oil, Zmax

theART

Whoever said that "more than twice as much bearing corrosion" is bad for your engine? Twice as much is so better than once as much

6MT

Oil threads attract posts like flies to $h1t.

BTW, I also use Amsoil 5W30. I had mine tested after an oil change. It tested extremely good. BUT.... opinions are like a$$holes.... everyone has one.

I'm pleased with Amsoil.

__________________
Andrew

2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold
2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

theART

I figure:

A. If you have enough oil in the engine
B. It some sort of synthetic of prescribed weight

You're probably much better off than an average driver

jazz

Vuk has his own oil?

__________________
One part rubber, three parts Krazy Glue.

IDZRVIT

I have been changing my oil myself for over 30 years and have used dino and synthetic. I have never had my oil tested because, imho, it's a waste of money unless you make your living racing cars as a driver or a team owner. Why? Ask yourself this. If the test results come back and one or two elements are higher than normal which would indicate a wearing issue, changing your oil to different brand will not correct the wear - the damage has been done. Now, ask yourself this, how bad is the wear? If the engine is running fine, but the analysis indicates wear, are you going to tear done your engine looking for the fault such as the bearings? Probably not. And if after receiving the negative analysis, do you have access to sophisticated equipment that can do a vibration analysis to confirm the oil analysis and pinpoint the problem? Doubtful. For the non-believers out there, you can pay the extra money after each oil change for analysis and follow their recommendations. Maybe, just maybe, you might squeeze out a few thousand miles more from your engine. But hey, who cares if you can already get 150,000 miles from your engine without any oil analysis'? I don't.

My advice is to save your money doing oil analysis', use API certified oil, change it in accordance to the type of driving you do and most of all............forget about oil debates and go out and enjoy your damn car!

Btw, I performed spectrograhic oil analysis for Canadian warship propulsion systems at one point in my career as a marine systems engineer. When certain elements were reading high, the first action was to direct a VA - vibration analysis. Navy's have the bucks to invest in sophisticated analysis equipment whereas your local tuner doesn't. Guess your stuck with what to do with the results which may not be a concern to begin with. Think about it. My 2/100 of a loonie. Oh, my current oil of choice in all my cars and bikes is Mobil 1.

__________________
"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

Anarky

6MT

I really believe you're missing the entire point of having oil tested. Or maybe, you just don't understand what an oil test looks for. You don't just get results for "one or two" elements. And wear, being pretty important, is not the whole issue here.

An oil analysis checks the entire chemical spectrum. Can tell you what's in the oil after specific intervals. Can tell you, by the analysis, what's in the oil AND why. It can pinpoint problems at an early stage. It can show potential problems with the engine or other systems (such as air intake or exhaust systems) early enough to correct BEFORE the issue turns into a major problem.

I'll give you a shining example. I had my oil tested at 9800 kms. My third oil change. The interval was around 4200 kms for the life of the oil that was tested. It showed minute (and I mean very small) amounts of the metals associated with normal break-in on an engine (gas burning engine). Absolutely normal. And I expect that these will probably go even smaller as the engine wears further. (With regular "babying".) What WAS found was high amounts of carbon. IE: DIRT. What this showed was a problem with the filtration on the air intake. Without getting into arguments about K & N filters, let's just say THAT was the problem.

I had no idea that the K & N filters were allowing so much dirt into the engine. I quickly solved the problem (again, no K & N bashing). I had the oil tested again at 12000 kms. Even better results with the metals (smaller amounts). BUT... the carbon was almost gone.

To make a long post about testing end, I'll just say that I was convinced oil analysis caught a potential problem very early. I had no idea that this was happening. The test showed me the issue. I corrected it and now the results are even better.

Say what you want about testing and how you think it's a complete waste of time and money. For me, the example above shows just how important it can be. I know, this debate "can" be as endless as the oil debate itself. But with just my example, it shows what it can discover AND whether it may need attention.

(btw, I replaced the K & N filters with AFE dry filters. Problem solved.)

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Andrew

2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold
2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

partsguy

Wow, amazing post. Rep points to you!

IDZRVIT

Agreed, the oil analysis also tests for the properties of the oil such as viscosity. In your example, carbon, was detected in the oil through the oil analysis. Your filter was probably defective. I say this because I have used K&N for years without issues along with millions of others. However, you were lucky because it was an easy fix - replace the filter. On the other hand, how long would your engine have lasted if gone undetected? Who knows really. Your oil filter may have been able to filter out the debris. Oil filters do not filter out all particles as you know. They only filter down to a size which is considered acceptable that those particles that do pass through won't do harm to the engine or they recirculate through back to the oil filter. Also keep in mind, the analysis only detects the elements that have leeched into the oil and not the actual particles themselves. Now if the oil filter was sent to the lab, a filter debris analysis could be performed. So, even though the analysis identified a problem, it does not mean that damage was inevitable over time. Hence, maybe the problem was not that serious to begin with. But, who knows for sure. You are happy with oil analyzing. I don't bother. Engines today are very reliable when scheduled maintenance is performed.

__________________
"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

6MT

Uh.... it wasn't the oil filter causing the problem. It was the air filters. And the problem WAS quite serious. The carbon detected was 42 times the acceptable level.

You also ask "how long would the engine have lasted if it had gone undetected"? Well, not as long without needing some kind of internal repair for damage caused by the excessive dirt. If you want a figure...... let's say under 50,000 kilometers (a guess).

Again, I think it shows the benifits of oil analysis testing. It may cost some money ($19.95), but it saves money, time, and heartache.

__________________
Andrew

2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold
2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

IDZRVIT

Too bad you didn't replace the air filter with another K&N to know with greater certainty that they are a crappy filter. I don't think they are and still feel yours was defective.

I understand what you're saying but understand why I mentioned your oil filter. Was not the carbon detected in the oil? Then it was passing through to the oil and then into the oil filter, no? How much carbon was the oil filter trapping or were the particles so small they just passed through the oil filter and recirculated continually being held in suspension in the oil? Now do you see why I mentioned the oil filter? I'm not trying to win any argument but I'm saying there is more to the numbers than just saying it was 42 times higher and that equates to catastrophic failure. I know you didn't say that but some in here would believe that. But a 100 times higher could still be acceptable if the particles were drained out at the next change and the next change and so on (constant flushing out of the contaminants) and still not cause damage for say, 50000 as you suggest or maybe even 100,000. Neither one of us knows the answer and as you said can only guess. You were lucky you could flush your problem away. Internal wear is a different ballgame.

__________________
"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

IDZRVIT

6MT, I'm sitting here eating some crow for supper. I wasn't focused on the path of the dirt from the air filter to the oil pan but more on the oil analysis itself. So, did the dirt clean up your intake valves and piston tops?

__________________
"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

6MT

Fair enough. I really don't think there was accumulated "dirt" on the valves or pistons. It was an issue that needed attention before it became a problem. No damage done and a lesson learned on K & N filters.

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Andrew

2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold
2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

theART

The only oil analysis I do is once a month looking at a dipstick.

Given, I don't keep cars for longer than 3 years and always run Mobile1. New cars have warranty, if something fails it gets fixed by the dealer.

However, I could see a point in detailed oil lab test if I were to pass the car to my children.

LMBmikeZ

No man. Amsoil is different then AMS they are not related at all. That being said vuk could prob get you some in.

Also if ur talking to vuk anytime soon tell him to sponsor the site I've been meaning to for a while but I have not seen him for a while now.