Adam_W

I've read various posts about people analyzing their oil, and finding metal particles in it.

Can someone explain:

Is this something you do routinely, i.e. when your car is running fine, just to make sure nothing is going bad? Or do you analyze the oil when something is wrong and you are trying to figure out what it is?

How do you do it, i.e. do most places that change oil have a service you pay for? Or do you have to take the oil somewhere else?

thanks.

lokian

I think most people use it as insurance to tell if anything is showing out of norm in the analysis. I haven't done it yet but ordered a free kit from blackstone for my next oil change just to see what my oil says. $20 is not bad to possibly pick up some premature failure.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

you can get the kit from them for free and have it ready for your next oil change

Garibaldi

Check here: www.bobistheoilguy.com

jbondfl

2nd this.

Suggestion though,,,, when you take this to the post office to send it, and they ask what is in the box,,,,, tell them car parts. DO NOT tell them it is an oil sample. It took the very nice lady nearly 30 minutes to determine it was not considered hazardous material..

ATC399

Why would you get it done?

John Harry

Many on the Forum would disagree, but my opinion is that oil analysis on our cars is rather useless. It's hard to interpret the results into "what, if anything, should I do?". And really, if your analysis shows some elements out of normal range, are you going to tear down and rebuild your engine? Of course not. So if the test doesn't result in actually doing something, what's the value?

Joe_G

That's what I use as well. I get the extra $15 analysis of the protective additives. Based on my results, they recommended I go more miles before I change my oil. I always used the DIC and it's around 8000 miles from memory, they said I could go further based on the additives left. My Prius has a 5000 oil reminder, they told me to go 10k.

So long term, the analysis has saved me money. I never liked throwing away perfectly good oil at 3000 miles anyway.

Gearhead Jim

We've been doing Blackstone analysis on our 2009 LS3 since new, now at 63k miles. It's enjoyable and interesting to see the results, but I don't think the cost/benefit ratio is worthwhile for most people unless they suspect a specific problem.

We did have a grocery getter that I did an occasional analysis on, and that caused us to find and correct a leak in the air filter box that was otherwise undetectable; would have caused excessive engine wear after a while.

On our C6, I've run the OLI down to 30% and the lab says we're still good for more, so the OLI is a reasonable guide on an engine with some miles. It's nice to have independent verification of that. Blackstone did suggest a couple of early changes because the LS-- engines throw so much metal into the oil when new, people debate endlessly if that really makes any difference.

Over at bobistheoilguy; the experts say that oil analysis tells you more about the condition of your oil than about the condition of your engine, but there is still a relationship.

Seadawg

Blackstone labs does give you advice on "what to do", and it is in layman's terms. And, yea, if I saw something really crazy with the oil analysis, I would do whatever it took to get it fixed, up to and including rebuilding the engine. However, that's going to extremes.

I had my oil analysis recently done because I wanted to be sure no moisture was being captured by the oil, from the dry sump LS3's running so cool of an oil temp. I was glad to find out that everything was OK, and that going 7,500 miles between changes was no issue whatsoever too, for my style of driving.

I'll probably do it again at around 75k miles, unless during an oil change the oil visually "appeared" to have a problem. I have the Blackstone free kit ready to use, if I feel I need it.

Joe_G

This is why I did it as well, and, why I'll do it again a few years from now or if oil looks odd.

I'm looking forward to my new (to me) Harley's oil analysis, it doesn't have a vacuum on the crankcase so the oil looks dirty quickly, I've heard that doesn't matter but I"m interested to see if that's true based on the oil analysis. With no vacuum on the crankcase the oil gets dirty very quickly.