20
Never thought a simple oil analysis would change my tune on high-mileage engines
I was always the guy who said changing oil every 10k miles was fine. Then I sent a sample from my 1998 Cummins to Blackstone Labs last month. The report showed high copper and iron levels that pointed to bearing wear I could not see. Now I'm doing every 5k miles and using a better filter. Anyone else get humbled by an oil analysis?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
thomas_sanchez15d ago
Man that's the wake up call we all need sometimes. I did the same thing with my old Ford 6.0 and the analysis showed coolant in the oil from a tiny EGR cooler leak I would have never caught otherwise. Saved me a huge headache down the road. It's crazy how a little piece of paper can make you rethink everything you thought you knew about maintenance. Once you see the numbers there is no going back to guessing. Now I tell everyone to just spend the thirty bucks once a year and actually know what's going on inside that engine instead of hoping for the best.
4
evahenderson15d ago
Right?! Same thing happened with my old Duramax, the analysis caught high sodium levels from a leaking coolant seal that I never would have looked for. Now I'm the annoying friend who won't shut up about oil testing to everyone I know.
9