I have a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis with a little over 102K, I put a lot of maintenance work into the car and it’s running well, passed emissions, no CEL, etc. but was curious to see the general state of the engine. It’s been about 1K since my last oil change, so I was hoping that the oil could give me some clues on how it’s running at a deeper level. This, my next point:
Saw it recommended by ChrisFix when he was doing his 24 Hours of Lemons video, seems like a pretty cool idea. Has anyone ever used one? If so, did it actually give you a pretty good idea of the health of the engine or if it has wear or contaminants in the oil?
This is the one I am referring to, but there are many like it available, I just decided to go with this based on that recommendation. I’d love to hear sny experiences of anyone who has used it before.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09YVR6RBR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
I’ve never used them yet. They seem cool, hip, and modern.
I’ve used Blackstone Labs before with good results. ChrisFix used them too.
What sort of data did it provide?
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/engine-types/gasoline/#
Example Report
What sort of data did it provide?
I'm sure if you contact them they would be happy to explain what they offer.
8:08
Try to find out what the rental car companies use (Avis, Hertz, Alamo, etc.) to see how much metal is in the oil so they can decide when to sell off their cars.
Do they actually do this? Or do they simply get rid of them after a certain mileage/number of years, or if they get a get a good deal on replacement, or budget influx...
I know trucking companies do regular testing.
@mmj - They analyze the oil for percentage of metal content and at a certain point, they sell them.
ok so how does that help? the metal content is zero every time the oil is changed.
They measure the metal content in the engine oil to indicate rod and main bearing wear in the engine. The higher the concentration of metal, the more the bearings are worn. Anyway, this is what I was told by a friend of mine who worked for Hertz back in the 90's. Sounds plausible.
right but when you put new oil in, the metal content starts at zero, right. Then as you drive, the content will rise as the parts wear. Then you change the oil again and it's back to zero. How does this cycle change as the vehicle ages? You would think that less and less metal comes off the engine as the gaps get bigger.
@mmj - I don't know for sure but I suspect that each oil change analysis will show a certain amount of metal in the oil and compared to previous analysis, they keep track or compare the different percentages to arrive at some kind of "Wear Index" or something like that tells them it's time to off the vehicle. Just guessing.
Maybe Blackstone knows. @Kaizen should ask them.
Good point. If I remember correctly, I got a D- in high school chemistry so I'm just guessing.
Blackstone gives you a little blurb about the data they find, in comparison with average historical data. It can help you decided if the engine is wearing on average, better than average, or worse than average.
@kaizen post it
I already did. See above link to Blackstone sample report.
Make sure to click on “Sample Report” after the clicking.
@kaizen I see. The comment box where they give their analysis of your oil. Thanks.