Engine Drivetrain 2nd Gen S Most liked posts in thread: Is this a good oil test?

I've seen this before, and the question is whether this is a good test. What strikes me as interesting is that the test has little if anything to do with what happens inside an internal combustion engine at operating temperatures. This type of test is the approach that any oil manufacturer could devise to show their oil superior to all others.

Think about it. Your engine runs with gasoline (or perhaps diesel) introduced, air which hopefully is clean, while the cooling system is doing its utmost to keep everything within safe operating temperatures. All of this happens repeatedly for months with cooling cycles, for thousands of miles, while the filter is doing its damnedest to filter out impurities.

The only similarity that I see is that in the test and in your engine, the oil is poured from the bottle.

So we are left with the question of whether we choose an oil based on this test or do we simply use an oil suggested by the auto manufacturer.

I am neither an oil engineer or a rocket scientist.

 

Oh boy......here I go again.

If you are planning on doing more frequent oil changes than what the OBC tells you, ANY of the fully synthetic oils are going to offer the same protection and performance. On the other hand if you intend to do the longer term intervals then you will want to possibly look into some of the boutique oils (Royal Purple, Amsoil, Redline) for use.

I am more than satisfied with the oil analysis' I have gotten back over the years with my Mobil1 5-30 with oil changes every 6 months.

 

Not to stir up the hornet's nest Scott, but I'm curious if there's a reason you use 5W-30 instead of 0W-40. I also use Mobil1 and change my oil every 5k (or after a track event).

 

pretty good reading material..

The Motor Oil Bible eBook

Also if you look on the net there is a Government SAE testing and posting of all oils sold in the USA that gives good info on "flash point" and ash content of oils. Pretty illuminating information.

 

Mobil 1 0W40 every 6,000 miles has worked well for me. I used to be a 3,000 mile changer, but since switching to synthetic oils I've doubled my mileage for changes.

That test seems odd to me. I'd rather see what the bearing from an engine run on those oils look like.

Just an old guys perspective.

 

5-30 is the recommended oil, the 0-40 is the BMW long life oil. Never saw any advantage to using the 0-40 and the 5-30 is available at my Walmart.

 

I jump over here from time to time....
Welcome

 

Given that one of the biggest issues with our N14/N18 power plants is the carbon build-up in the intake path, I'm wondering if there are significant differences in the synthetic oils in this regard and what performance attribute of the oil would give you a clue. Resistance to oxidation? Something else?

I'm a faithful oil changer, so I'd gladly trade a wee bit of stability and maintenance of viscosity for minimized coking.

 

Blackstone Labs

If you really want to know what your oil and engine is doing, go to Blackstone Labs. They do a full chemical/metal analysis of your used oil and can give you advice on how your engine is doing. I have mine tested every other oil change.

 

Dwight... The lab is very accurate. When I sent mine the report under comments it unusual to see properties of LPG in a Gas running engine? I did not state that I run it and was impressed they detected it. The only thing I do not like about the test is there seems to always be something of concern with every engine? So it makes us "Automotive Hypochondriacs" to some degree.

 

Agree. But if you get multiple tests at a regular interval, you can sort out what's normal and what's abnormal. Just getting one test will aggravate the hypochondriac in all of us, so plan on doing a couple and don't freak out at the first test.