Noticed some of you guys are doing oil analysis quite frequently. How much are you paying and are you happy with your reports? Does your company track your vehicle's history and include a graph?

How fast do you get your test results?

I just paid $28 for my first one with Oil Analyzers, Inc. in Superior, WI. It took almost 7 weeks to get back.

Here's a copy of mine. Looks like they'd graph over time if I did it with them again. Anyone notice anything peculiar about mine (other than the light 5w-30 oil-I'm going to 15w-40) please LMK...Thnx!

Lead is also elevated, but nothing to be alarmed by. The copper is awfully high to contribute it all to the oil cooler. Have you had your oil analyzed besides this one time so you can trend your wear metals?

Schaeffer gives free oil analysis with the purchase of their oil. To add TBN to the lab report costs $1.00.

Rob

Noticed some of you guys are doing oil analysis quite frequently. How much are you paying and are you happy with your reports? Does your company track your vehicle's history and include a graph?

How fast do you get your test results?

I just paid $28 for my first one with Oil Analyzers, Inc. in Superior, WI. It took almost 7 weeks to get back.

Here's a copy of mine. Looks like they'd graph over time if I did it with them again. Anyone notice anything peculiar about mine (other than the light 5w-30 oil-I'm going to 15w-40) please LMK...Thnx!

Hey Al. I pay $32.50 for the Blackstone Labs analysis and they usually turn around the reports on my samples within 10 days.

Any need to wait a certain amount of time before doing it on a new engine? Id be afraid break in wear and tear would skew results.

$11 and two days. Any Cat Dealer.

Any need to wait a certain amount of time before doing it on a new engine? Id be afraid break in wear and tear would skew results.

I had an analysis done on my new truck at 8200 miles to get a baseline on the engine and the synthetic CJ-4 oil that I'm using. I did that on my first LBZ, as well.

I use to use oil analyzers too. Their turn around is ridiculous and Im not using them anymore. I think Amsoil would do a better job by getting on their sister company to get peoples analysis back. I had coolant in my oil and didnt get results back for a couple weeks. Other than that they do keep a running log of your vehicle and any abnormal changes. Im now switching to Blackstone Labs.

The iron is a tad higher than normal, but this engine is relatively new, so I wouldn't sweat this too much yet. Too early to make a determination.

However, I would be suspect of the 400+ Cu count! Either something is terribly wrong with the engine, or the analysis. It's quite common for Cu to be "high" initiallly with Dmax engines, but "high" means anywhere from 30-50ppm, maybe 60ppm. 400+??????? Something is wrong here. Now, I don't mean you should panic and lay awake at night worrying. What you should understand is that a reading that high is WAY out of range, and completely atypical of even a "new" Dmax. There is a definite need to either confirm the reading, which would indicate a serious mechanical issue with bearings most likely. Or, it would rebuff the reading, suggesting an erroneous report.

I'd change the oil/filter asap, run it for 1000 miles and get another analysis. Perhaps take two samples and try a couple different labs. I often equate this to getting bad news from the doctor. If you don't like the sound of what you hear because it's bad news, it's always worth a second opinion. Always confirm the bad news before acting on it.

As Arkapig said, UOAs are best utilized when viewed as a statistical analysis tool. You're going to want to establish ranges and trends with the data. One oil analysis isn't really going to tell you much about the engine or the oil. The only exception to this theorm is that spikes in coolant or fuel intrusion often indicate a mechanical failure and should be addressed immediately.

Schaeffer gives free oil analysis with the purchase of their oil. To add TBN to the lab report costs $1.00.

Rob

I used to buy barrels of their motor oil and get 6-8 samples free/ barrel.

The iron is a tad higher than normal, but this engine is relatively new, so I wouldn't sweat this too much yet. Too early to make a determination....

Thanks for the feedback guys! I guess good answers bring more questions:

Hey DNewton, I've got 99,000 miles on this puppy, do you consider that 'relatively new'? I am also concerned that the iron is that high, thinking iron cylinder wall wear or ??? But pistons aren't made of copper. I know there are copper layers on bearings, thrust washers and sometimes its an additive to oil but I didn't think in Amsoil. I'm pretty much thinkin' that the 5w-30 oil is too thin - and outta here anyways, and I'll do another analylsis in a few 1000 miles.

Is 'molly' a good additive to look for? Slow abnorman wear right now? Might fill the void left my all these metals in my oil...

Arkapig: this is the first analysis I've taken. I didn't know how important it was until I read postings and the sticky D-Max maintenence schedule on this site.

Thnx Vince, I'll check out Blackstone, but after checking if there's a Cat dealer nearby.

Anyone got a print-out from Cat? heymccall?

Of course I'll look into Schaeffer oil, but there are no dealers in my area, according to their site.

My two bypass filters are same miles as this sample-14,000. How can I tell if I need to change one or both of them? Also, how can I tell how many miles I have left before I need to change the oil?

They have a rep in Yuba City...