Please Have A Good Look At This

[PEPE]

Here are the facts:

LS Mk4

Current mileage: 167,535

Last oil change: 21 September 2013 at 166,928 miles

Elapsed miles: 607 miles

LS Mk 3

Current mileage: 229,076

Last oil change: 3 May 2013 at 226400 miles

Elapsed miles: 2,676

Now look at the attached photo. The top dipstick is that of my Mk4; the one below that of my Mk3.

As you can see the Mk 3 oil is totally CLEAN even after 6 months and 2,676 miles. It is a real pleasure to look at this dipstick. Lovely colour!

The oil on the Mk 4 looks very dirty by comparison. If anything it should be the other way round. Should I be worried? Could it be that, in spite of the much higher mileage, the engine of my Mk 3 is in better condition than that of my 'new' Mk 4?

Many thanks in advance for comments and insights,

Pepe

[The-Acre]

Interesting you should mention this. My MK2 always had very light, clean looking oil, my MK4 always looks darker, although it never goes down. The vvti is a different engine, so whether that makes any difference I don't know. Maybe we're both in trouble!

[Mybikes a cx500]

Still looks fairly clean, compaired to "normal" cars

[mikeyv]

There may have been more dirty oil left in the mk4 after draining, for some reason.

Or, possibly, there may be more muck in the engine, and the detergents have done their work.

Frankly, neither dipstick would give me a moments concern.

[harrylime]

Who did the service? same oil used?

[Bluesbreaker]

Wouldn't worry too much about it-half a dozen of one,and six of the other-they look fine.

[Zebber]

Hi please me kind as im new but you,ll tend not to find much discolouring of oil normally on petrol,s normally diesel,s more common I think.

[PEPE]

Who did the service? same oil used?

The indie who has been servicing my Mk 3 since 2007 now services my Mk 4. The same oil was used. Good question.

[Ruud]

On a different note, as you can compare them on a daily basis,...which do you prefer? MKIII or IV?

[PEPE]

On a different note, as you can compare them on a daily basis,...which do you prefer? MKIII or IV?

I prefer the mark IV. It is definitely the better car. The power delivery is smoother and the increase in power is noticeable. I find I have to be extremely light on the accelerator pedal when moving from a standstill. The throttle-by-wire setup is extremely sensitive.

[Adam Evans]

It is simple. You use the MK3 more

This is EXACTLY what I was talking about in another posting.

I want a car to drive, not a museum piece.

In the first 2 weeks of me buying a Toyota Sera that was nursed for 20 years I took it out and blew the cobwebs off it and blew every oil seal on the engine Both cams and crank seals and the oil pump seal. Oh and the radiator developed a crack in it too.

This car has 254000 on the clock and has been used. In the first month of me hooning this car around and no such thing. I have had it upto 71mph (lol) on the motorway and it has NEVER missed a beat.

I checked my oil the other day after driving for a month and doing over 1000miles and guess what................ It is as close to brand new still.

By the way these cars both take different oils too !!!!!!

As far as I can remember the earlier LS400 requires 5w30 Semi-Synthetic

The MK4 requires 5W30 Fully- .Synthetic