Does Your Engine Have Hidden Damage? How To Know!

How do you know if your engine is healthy? How To Read An Oil Analysis!
Sponsored by Mobil 1 - Link below to enter the Road Trip Sweepstakes!
bit.ly/jfyt_omort
What happens to an engine oil over a road trip? We’ll travel 3,000 miles, and perform an oil analysis before and after to find out. There are two main purposes of an oil analysis. First, you want to check engine health, by looking at wear and contaminants. Various metals can help you identify any significantly wearing engine parts. Contaminants can tell you if you have any engine coolant leaking into the cylinders, and how well your engine air filter and oil filters are working.
Second, you want to check your oil’s health, to know if you can keep using it, need to change it, or learn what your appropriate oil change interval should be. The analysis will cover viscosity, TBN, fuel dilution, oxidation, nitration, soot, water, and coolant, as indicators for the oil’s health. You can also check additive levels, like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
Don't forget to check out my other pages below!
Instagram: / engineeringexplained
Facebook: / engineeringexplained
Twitter: / jasonfenske13
EE Extra: / @engineeringexplainede...

[@nightshade4873]

1:23 i cannot un-imagine Jason just basically whipping out his whiteboard then lecturing the bear on engineering.

[@wiciuwiciu2783]

I bet it was about BEARings he he he he

[@chuckp8705]

I've been using Blackstone for a few years to keep tabs on my vehicles. I can concur with the more personal analysis they include in each report, with an atta boy or two thrown in for a good report. Lol. It's a nice touch with what would usually be a dry read.

[@stephenmoxley3004]

I totally agree. I've been using them for a number of years and find their service to be very informative and valuable.

[@jons4686]

I came to the comments to say Blackstone. Totally agree

[@HazewinDog]

what does such an oil analysis cost?

[@jons4686]

@@HazewinDog 30 dollars a Blackstone. They'll ship you the sample kits for free. It's amazing what you can learn about your engine and oil

[@MrMikey1273]

@@jons4686 $30 definitely worth doing once a year on a vehicle that you plan to keep long term. I did that for my Jeep Liberty CRD for 10 years and already started with the first oil change on my 2020 Tacoma.

[@trakkerman1]

Being a casual mechanical hobbyist, I never really thought about the parallel oil provides to an engine's health as blood does to a person's health. Great video, as always, sir.

[@lancelot1953]

Hi Jason, retired mechanical engineer here, you should teach to local universities - you are presenting the common applications of engineering science (most important for consumers' knowledge). Back in the 70's it took me a one year internship at Ford to learn about "practical" applications of some (if not all) of the theoretical knowledge I had learned at my University. You make it interesting and your enthusiasm explaining engineering principles is contagious. Thank you for these great presentations, Ciao L

[@danmacmillan88]

man these videos are truly the best on youtube, I don't think enough people appreciate the work that goes into these

[@EngineeringExplained]

It was a lot of work to put together, and fascinating information - thanks for watching!

[@tranktrunk1641]

Its all personal opinion tbh, In my opinion GreenHamGaming has the best content on youtube.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

I'm a former chopper pilot from the French Navy. I remember we did *a lot* of oil analysis for gas turbines. They were pretty helpful to know if the engines were fine of if they were gonna eat their internals. =)

[@MrAPCProductions]

After several years of being a mechanic, I am still shocked and amazed when a vehicle comes in with "most" of its oil. Almost all are waaay overdue, low or almost none. Trying to explain to someone about oil consumption "but it doesn't smoke and I was told to change my oil when the "light" comes on"......

[@kristianhermann5971]

That's scary. Used car buyer beware.

[@mikeschultz6383]

Sounds like most are women who are single and no one is telling em too change there oil lol.

[@MrAPCProductions]

@@mikeschultz6383 of the hundreds of vehicles I see a year most of them are owned by men. Age is 35+ for more than 80% of my customers. Almost zero percent are owned by young women or single women.

[@mikeschultz6383]

@@MrAPCProductions very interesting so i guess don’t go off the assumption that women don’t know anything about cars and there maintenance nice too know. Also good too hear

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

@@mikeschultz6383 I think the reason is that the vast majority of car owners are not interested in cars as anything but transportation devices or to a degree as a status symbol. The inner workings are not what interests these people. It also says a lot about how reliable cars has become. It used to be that you more or less had to know a bit about how the car worked as they tended to break down now and then. Just look at something as simple as oil leaks. If you look back forty or fifty years there would be an oil slick under a lot of cars. It was just the way things were. Today it's really uncommon to see this and when you discover one under your car you will react by wondering what has gone wrong. I've also thought of the number of cars I see having broken down on the highway and standing on the shoulder waiting for assistance. When I was a kid you saw this every time you drove for any distance on the highway. Today it's really uncommon to see anything worse than some one who ran out of gas, and even that is uncommon and fuel gages are usually a lot more reliable today than they used to be. Remember when cold starting a car could be an adventure? Remember using the manual choke, pumping the gas pedal, or perhaps having to use starter fluid if it was freezing? I have almost forgot all of that. My twenty year old Toyota has never had a problem starting even when it was really cold. Cars has become so easy to use that people are forgetting how they work. And when something goes wrong most people just leave it to a mechanic to fix. The only time they care about what makes their car run is when they pay the mechanic for taking care of their car. Heck I have friends who never open the hood unless they are forced to do so. They have a mechanic service it once a year, and just assume that they will take care of things like oil changes, air filters, thread depth, coolant levels and so on. I can safely say they have no idea about oil change intervals or anything else. All they do is fill it up with gas and drive.

[@NoNotThere]

Great video! Didn't think oil analysis would be that interesting. Seriously what a good dude for putting this info out there for all of us.

[@bmay8818]

Blackstone is great! I love how personal the descriptions of the results are. They liked my name for my Kioti tractor, which I mainly use to mow fields: Mow-Bi Wan Kioti. Unfortunately, that old, formerly abused machine more or less makes Blackstone's people say "yikes!".

[@mr.e8543]

true im also using them for my e85 engines tests on my channel . they show great care always

[@mjc0961]

11:46 - Hmm, not sure I trust the third party if they said no oil showed up in your oil samples. 🤪 (just joking, it was supposed to say water)

[@EngineeringExplained]

Wow, great catch, yes, it's supposed to say water! 🤦‍♂️😂

[@chrisjoplin3033]

The oil analysis shows what many Subaru Turbo owners have been saying for years. Mobil 1 thins out way to fast. At 12:35 in the video, the answer to why the viscosity dropped was you used Mobil 1. :)

[@blockbertus]

I think this way of oil analysis response is to make it more accessible and understanding to the avarage driver. I think that is actually pretty good. Also shows that there is most likely a human actually writing that.

[@jimmymorrison3973]

I have used Blackstone on all of my cars for several years now. The information they provide is invaluable. It’s reassuring to KNOW what my engines and oil are doing versus just changing oil blindly.

[@ZillaFullBoost]

I’ve been monitoring my engine oil with Blackstone since 0 miles. Good way to know what’s going on with your engine.

[@jasonhurdlow6607]

Didn't know this was a thing. Just ordered two kits to get my rigs checked out. Thank you!

[@cruise2kx]

I remember arguing about an early oil change with the service lady at Ford. She was convinced it was pointless.

[@cslim117]

Same at my Honda dealership. I change my oil every 5,000 full synthetic and the service manager said “that’s pointless it can go 10,000 miles”.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

Those ford ecoboost engines need early oil changes as the deposits build up quickly. Ford Boss Me channel did several vids on this.

[@cruise2kx]

@@JohnS-il1dr now that is interesting.

[@nadersefidabi5586]

Did you just include your vacation expenses as a tax write off? You're a genious, Jason. Great video BTW.

[@pinkfloyd3385]

Please repeat at 6k, 9k, etc: as much as you will alow on the mighty croastreck. Thank you.

[@jimdevilbiss9125]

An excellent presentation as always. I drove an F250 7.3 for 16 years and had oil analysis at every oil change after the second one. Nothing showed up and I felt very comfortable.

[@Richard_AKL]

The reason for the fuel dilution issue is because cold engines are programmed to run rich until warm.

well, I might change oil this year. After some years (more than I'd want to admit), my engine deserves it.

[@EagleSynthetics]

I'm doing an oil analysis on my own vehicle later this week when I change the oil. The video was really informative on the metrics to watch out for for my engine health. Thanks Jason.

[@Dom-ny9dt]

Very interesting video! I recently learned about oil analysis at my new job, we operate a big turbine compressor that compresses chlorine and I take samples of the oil every month to get it checked for wear and possible chlorine leaks. These measurements realy can tell you a lot.

[@eddmorrell90]

Great video👍really interesting, I used to work in an open cast mine as a welder. They took oil samples from all the machines every couple of weeks (engines, gearboxes and final drives). I always wondered how they analysed it. Thanks👍

[@elitearbor]

I didn't realize that such a service was available to end-users smaller than fleet operators. Interesting! Seems like a very useful service indeed, depending on the cost.

[@nicktaormina4623]

It's like $30 with Blackstone

[@chloedegurechaff1941]

Blackstone will also send you bottles for free. with free shipping back to them.

[@randthompson5716]

I've ordered and recieved a Blackstone analysis kit and plan on a 3k change on my 2.4 DIT. About 600 miles to go. I feel this is a very important subject and have since the 70s and 80s while working as a heavy equipment operator and saw oil samples taken every oil change. Thank you for posting. 👍

[@bloqk16]

Decades ago when my brother was a diesel truck mechanic, he told me about oil analysis as a way to determine an engine's health. When it comes to hidden engine damage, I wonder how the VW air-cooled flat-four in the 1960s would rate? Having operating such vehicles, it's remarkable the amount of maintenance neglect that engine could be subjected to, and still keep running.

[@hotrod6919]

I used to send in oil analysis. All it seemed to do was determine and confirm what you already knew. When a motor isn't happy they usually let you know it other then that not worth losing sleep over common wear.

[@jondime628]

I was lucky enough to hear about blackstone before I bought my first new car 15 years ago. Since I do all my work myself, its good to be able to catch something early enough to do something about it. Blackstone is great!

[@carloscruz7317]

I’ve been testing oil for 30 years. Running oil analysis for my trucking fleet. No one absolutely no one beats amsoil.

[@TCL_Dasler]

I love things like this. Rather than just "part breaks, replace it" instead use a service point to analyse potential issues and address weak points before they leave you standing at the side of the road with the hazards on. Both options keep the mechanic in a job, but only one causes, at minimum, huge inconvenience.

[@timbrown9731]

As far as mobil 1 I am quite impressed with their new GF6 oils, i’ve been running full synthetic in my 3.6 R legacy from day one, i’m currently almost at 120,000 miles and the engine barely burns any oil I just recently was able to get my hands on this new classification of oil and the oxidation rate is impressive compared to its old blend! Jason!

[@jamesplotkin4674]

I'd like to see an oil analysis on a CNG (natural gas), or propane fueled engine. I have no personal experience, but anecdotal have these engines running very clean with very little sludge and soot. Edit: I wonder if this is how oil manufacturers come up with such long change intervals?

[@ohioplayer-bl9em]

I worked at a gas station that had a huge propane tank with a pump next to the interstate in the 90s. We would get people that needed to fill their vans (mostly vans for some reason) with propane. Often they would check their oil and I would check it out with them. The oil always looked brand new. As a side note my car is E85 and being in Ohio its readily available. If I run mainly E85 my oil seems to stay much cleaner than when using gasoline.

[@trackpackgt877]

You know I always wondered the same thing because I have a propane (dual fuel) powered generator and I wondered if the propane was easier on the oil than gasoline. Ohio player1177 thanks for the info also I appreciate it

[@MrMarty77]

I think it's great that you did a video about this. Yes oil analysis' are often not cheap, but they can well be worth the money. My last oil analysis predicted a head gasket failure well ahead of the gasket failing catastrophically. Could have been a lot more expensive hadn't I done the analysis and not knowm about it.

[@als57chev76]

You did an excellent job presenting this information! Well Done.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Thanks!

[@NickM92]

I literally clicked on this because I’m leaving from LA to Yellowstone and little did I know you did the same trip.

[@Vishnuvkammath]

My first bike was a 100cc motorcycle which I am using from 2013. During pandemic situation I don't use it for 2 months bike milege at the time was 65k Kms. After 3 months of total rest in garage bike don't get started kicker starter was simply moving downwards without compression. I call the mechanic he took it to the shop. After that I came to know that valve got some issue so engine did not get compression. Some valve related engine parts were taken to another workshop for machining purpose. Then some leaky gaskets replaced sparkplugs replaced, carbs cleaned and retuned. Now the bike almost covered 75k Kms 2 oil changes with 20-40 semi synthetic oil. After that engine overhaul, I observed my oil get blackening that in previous conditions. I have a sight glass on the crankcase for oil level observation. Through which I can see the oil colour too. But I did not observe any fuel efficiency issues or performance issues but little starting trouble in the morning especially starting bsfter 1 week of rest or more. Is my engine safe or not any idea? I am getting 80km/ltre of gasolin milege. The company claims 87km/ltre. Only issue is blackening the oil quicker than earlier and starting trouble while it is cold. Should I retune the carb in an expert shop?

[@WouterB76]

This is highly informative and very educatiomal, thanks a lot Jason!

[@CRVB7]

No, it is not educatiomal at all.

[@SouthFlaDiver]

My report from Blackstone 2010 rx450h 77830 miles Amsoil 25000 mile Guarantee 20,078 mile oil change PAUL: For oil run more than 20,000 miles, these results are impressive. That's a lot longer than the ~7,900 miles our universal averages for these engines are based on. Iron is a bit above average, but iron naturally accumulates with miles on the oil, so it's better than average on a per-mile basis. The viscosity did thicken up some compared to your virgin sample, but that didn't hurt anything that we can see. The trace of fuel is also harmless. Silicon was high. It looks harmless, but it never hurts to inspect air filtration to rule out dirt as a possibility. Good report.

[@jimn.9990]

Paul, the oil filter that fits your vehicle is small and is not designed to reach 20k or 25k miles. The Amsoil Oil Filter (EA15k02) that fits your vehicle (which also works in my Toyota Camry Hybrid) is only designed to hold contaminates for 15k miles. Amsoil says if you use another filter, you shouldn’t go over 12k miles with that filter. In the event that you didn’t change your oil filter before reacting the 20,078 mile mark (when you had the oil tested), possibly that was the cause of the high level of silicon, which Blackstone didn't feel was harmful? Otherwise, like the comments on Blackstone’s report, impressive results! By the way, that is a very good testament in apparently using 0W-20 motor oil in the heat of Florida. Do you mostly drive on the highway or city driving or a combination? Thanks!

[@Wised1000]

The military has been using oil analysis for decades (since the 80's) particularly for their tanks. It works but in general its only worth it for fleet vehicles that have constant heavy use. In passenger cars its overkill.

[@macedindu829]

I got a new car this year, and was a bit surprised when I looked into the owner's manual that it recommended the first oil change at 12 months or 6,000 miles. I did a double-take. IIRC, coolant flush was either 100 or 120k miles. It's amazing what these engineers have done.

[@lonniebeal6032]

For future readers, take ph balance strips to check coolant. I doubt it'll last that long.

[@cheesemons]

Probably the fuel present in the engine oil for the 2nd sample is due to engine idling rich to get the cat up to temperature faster.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Actually, it's a lean mixture at startup and barely noticeable misfiring which contribute to getting a cat hot.

[@cheesemons]

@@jamesplotkin4674 sorry I was a little wrong. Running rich when starting from cold was done to help start the engine, somewhat like what the choke does on carburettors. After the engine gets slightly warm, it then slowly goes to a closed loop to meet emissions standards. I don't think most engine likes running lean tho.

[@twrcrew8852]

as an engineer, im surprised you did not explain that your 15 minute idling session having the highest oil dilution makes perfect sense. It goes to show you should NEVER let your car sit and idle to "warm up" in a modern car. you want to start moving as soon as humanely possible (still keeping it under 2500rpm until your water is up to temp) to allow the piston rings to expand under heat and properly seal off the fuel from getting through the pistons into the crank case. So short trips and idling around cold = BAD in short. But after 3000 miles, this is why most of that fuel "cooked off", as with a road trip *and in particular lots of long 10+ mile highway speed daily commutes* - it is much better for your engine, as all the dilution that occurs at cold start has plenty of heat and time over distance to burn away and evaporate itself out of the flowing hot oil during a long and fast enough drive.

[@MtnManMT]

I sent a break in oil sample to Blackstone almost a month ago. No word yet. Hoping they're just backed up and the USPS didn't just lose my sample!

[@leumas75]

My Audi dealership, which has perhaps the best customer service on the planet, does oil analysis every time you get your fluids changed. Hilariously (and mostly due to Covid) I purchased a new Q5 SUV in July 2019, and I was alerted to a service (for the first time in my life) based in TIME. As in, instead of the dashboard saying “100 miles to next service” when you startup, it said “12 DAYS to next service.” Due to the lockdown and my extreme extra caution because I’m immunocompromised, after one year I had driven a grand total of 2,236 miles. Oil and other fluids really should be changed after a year no matter what, and luckily my results came back no concerns. I just thought it was cool that this dealership goes to these lengths to show how your engine is holding up. Hopefully in the next year I will have the opportunity to drive more. I like driving. And my sweet Irish Wolfhound LOVES going on drives, rides, trips, around the block, whatever. We need to do more of that.

[@rogergeyer9851]

Stephen Miles: Having sensors might be better. My friend, who drives a 25_ year old Mercedes changes the oil promptly when the car tells him to, roughly every 10K miles. It does it based on sensors detecting how much dirt the oil has in it. Many auto dealers, OTOH, want to charge you for service every chance they get, and also sell you things you don't need, so there's that.

[@leumas75]

@@rogergeyer9851 I agree with all of that. However, fluids really should be changed at least once a year, especially if one lives in a hot climate like I do. And all of my services up to 120,000 miles were included with the price of the car, which, because of my wife’s job, was a non-negotiable fixed price.

[@jamdahood]

Had a bad analysis on an old boat engine. Still ran and performed like a champ.

[@vukpsodorov5446]

"changing oil" my 20 year old car that burns a liter of oil every month: "i don't have such weaknesses"

[@firasalzharani4328]

What's your car?

[@vukpsodorov5446]

@@firasalzharani4328 hyundai Tiburon RD2 (2001) with the 1.6L engine

[@KF1]

Got an Expedition that's started doing that. Now it's going to go live out it's days on my cousin's farm. 20 years, not bad

[@vukpsodorov5446]

@@KF1 certainly, getting 20 years out of a car ain't bad at all

[@dmironyuk]

Just top-offs every few days😄

[@fastdrag3402]

People like you make America great!

[@philiphawkins4684]

Fuel dilution into the oil is caused when the engine is cold, common with direct injection, when the engine is hot the fuel evaporates, likely you took the sample after a short run.

[@ronaldlenz5745]

Oil analysis was available in the late 1980's. I had a 1986.5 Toyota Supra and had it done a couple of times.

[@remissiveslave]

If it's a subaru yes, the motor has hidden damage.

[@littlebearish]

I have a 16 F150 with the 2.7L Ecoboost engine. At about 75k I had a Blackstone oil analysis done. I only use Mobil 1 full synthetic 5-30 and I change it at 3-4k mile intervals. That analysis was at 3k and the only warning I got was about the viscosity as well. They informed me it may be from fuel dilution but after checking my fuel trims and injector leak down I saw nothing unusual. It's nice to see you had a similar experience and they give follow-up information on how it could just be you're changing it sooner than you need to. I was thinking since my engine is direct injected and turbocharged it may just have more blow-by than a standard vehicle engine and that could be the reason for the fuel dilution/drop in viscosity. Thanks for this video Jason, very informative.

[@rogergeyer9851]

Jed Brown: Better to change it a little too often than to have a HUGE engine rebuild bill, or decide you need a new car. From someone who likes driving reliable older cars with no car payments who considers oil changes MONEY WELL SPENT.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

Ignore fuel dilution. If you put in new, cool oil, and idled for ~15 minutes, it's possible for hydrocarbons from an idling engine to condense into the oil, until the oil has a chance to heat up. Once the car is driven for 20 minutes or so, the oil will come up to temperature long enough for condensed hydrocarbons to evaporate through your positive crank case ventilation system. (a loaded engine burns cleaner) Water tends to emulsify oil, by using detergent to bind the water and oil together. That creates a thick substance similar to mayonnaise. That definitely increases viscosity, and sometimes, will even clog oil pump pickup screens, and oil filters. Condensation from chronic cold driving, or water and coolant from a bad head gasket can definitely cause that as well.

[@0tispunkm3y3r]

Interesting addition re sand... I used to work with dual fuel diesel engines that would run on mixture of diesel and CNG or LNG. The attraction for many was to use Biogas/Biomethane for the CO2 benefits. We found that this kind of gas had siloxanes in it. Overtime it would basically be sandblasting the insides of the gas injectors and getting into the engine oil etc. Not good! They tend to leave a white powdery residue on the hot stuff.

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

This analysis is invaluable.

[@UnipornFrumm]

Its useless if you get an electric car

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

@@UnipornFrumm It is not significant if you travel by foot also.

[@UnipornFrumm]

@@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189 yeah but you wont do that to go to another city for example

[@acchaladka]

@@UnipornFrumm completely pointless if i take Greyhound.

[@mercury0214]

@@UnipornFrumm and your electric car is useless after 125,000 when the battery dies

[@jivkotrayk4027]

As always, pleasure to watch things that my professors at the university tried to explain to us, but unsuccessfully.

[@JoshsCarCorner]

This is my thought. When your engine was idling for 15 minutes, did it get hot enough for the computer to go into closed-loop? If not, that would explain the richness in your oil on the idle cycle.

[@cuteshadow]

It should switch withing a minute or two, Cats and Lambda sensors should not take that long to heat up (to function)

[@RobertHancock1]

Modern vehicles don't need to warm up before going into closed loop (though some may have a low minimum temperature threshold for cold conditions). As soon as the O2 sensor starts responding it will switch. Usually under a minute.

[@cuteshadow]

@@RobertHancock1 which can be usually noticed by the engine reducing idle from almost 1k to 650ish rpm.

[@PSA78]

It doesn't matter as the oil has to reach operating temperature for any water, fuel etc to evaporate properly, that usually takes between 20-30 minutes of driving. Idling will never get the oil hot enough. :)

[@JoshsCarCorner]

@@PSA78 All true, but I think he lives in Idaho now. Colder, thinner air could prolong closed loop activation. The longer your in it, the longer it would take excess fuel to burn out of the oil.

[@computerfixer06]

I use blackstone for oil analysis with my vehicles, I love the comments I get back from them!

[@mackenziemoore5088]

This is probably one of the most informative videos on engine oil I've ever seen. Well done, m8

[@TotalSeal]

Nice job! We are big believers in used oil analysis. Higher levels of blow-by will increase oxidation, soot and fuel dilution, so used oil analysis is a great tool for checking and monitoring piston ring seal.

[@eldoradocanyonro]

Kudos for taking samples for separate analysis

[@miscbits6399]

now you need to do one on Antifreeze. It's a real rabbit hole - MGE vs PGE vs OAT vs HOAT vs SI/P-HOAT vis various additives - and Asian vs American vs European cars have wildly different requirements to avoid corrosion (put the wrong stuff in a japanese car and you can destroy your water pump, put the wrong stuff in a euopean car and cause major corrosionm etc )

[@nathanschemenauer1617]

You took so many samples it must have been close to a full oil change!

[@timcelmer7023]

I use BSL yes I always enjoy the commentary.

[@Jutsch80HD]

I have a question for all the Americans in the comment section. How often do you change your oil, at how many miles and how many miles do you expect the engine to last overall? Just now when researching on the interval for that Crosstrek I saw a post stating something like... "the manufacturer recommends every 10.000 miles, so I'm doing it every 5.000, just to be sure" I'm asking because here in Europe, nobody is that obsessed with oil changes. The only people changing their car's oil more than once a year are people who drive more than 12-13.000 miles a year. Just now when researching on the interval for that crosstrek I saw a post stating something like... "the manufacturer recommends every 10.000 miles, so I'm doing it every 5.000, just to be sure"

[@KF1]

Damn, I want an enthusiastic and supportive oil spec sheet. Anyway, congrats on your car's internal tolerances, they must be magnificent.

[@Zohar-Modifier]

Hello everyone and welcome !

[@softwaresignals]

kv100 Viscosity going down to 7.4 cSt (about 0.7 less than ideal) is something seen a lot at 3,000 miles with the VII 'plastic' molecules breaking apart (shearing). Visc usually begins to rise after 3,000 miles, gradually, via oxidation, so it kind of corrects itself in normal use. I've seen plots of visc vs. time from the Mobil1 people, and it does show a dip in visc at 3,000 miles, & rising slightly after that, so it's fine, no problem. .... Actually, for this Subaru engine and other engines like it that call for 0w20, you could use 0w30 or 5w30 full-syn if you live in a hot climate or are towing, in order to counter fuel dilution and when you want extra wear protection (thicker hydrodynamic oil film).

[@mineshrane9930]

Hey... That's a great video quite informative... The reason why the results showed high level of fuel in the 15min idling is for a reason explained below. Piston rings and compression rings have a small gap which expands once the engine is warm enough.. till is was warm enough your vehicle had a the addition of fuel to the oil... I hope this information helps you and others reading this... Thanks

[@andrewm5840]

this was really cool to learn that you could gain so much insight just from analyzing the oil

[@ZonymaUnltd.]

I’ve honestly been waiting for this video forever haha. I saved a couple oil samples from my first car, 98 dodge stratus, and really wanted to send it in, but had to move. My prelude will certainly have some interesting results.

[@nicolaasvandenberg4023]

would be cool to know

[@ZonymaUnltd.]

@@nicolaasvandenberg4023 - I certainly intend to use their services, I'll do the lubricant analysis as soon as I can 👍🏼

[@jameshewitt8828]

As a ex aircraft mechanic in the military we would send off periodic SOAP samples (Spectrometric oil analysis program) to look for wear and tear

[@tundras4ever552]

Dealer laughed at me when I took my 2021 tundra for its first oil change at 3k miles. And I explained to them how after the break in that there is stuff in the oil that needs to be flushed out ! Glad to see I’m not the only one

[@Dcc357]

I changed my 2021 GTI's oil at 1000 miles, then I will again soon at 5000. I did it myself since I have access to a lift at work. First oil change was supposed to be 10,000 miles or 1 year, which is insane for a turbo 4 - even if I have an iron block.

[@tundras4ever552]

@@Dcc357 10k oil changes are absurd

[@matsudakodo]

Just got my analysis from Oil Analyzers to monitor break-in wear on a new 2.5L Turbo engine.

[@ChuckJ1944]

Yes, I use Blackstone (have for many years) and they are both competent and lightheartedly friendly.

[@spencerlorrigan]

maybe the question isn't how to know about hidden engine damage, it's do I want to know? And with 160,000 miles on the engine, I don't think I do 😅

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I have to concur. Same thing with compression checks on an otherwise good engine. The only result if something's wrong is it will just make you feel bad or worry about it. You'll know hidden wear by one or all of three things, 1) noise, 2) oil consumption, 3) check engine light might be showing a condition that is also cause excessive wear.

[@computerfixer06]

I have been told fuel in the oil id common with long idling, which explains your results. This happens to me in MN over the winter with letting the vehicle warm up, then driving only short distances to work. Longer trips will burn off the fuel in the oil, as long as there isn't so much that it mixes in and thins the oil to the point that both fuel and oil blow by into the combustion chamber.

[@johnhufnagel]

Also a Blackstone Labs user, particularly on any recent car purchase. So far they've helped me feel confident that I haven't bought a turd... yet. :D

[@SouthShoreTrain]

Blackstone is great, I've been sending them locomotive oil samples for years. Thanks for explaining what everything on these reports means, I was a bit lost on a couple items before. Fun fact, locomotive engine oil cannot contain zinc because it's not good for the silver bearings present in certain engines.

[@LOR_Official07]

The fuel dilution is caused by idling the car and not driving it. Blackstone explicitly states when doing an oil analysis to take the car on the highway or on a good drive before sampling the oil.

[@rogergeyer9851]

FuelForFire87: OTOH, in the real world, for my daily driver, it spends a LOT more time idling in, say, the Wendy's drive through line than it does on the highway. So I'd prefer an analysis based on my ACTUAL driving. Now, for my fun "weekend sporty" car, yeah, that would reflect 90% back road miles at highway speeds. Respectfully, why not get a report based on ACTUAL driving conditions if one wants to know how to make one's car last. And while I used to say, read my plugs before platinum plugs that lasted "forever", I've never had an oil analysis. I just buy oil with a great reputation and change it OFTEN. That's worked quite well for a good 40 years, re helping my cars last a long time.

[@tangydiesel1886]

Always enjoy Blackstone oil reports. It's also nice that they respond to any questions or concerns that I may write in.

[@tom58792]

Keep them coming.. as they are Informative

[@vinamese]

How did you collect the oil? Should it be on the bottom where all the contaminates are located?

[@craigiefconcert6493]

Seems that Mobil screwed up the testing on the fuel dilution. Why didn’t you get the extra sample tested to confirm and also have them retest?

[@nordicpride9708]

Regarding extended performance oils it’s hard to beat Mobil 1 EP. The other which has many certs is Castrol extended performance(gold bottle). Both some truly amazing lubricants! Great job!

[@clintsturts1179]

Good info! So when do you do your first oil change on a new car? I do mine at 1000, to me that's when an engine is broken in and ready to go!

[@deyensi]

Can you make a detailed video on specifically why alternators go bad (failure mode analysis) as well as the symptoms that said failures produce? Practical information such as the “why” behind the “what” is typically very interesting to most people.

[@christhompson5739]

I was heart broken when I was told not to use Mobil one in my turboru. Three past Subarus went 300k on Mobil one, vdc and two outback sports. Now I use Motul X clean 530 on my 13 WRX every 3-4k. I wanted to keep it 530 and Motul has that good shearing rate. Those oem Subaru air filters really are the best, I have a new itb grimmspeed intake collecting dust after seeing how much oem collect after 3k.

[@mattwoodproperty]

This is used in hgvs, can detect early faults, preventative maintenance, and it can be pricey to change the oil with no need

[@ShadiAllaham]

would you consider talking about oil burning? you've enrich our minds with lots of useful engine oil topics, thanks man.

[@erichaynes7502]

Over the years oil companies like Mobil, Pennzoil, Valvoline have not only raised their prices but stress to change your oil every 3,000 miles. But you know what? This is always way, way too soon. My general rule is to change my oil every 6 months unless for some reason I drove my engine really hard, which is rare in my case. Also remember one important factor is highway driving is very easy on the engine, city driving is way worse on the engine, like 5 times worse so make sure to change that oil every 6 months you'll be in fine shape.

[@user-qx7tm5df8j]

im glad mine has no hidden damage. i can hear the rattling noise just fine.

[@TheDeadMan3848]

BlackStone charges about $30. for a basic analysis, This is probably worth the money for fleet vehicles. Probably not worth it for someone like myself. Unless you are just interested in seeing the results or how long you can safely push your oil changes. Great video tho 😉

[@anthonyc1883]

It's very interesting data, for sure, and needs to be done only occasionally at most for the average motorist. I did my first, got great results and then maybe two years later did another. Same outcome. I was perfectly confident I was treating the engine right and that I'd have a nice, long run with that car, which I did.

[@spenserrr]

Who knows, could be a massive lie! Extremely doubtful, though. Love Blackstone. Feels like we are talking to real people… because we are. Have had more than one prolonged experience where the regular monitoring of my used oil was exactly in line with my direct personal experience/assumptions & other evidence, and helped me figure things out at present & in the long run, in order to care for engines - in one case, provided knowledge to help save it entirely, with early warnings via analysis. Totally worth it. Highly recommend doing it at least just once a year!

[@waclosh]

This is why you don't let engine idle after a cold start to warm it up. Start the engine, buckle up, adjust seat and mirrors, drive off.

[@stephenpowstinger733]

A fascinating idea for diagnostics. I am reminded of all the CR-V 1.5 turbo engine videos claiming fuel-oil dilution. I got rid of my 2017 though.

[@james2042]

I remember talking to an Amsoil rep about their 25k mile change interval recommendation and I was asking about how they validated it and if they would assume any responsibility for damages caused by ignoring manufacturer specifications, and they basically told me they tested some old corollas (which have insanely reliable and simple engines) and either I can buy it or not they don't care but if it causes problems in my car that's my problem not theirs. So rather than pay 5x the price for a quart of 5w20 from them, I just do 5 5k changes with normal full synthetic (I use Pennzoil but that's irrelevant) for the same price and maintain my OEM maintenance. In this case with them saying they support 20k miles with that oil, make sure you have a car with as little systems dependent on oil and oil pressure as possible. I'd NEVER trust those claims in my 5.7 hemi due to the MDS system, and same goes for AFM/DFM in GM trucks.

[@stephenpeacock8592]

Good info. My takeaway from the video confirmed my actions of just sticking with reliable Hondas with some tolerance in the engine if miss the strict 9k mile interval

[@pliedtka]

9k on Honda, after servicing more than few Honda cars I feel safe with something like 5-6k using Honda OEM oil. 9k is really pushing it to the limits in regular city driving (it will last past the warranty). I have seen some of the engine with 20-25k OCI using Amsoil. Personally I don't trust such claims and not all engines are designed the same way - some require more frequent oil changes than others.

[@TheReadBaron91]

Very common in aviation to check oil analysis

[@faxmen09]

Great explanation of UOA. Why I really like your channel, it's SCIENCE based. NOT as so many are, opinion based. Well done.

[@simonkolar5478]

The fuel dilution is from excessive idling. Once the engine oil fully warms up, the PCV system should be able to remove the fuel vapor.