So my car currently has just over 25k on the odo (when did that happen?!) and got its 6th career oil change. Up til now I've used the MC 5w-20 changed every 5k, but I picked up 5 quarts of Mobil Clean 5000 (5w-30) for free on a promo offer and thought I'd give it a spin. I trust it not to destroy my engine in 5000 miles, although I don't believe it's a synthetic/blend since they don't shout it all over the commercials.
Anyway, I kept the 5th bottle because there's a tad over half the oil left. Here's my thought on this extra, since my car has Not ever burned any off:
I think SyntheticShield mentioned once that oil analysis companies don't test the sample coming out of the car along With the original oil to compare. So would it make sense in 5 months or so to collect a sample of oil coming out of my engine, and at the same time send out a sample from the original bottle, aged 5 months in my garage? Would there be any benefit to seeing the comparison?
Also, I'd like recommendations on where to send the oil, I have a free kit from Blackstone Labs so I was considering them but if there's a better place I'm all ears. And could one of you oil gurus look over my results if I posted them when they came back, because I don't really know how to analyze the analysis results!?
This kinda stems from my beginning to consider an Amsoil swap for my baby after this oil change. I haven't noticed anything bad with the Motorcraft at all, but I think of it as preventative more than reactive care. So, any thoughts on what I should do about the oil samples? I'm guessing suggestions on Amsoil products would make more sense after the analysis came back?
Last edited on Fri Jul 29th, 2005 04:21 pm by lil duratec
Getting an analysis done on the virgin oil out of the bottle would only serve as a baseline comparison. In other words, getting an analysis done on the new, out of the bottle oil would serve two things. First, it tells you how the oil is comprised and what it is comprised of. This allows you to make judgement calls on which oil is better and which is going to protect/last longer, etc. Secondly, it gives you a baseline to compare your used oil to. When you pull the oil sample from your car and have it analyzed you can look at the virgin oil analysis and see how badly the oil has degraded or how well it has held up.
In my opinion, unless you are just curious, there is no need to get a analysis done on what is left in the bottle. If you get an analysis done on the oil in car down the road, let me know, I'd be more than glad to make an interpertation for you. There is a lot to be told about the condition of your motor with an oil analysis.
Blackstone labs is a good lab, but I think you pay extra for them to give you a reading on the TBN, which is an indicator of how much life is left in the oil. For about $25 I think it is now, you can get an analysis done from Oil Analyzers that includes TBN. Blackstone is far better at commenting on their analysis. That is to say they are very good at giving you their insight to what they see in the report. Oil analyzers uses a lot of 'canned' comments such as "Oil is suitable for continued use". That is why I spent a great deal of time learning to read the test results so I could pull out the details of what is being told by the test results.
Motorcraft and Mobil drive clean 5000 are good oils, and they do an adequate job of lubricating your motor, but let me ask you this. Would you rather have adequate lubrication and protection or would you rather have the best protection and lubrication? Amsoil is a product that, in my opinion, provides the best protection, lubricaton, and economical savings that can be had. I used them for a number of years before I started selling their products, so I have perspectives from both sides, as a consumer and dealer and I refuse to use anything else. The only time I use a non-Amsoil product is when it simply isnt available or when they just dont make a product for my application, which hasnt been too many times.
If you have any more questions, post them up. Im in Eureka Springs right now ready to get married tomorrow, but I have internet access and can check in.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I thought you had left already, was wondering how you were on!
No more questions for now, that post was helpful for what I was looking for now. I'm not sure if I'll run a virgin oil test, but I'll definitely grab a sample in 5000 miles to see just how the engine and used oil are doing.
I definitely subscribe more to the "best care" school of thought than the "adequate". So I'll probably end up going with synthetics, I see it as an investment too, since engines are a lot more expensive than oils!
