Oil Analysis Questions

[ERobinette]

Just changed oil for the first time. Sent oil samples to two different labs, yup different results. A few of the numbers are; iron 52/38, calcium 3366/3062, silicon 21/16, magnesium 0/7. First value is fleetguard, secound is blackstone. Being a rookie at this I thought I would try 2 labs and see which one I liked best, about all I've done is create confusion. It really makes me question the accuracy of the labs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.



Thanks, Ed.

 

[illflem]

Analysis results will vary between labs due techniques and equipment calibrations. Like motor oil it's best to pick one lab and stick to it. The numbers in one test aren't as important as the trends between tests.



Being into ag research where we do thousands of soil tests per year, which are similar to oil analysis we have found the exact same thing. I read a study were the same soil sample was sent to 30 different labs, you guessed it, there were 30 different results.



Your silicon seems high in both tests though not excessive. This usually indicates poor air filtration.

 

[DEZLPWR]

Illflem,

This was his first oil change... . Won't the silicon and other readings be higher than normal on a new engine?

 

[illflem]

DEZLPWR, you are right, I missed that part. The first change will be full of break in particles and won't be representative. Good news is that numbers should go down from here on out.