Have gotten the test kits at NAPA lately but believe that NAPA & Wix use the same lab. Had an issue with the air filter installed improperly during a Quick Lube oil change and wanted to see if there was a dirt/dust issue in the oil as I could see where the filter seal had been leaking.

 

Thanks everybody. I'm trying Blackstone. Just interesting to see the changes as time goes by. And a good selling feature if I ever sell.

 

You are right, you do not see it. If you are running oil analysis "after" catastrophic failure, you are behind the eight-ball.

The intent of a oil analysis regime is to see where your engine is going in relation to wear from fuel dilution, wear metals and coolant intrusion to name a few. It helps people get ahead of potential problem rather than after the fact and be caught off guard.

For people that do not keep vehicles much outside a manufacturer warranty period, it is waste. The rest, it is money well spent and when costs of said oil analysis is spread out over the length of vehicle ownership, cost is nominal.

 

Thanks for your input but....

 

I have used Blackstone a few times with my old Mercedes. Its helpful when you are dealing with a 25 and 40 year old engines and making sure they are still healthy.

 

Send same sample to two entirely separate labs......I suspect the results will differ.

Might be a lot more marketing than quality lab work going on here.....if u know what i mean.

 

I use Polaris, I do it because I like to. I have proved to myself that 10k oil changes are fine for me.

 

WOW..the guys that are supposed to be in the know..Are the ones that need it the most..

Heres why...just some of the reasons

1) to establish an individual oil change interval(very important. I myself are at 10000m)
2) preventative maint(works great for finding air induction leaks, I have found several and prevented dusted engines)
3) predictive maintenance(if there is a problem on the horizon brewing you can take corrective action before catastrophic failure occurs)

Been doing OA since 70s when I was exposed to the technology. Very useful tool. I personally draw OA on my vehicles every OC. until they are stable then Increase the OAI.

Hope this helps I like Blackstone/Schaffers

 

I do used oil analysis for several reasons, the biggest to me is how long I can go between drains for my driving and use. For that reason alone I can justify the cost. Seeing wear of my engine based on analysis is also helpful. Fuel dilution, coolant, excessive metal... worth a look every other oil change or every year or so.
Mobil 1 0W20 in my camry 2.5 will go just shy of 12k miles so I change at 11k miles. I'm at 135k on the engine and no issues whatsoever.
Mobil 1 5W20 in my venza 2.7 will go just over 9k miles so I change at 9k miles. I'm at 90k on the engine and still runs like new.
The longer drain intervals save money. I still need to figure out the drain on my F150, I'm hoping to run up to 7500 intervals but the analysis will help with that determination.
I use blackstone and have no problem paying for their service, it helps me plan my maintenance and budget accordingly. Most of the modern oils can handle longer drain intervals, you can find more info than you will ever need over on bob is the oil guy forums

 

The reason I don't use Blackstone is because of the dilution test, AFAIK it is only estimated. Of course that could have changed over the years. Polaris uses GC to get dilution numbers and that is more accurate. Downside is that you usually have to buy a 10pk to make it cost effective.