Color of oil from first oil change

[bags]

Took my boat to the dealer this past Friday for it's first oil change and noticed that the oil was very dark. So much so that the service manager made a comment however the mechanic said this was sometimes normal. Little background on the boat, its a 2014 RZ 2 that's on it's third engine. When I got the boat the engine had two hours on it and it now has 18 hours. Anyone have thoughts on this? The boat has been running completely normal.....knock on wood.....

chris

[chpthril]

Hindsight says send off a sample for testing. Running rich and excessive blow by can be causes of dirty oil. If this the dealer thats been involved in the 2 engines? Whats the history? Do they know why its had two engines or has the symptom been fixed not the cause?

[bags]

Well the send off is in the oil collection can now. My dealer is not the dealer involved in the previous two engine swaps. From what I've been told, the first engine blew a cylinder 90 hrs in, the customer rushed the new one being put in and because of this the was a a seal that was not put on and in 10 more hours the 2nd engine was ruined. Because of this the guy sent the boat back and washed his hands of it. I received the boat with 2 hrs on the third engine. 16 hrs later this happens. Dealer doesn't seem to think it's a big deal.

[chpthril]

I would send off a sample from the next oil change, regardless of its color, but I would not change it early unless something changes how the engine is running. Its perfectly normal for oil to change colors from the point it went it to the point its drained out. There can also be color differences between brands as well as between conventional and syn. So yes, dark used color oil is as normal, but how dark is normal, is hard to for anyone to say.

[bags]

Thanks so much chpthril! Will send a sample after the next one

[lee]

It gets darker as it gets dirtier. I new engine is breaking itself in and will have some particles in it also.