Is this a concern? oil bubbles

[David Anderson]

I just finished a 2200 mile trip to Colorado.  Wolf Creek Pass, Poncha Pass, and Raton Pass.  No problems at all with the coach on the trip.  I drained my oil this morning and noticed all these bubbles in it.  I stirred it around and the bubbles went away.  Could this be signs of water in my oil?  I'm going to let it sit for a few days and see if anything floats to the top.    I haven't replaced the oil yet.  I have the filter removed and draining into an empty 1 gallon paint can.  My coolant level is normal.
What does water in the oil look like?

David

[richard5933]

Water in the oil would make the oil appear milky - almost like adding cream to coffee.

Looks like air bubbles to me, but I'm sure that others will chime in with more experienced answers.

[luvrbus]

David if you are using 1 on those oil drain valves lot of time you see air bubbles and dirty oil will make air bubbles too and difference in the drop to the drain pan makes bubbles you are ok,if you had water after setting the water would be at the bottom of the pan and you would have noticed it 

[David Anderson]

Thanks Clifford,  There was no water at the bottom.  I pored it into another container and it was smooth black as the last drops left the drain pan.  What made the foam?  Agitation?

[mqbus767]

Doesn't look like anything abnormal to me.

Over the years on all the many oil changs on various vehicles I've done, I've noticed that temperature, both engine and ambient, seems to effect how much air gets into the oil as it drops into a bucket/catch pan. If I'm in a rush and pull the plug shortly after pulling into the driveway, I notice quite a bit of froth in the bucket. Oil weight can also play a factor; the thinner the more easily air mixes with the oil. 5w-20 pulled in the middle of summer shortly after the family gets home makes the oil looking like a hot tub.

Your big things to watch on any oil change are the following:

• Color - clean, new oil has an amber color. Dabbing your finger in it, you should be able to see through it to your skin. When it comes out again it should be a consistently black color as it drains and considerably less translucent on the fingers.
  
• Particles - Drain your oil into a clean container. Check for grit, metal shaving, rubber bits, or any other foreign material in the bottom of the container after it's had some time to settle. Could be an indicator of something going wrong internally. Sometimes I transfer the old oil from one container to another slowly and watch the pour for signs of anything.
  
• Smell - Really bad oil will have a very strong burnt smell to it. The odor is hard to describe but is pretty unmistakable. I guess it's a bit like burning food in the kitchen for a long time; acrid, pungent. This might indicate engine overheating, too long between oil changes, inferior oil, or something mixing with the oil to compromise it's viscosity or the additives.
  
• Water - As mentioned, water will separate and float to the top. Prior to that, it will mix with the oil and turn more of a tan color depending on the amount of water.
  
• Viscosity - This is a bit subjective, but try sliding the old oil between your fingers to feel how slippery it is. Does the oil tack between your fingers? Compare this to new oil of the same type/weight to get a rough idea how much the oil properties are compromised. Maybe more frequent oil changes are necessary or a better grade of oil.

[luvrbus]

Thanks Clifford,  There was no water at the bottom.  I pored it into another container and it was smooth black as the last drops left the drain pan.  What made the foam?  Agitation?

LOL just to agitate you 

[Utahclaimjumper]

 mgbus,,, water will seperate and go to the bottom,, water is heavier than oil.>>>Dan

[mqbus767]

Yes. I got it backwards. Thanks for the correction.