal or should I insist on an oil change? The car is still under manufacturers warranty.

Asked on 22 August 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
Diesels dump a lot of carbon inside their engines and the oil picks it up and turns black. But a rough way to check the condition of your oil is to rub it between your fingers. If it's gritty, it's shot. If it's slimy, it's ok.
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