Hi all. I am about to change transfer box and differential oils on my 2007MY RR S/C. one of the bottles of oil for the rear differential has what looks like a date stamp of 2010 on it!! It is Castrol BOT 720 in a plastic un-opened bottle. Is it OK to use?

Many thanks for any response.

Yes its ok, Unopened oil does not have a shelf life.

It's been in the ground for 52 billion years!
How long do you want it to last?

brian1951 wrote:

Yes its ok, Unopened oil does not have a shelf life.

No but a opened container could attract debris

if you ask an oil seller he will say 5 years till best before etc, as the oil companies state.... ask a mechanic, and he will say loads longer.
the above 52 million years, (or billion) if you think the universe is indeed that old. (more like 4 billion) try and start a car with two year old petrol, and you will find it hardly even burns, even if tipped the floor! and it stinks when it does... so I would use the 5 yr old stuff, in the transfer box... as its not exactly demanding its extreme limitations, like say, Lewis Hamiltons' Merc, at 16,000 rpm, at 35 degrees ambient air temp.

i asked this question in relation to bike engine oil as I'd been given a large quantity of unopened fully synth engine oil that had a date on it aging it as ten years old. An oil retailer told me up to ten years is fine if its been stored at ambient room type temps and was unopened. I have put it in both of my bikes, one a high revving modern race engine that gets some hard graft and I've had no problems. First time FFRR owner

Many thanks to you all for the informative and jovial replies. I will use it in the differential.

It is a good question to ask. My 20 litre tub of gearbox oil has been sitting about for a few years, and I just bought 3 bottles of transfer box fluid given it is as rare as hens teeth. .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999