My SUV has brown engine oil , Should I really change asap?

[GuyinNewYork]

Hello I recently purchased a Dodge Durango 1999, The truck drives and looks great, However I am currently short on cash and can't provide the maintenance it may require.

The engine oil dipstick shows dark brownish oil.

I'm trying not to spend unplanned cash, but is it too risky to go another 2 weeks like this?

PS, I don't feel any sluggishness, no odd vibrations, and no rise of temperature.

 

[Richard]

when anyone puts oil in their car its a nice clearish colour !! within hours it turns dark brown, sometimes almost black, this is normal ! but if it turns a creamy brown this indicates a problem, yours you say is darkish brown and the car drives fine, i would say you have no worries here, if you are servicing/doing a oil change in a couple of weeks then fine, do you have the service manual ? this should tell you the last service mileage/oil change and when the next oil change is due, usually there is thousands of miles between service/oil changes ! but do make sure you dont let the oil level drop below minimum on the dipstick, no harm will be done if you just top up the oil ,you dont have to replace it all the time ,its perfectly normal for cars to use oil and just be topped up periodically or as required, a rough guide is a new car uses very very little oil. but a old high mileage car will use a lot, happy motoring

 

[lowlevel]

I don't think that is bad at all. It is actually good. Dark black engine oil is a sign of piston ring blow-by. Unless it is foamy or white (indicating coolant leak from a cracked block or bad head gasket) it should be fine.