Troubleshooting with Steve Rothwell

GENERAL: STORING OIL

Q Something I’ve noticed which I am sure never used to be the case is that engine oil containers now come with a date stamp. I’m not clear on the meaning of this, though. Is it a date of manufacture, a sell-by or a use-by date? I am a little concerned as I recently purchased 20 litres of specific oil for my vehicle, knowing that I intend keeping the car for the foreseeable future. The oil was on sale at a special offer price, and this quantity should be sufficient to last me for the next four years or so. Does oil go off, or is it ok if stored in my garage?

Barry Lawless

A Engine and other automotive oils are a compound of chemicals and as such they do have a shelf life. Accurately determining the length of the shelf life is not easy, but most manufacturers state that their oils will, if stored correctly, remain usable for several years. That is a rather vague statement, given that ‘several years’ could be interpreted as anything between three or five, or more.

The storage conditions advised are that a temperature of between 0-30°C should be maintained. The oil should be kept in the original sealed container and kept away from the ground, damp or other potential contaminates.

The general consensus in the trade is that three years is the maximum time oil should sit on the shelf,