Should new oil be black after 30 miles even on 120k diesel?

[GM182]

Bought a 120,000 miles audi a4 1.9tdi last week and the dealer agreed he would get an oil change done before I picked it up.

I didn't check the dipstick before driving away but he hasn't sent the copy invoice as I asked so I am wondering if others would expect new oil to be black ? I would have expected it to be honey coloured!?

Am I being daft or do you think he just skipped the job? The level is correct by the way.

[Sump]

Yes.

[theshrew]

Yes, It will go black even after a couple of min

[paintman]

Soon as you start it the new oil is pumped through the engine picking up old oil as it goes.
My own car has been run mostly on LPG for around 15 years. The oil on the dipstick is the same colour as when it went in. BUT when drained its a lovely shade of black!

[GM182]

Okay thanks. Thought it would take longer to go black.

Last year I bought a Clio with fresh oil and the colour on the dipstick was still clear.

Haven't had many diesels before

[Uncle John]

Always black oil in a diesel, golden in a petrol for a couple of k changing slowly to black. If the oil in the petrol is black black then it needs changing.

[GM182]

Uncle John said:

Always black oil in a diesel, golden in a petrol for a couple of k changing slowly to black. If the oil in the petrol is black black then it needs changing.

Good tip. Thanks.
Sometimes it helps to be reminded how little mechanical knowledge I have!

[Spare tyre]

On my old 406 I changed the oil, ran the engine up for a couple of mins and it was black

Went to pour the old oil into the bottle to take to tip the. Realised I'd used the oil for the girlfriends car, bugger, so redrained it, put the correct oil in and ran it up again, black in minutes!

[powerstroke]

GM182 said:

Okay thanks. Thought it would take longer to go black.

Last year I bought a Clio with fresh oil and the colour on the dipstick was still clear.

Haven't had many diesels before

Yes will go black quite quickly but should still smell like new oil and not be jet black and stain your fingers if you dab a bit off the dipstick.. Petrol oil should just turn brown in use

[TooMany2cvs]

Uncle John said:

If the oil in the petrol is black black then it needs changing.

You should've seen the stuff that came out of the newly acquired Landy... The bottom of the oil filter bowl was like a smoker's lungs.