Oil analysis...

[mhadden]

Well, I am testing the maintenance minder system in general, but I don't want to "test" it on my CR-V, so I've been testing it on my company car, a 08 Civic LX 5AT. I'm surprised about the high silicon levels since I replaced the air filter with a stock one just before this oil sample started. I'm interested to see if my metals continue to be high.

Anyone else have results similar with these? I'm already starting to doubt the MM system...keep in mind that my MM just started displaying 15% 200 miles before I took this sample, so this wasn't even down to 5 or 0%.

[IceWindius]

Hmm, what oil was in it? What air filter are you using?

[av911]

You have an '08. How many miles on the car? First oil change??

[jlannoo]

LOL thats tooooo high tech for me. I'll just change it when it says so. Though I eat pizza regularly and my body is more important then my car. So don't listen to me.

LOL Im still kinda anal about my car though. I just think its funny (Im including myself) That people will get real concerned over their oil quality or some other car issue. Yet those same people though will guzzle down beer, smoke (no smoking for me) and mow pizza unconcerned about the machine that really matters.

[Zeuceone]

i have my analysis but i cant get it on here.

[flsedan07]

Originally Posted by mhadden

Well, I am testing the maintenance minder system in general, but I don't want to "test" it on my CR-V, so I've been testing it on my company car, a 08 Civic LX 5AT. I'm surprised about the high silicon levels since I replaced the air filter with a stock one just before this oil sample started. I'm interested to see if my metals continue to be high.

Anyone else have results similar with these? I'm already starting to doubt the MM system...keep in mind that my MM just started displaying 15% 200 miles before I took this sample, so this wasn't even down to 5 or 0%.

Dude, by all means change your oil and filters every 1k if you want, we won't stop you from pissing away your money.
Damn I have read everything now.

[phenominalee]

your oil chart thingy says to change it every 5k miles...that's pretty much what my mm did when I had my Si...

[boltuprite]

Cars are female. Less hassle to just obey both. Can save you a lot of grief. I'll stick with the MM system.

[mhadden]

IceWindius, surprisingly, I'm using a OEM filter. It was replaced before the oil change that had this oil taken out of it, so I'm confused as to why the silicon levels were so high. Maybe its an indicator that the OEM filter isn't doing that great of a job?

av911, right now I'm up in the UP of MI for business and I have slightly under 23k now, but there was about 19.5k on the clock when I took that sample with just shy of 6300 miles on the oil. All my driving is highway, although I drive like an idiot 50-60% of the time (to get around all those left lane drivers). But no, it's not the first oil change, and that's another thing that concerns me. I changed the oil at 1k, 4k, 8k and 13.2k, but I never did test the oil on the others. I've had doubt in the MM system since the beginning, though, and this was the first time I ran it to 15%.

flsedan07, who said anything about changing filters and oil every 1k? Although I'm anal about my cars, I'd never change oil under 3k and have always changed it before 6k.

Zeuceone, you could do what I did, bring up your pdf scroll to omit your personal information and "printscreen". Then go to paint, edit the borders and clean it up, then host it like you would any other image. I don't have programs that can convert pdf to mpegs, so I went that route

Otherwise, like most of the guys (and girls) on the forums, I'm anal about my cars on everything from the engine to paint. Fortanutely, this is my company car, and thus isn't owned by me, but that's why I'm using it for my somewhat scientific studies

[EXcoupe]

Originally Posted by mhadden

IceWindius, surprisingly, I'm using a OEM filter. It was replaced before the oil change that had this oil taken out of it, so I'm confused as to why the silicon levels were so high. Maybe its an indicator that the OEM filter isn't doing that great of a job?

Check the seal around the filter box/lid along with the intake connections to assure everything is assembled and seated correctly. Also, not all filters are created equal so you might want to try another brand. Personally prefer NAPA Gold but there are a lot of premium quality products available. Have also used Truflow oiled foam filters which stop a lot of dirt but are a PITA to service.

Don't let anyone bother you about running oil analysis. Have worked around fleet vehicles long enough to see the payback. It was also the only way to confirm my Impala leaking antifreeze internally early enough to get rid of it before getting stuck with the repair bills.

[darkdan]

With under 20k miles on the car you still have elevated wear metals from "break-in". Otherwise everything looks good.

TBN is 3.1 so it is getting close to the end of it's useful service life (most new oil starts in the 9 to 10 range, a good synthetic like AMSOIL will be in the 10 to 12 range), but it still had a decent buffer.

[Bulli Kid]

silicone may be from the engine wearing in still.
But its usually from Airborne dirt, sealers, gaskets,& antifreeze inhibitors.
Iron: Cylinders, rotating shafts, the valve train, and any steel part sharing the oil.
Aluminum: Pistons, bearings, cases (heads & blocks
What type of oil? what type of filter
looks like a 5-20 but a dino or synthetic?

the engine burned 1 qt in 6k miles?
did u use any fuel system additives?

[mhadden]

Bulli Kid, yes, I had to add a quart during this 6200 miles, which makes it my first car EVER where I've had to add make-up oil. It could've been from the hard Chi-town driving though. Oh, and it's Mobil1 5W20 "synthetic" and its a Mobil1 Extended Performance oil filter.

EXcoupe, immediately after I received the UOA, I checked all the seals and found no leaks. Even the OEM filter seal is good, so it has to be the filter. I'll try a different filter in 10k miles.

[Bulli Kid]

WAw i live in Chicago too. my lx A.T has 5500 miles on it and i changed the oil at 4178, 4534 and next will be 8000. I am using M1 5-20 with Wix oil filter #51356.
I will do a oil analysis on my car aswell but probably when i will have 15k miles on it , to give the wear metals and break in period to spike down.

ps. how many miles is the car driven a day?

[Bulli Kid]

I posted up your results on Bobistheoilguy.com
they know all their stuff so here is the link and you can view all their comments. hope i helped.
08 honda civic lx Mobil 1 5-20 6,288 miles - Bob Is The Oil Guy

[mhadden]

Originally Posted by Bulli Kid

WAw i live in Chicago too. my lx A.T has 5500 miles on it and i changed the oil at 4178, 4534 and next will be 8000. I am using M1 5-20 with Wix oil filter #51356.
I will do a oil analysis on my car aswell but probably when i will have 15k miles on it , to give the wear metals and break in period to spike down.

ps. how many miles is the car driven a day?

You changed the oil at 4178 and again a few hundred later at 4534? Just want to make sure that was typed right! My average daily drive depends as far as mileage, but after I come home tomorrow, from Sunday to tomorrow I will have put on almost 1800 miles. My average mileage per year is just shy of 49k. Like woah! Hopefully I'll find a new job or go back for my Masters soon...I don't know how much more of the driving I can take, and I like driving!

[Bulli Kid]

yes i changed the oil almost 400 miles later as i stored the car for the winter nad i sprayed wd40 into the cylinders so they wont rust and that wd 40 seeped down to my oil sump and caused the oil to become very thin. i actually think when i was driving it on a nice sunday on the highway and accelerated to about 4k rpms, the oil sheered for a second and i heard metal on metal contact.
But engine runs fine and smooth so maybe that wasn't it, i hope it wasn't.
I bought my car on march 12 07 and on march 18, 08 i had 4534 miles on it. :)

[ryker]

I will pull a sample from my engine with 9k miles on it. Torco SRS oil was swapped in for the breakin oil. I'm at 10% and will wait till 5% to pull a sample.

[Rolow]

I love these threads. I wish there where more of them there very informative. My Blackstone Laboratories test kit is waiting for me to get around to doing my first oil change. I don't think I'll learn much from the first test but after a few it will start to paint an interesting picture.