Thread: Odd Oil...

Just stuck my head under the bonnet on the D2, checking the fluid levels etc.
Checked the oil, and noticed a few odd things.
There is a quite dark section at the bottom, that runs up to the 'Low' level indicator, but after that up to the 'Full' indicator it's quite clean, as it should be, the oils been swapped around 6000kms (I'm assuming they'd do an oil swap at a 218k kms service?)
I'm a tad concerned, as the dark section down the bottom is very dark, like change it right away dark, and the newer oil doesn't appear to be as thick.
Only thing is, it's always been that way. Has been since I got the car, dad said it was ok, pretty sure Slunnie had a squiz at it, so i'm slightly confused
Pics may help.
http://www.virginiaengines.com/image...ldipstick2.jpg
As you see in this pic, the super bad black stuff on the left is what it's like to the low level. More transparent than that but that's the colour of it.
After this, the oil is perfectly clean, but there's not as much of it on the level, it's more like this but cleaner. (If that makes sense)
http://www.cdxetextbook.com/images/lub_02_3G.jpg
Not sure if it's related, but after I topped the level up a bit there was a single beep on start up, like the lights on with door open but a lower.
Never had any check engine or oil lights on, and it runs fine, so any help would be greatly appreciated
If not, I might drag one of you over to it at the expo tomorrow
Cheers
Muppet

Edit okay, so have let it sit on a level surface and it's the darker level that has gone up
On the plus side, no sign of water contamination (milky oil, no water on edges of oil drop on paper, etc)
Perhaps it just needs a change.

Sounds normal to me, although that "clear oil" on top of the dipstick could be diesel leaking from the injector seals. Has the oil level gone up?