oil analysis please

[moggiethouable]

I have a relative that had a car serviced, a Mazda 6 to be precise.
3 weeks on the engine is kaput, at 40,000 miles.
The garage it was towed to claimed there was oil in it, black and heavily carboned?
Anyway, the turbo charger had seized as had the crank.
It ground to a halt rather than blow up.
My thought is that someone has not changed the oil or installed the wrong oil.
Does anyone know where I can get oil analysed please?
If I can prove the oil was not changed I may be able to help.
Thanks in advance.

[MarkyB]

Was there any oil in it?
It wouldn't be the first time a garage forgot to replace the oil after it had been drained out.

These people get the vote on a UK Mercedes forum;
http://www.monition.com/oil-analysis-se ... 4QodJDtbGw

[moggiethouable]

Was there any oil in it?
It wouldn't be the first time a garage forgot to replace the oil after it had been drained out.

These people get the vote on a UK Mercedes forum;
http://www.monition.com/oil-analysis-se ... 4QodJDtbGw

Thanks for the lead Mark.
I will contact them tomorrow.
Yes there was plenty of oil, and water in the cooling system.
I wonder if some bright entrepreneur added a touch of oil to the old during the service and perhaps has a black market going in the cheap oil he retains.
Alternatively an inferior oil may have been used.
Anyway only oil analysis will prove it, if successful this would make the garage culpable.

[bmcecosse]

One of the reasons I do ALL our own oil and filter changes - after being scammed with my daughter's car on a 'service deal' - and the oil filter I had marked was not changed. The oil was 'cleanish' - but clearly had only been sucked up the dip stick tube (to drain it requires an under-tray to be removed - and it had not been touched) and did they use the correct 5W30 full synthetic oil?? I doubt it - probably used that Wilko 20W50 stuff.....
Interestingly - I recently needed full synthetic 5W30 to A5/B5 spec for my diesel. 4 litres Castrol Magnatec to the spec in ASDA for £20 (ouch..) but the SAME oil in Homebase is £20 for only TWO litres!! Caveat Emptor.

[moggiethouable]

Well ive had a chat with the oil lab manager in the analysis dept today.
They look for soot deposits and a base number regarding the level of sulphuric acid in the oil, this way they gauge the stresses and hence the age of the oil, fortunately in our case the oil was changed (or not) just weeks before the seizure.
They send a kit out for a 50ml sample and set to.
Cost will be around £40.00 or so.
Small fry when you consider the possible cost of the engine etc.
I may fall flat on this, but I think under the circumstances its worth my powder and shot.

[bmcecosse]

And the news is....

[chuffit]

still waiting

[MikeNash]

I'd like to know what happened, Mog, even if you changed your mind; too expensive?
Anyway, it got me thinking about "engine oil blotter tests" where you put a drip off the end of the dipstick onto card, say a business card (but I used cheap index cards cut if half bought at Wilkinson's) and allow the oil to soak outward to form a disc, the centre of which is usually dark and is surrounded by coloured rings. There's a good deal on the interweb about this but it seems to me the interpretation of the results are all over the place. But this is what I got.
This the oil out of my 1963 1098cc Trav which its losing and using oil at a high rate so it's always topped up with new, clean oil! (Wilkinson's mineral 20/50 cheapest.)[frame][/frame]
This clean unused Wilky's 20/50[frame][/frame]
For a difference, see this blot taken from the wife's Peugeot 5008 (diesel 1600 with still 10,000 miles to a service)[frame][/frame]
Do we have a REAL oil-ogilist on board who knows about these things? I suppose you need a set of blots taken over time to show progress or deterioration.
.
Thoughts? MikeN.

[katy]

Interesting concept.

[philthehill]

Available from www.frost.co.uk[frame][/frame]

[MikeNash]

Thanks Phil! I thought there was a UK supplier. But what I really seek is someone with experience who can interpret the results. It seems clear that petrol and Diesel engines give quite different results. Anyway, on the basis you can't have too much of a good thing, I've taken samples of just about all the oil lubricated systems that I've got and find, for instance, that my ancient Clarke Jumbo compressor also gives a pattern. Perhaps it's telling me to change the 2 year old oil! I suppose regular samples need to done on any engine to see changes in the patterns.
I'll do the gearbox and back axle next. Regards, MikeN.
PS Am in Finisterre at the moment and have been pleased to see a few 2CVs and Renault 4s about!

[moggiethouable]

And the news is....

Awfully sorry for the delay, the news is the car was not serviced at the correct intervals before he purchased it.
The owner is now prosecuting the finance company for supplying goods not as advertised, i.e. FSH not correct at time of sale.
The oil analysis was well worth the effort as this showed excessive wear on engine parts.
It will still take a very long time but the result I believe should be positive.
Thanks again Markyb for the info on the oil analysis company, well worth it.

[MikeNash]

Just to complete a set of blot tests, here's the Gearbox oil[frame][/frame]
and here's the back axle oil[frame][/frame]
Both look good and I suppose should after only 3000 miles. (I think the oil change is recommended at 6000 miles - and these blots support that.)
In my view oil analysis also includes looking at magnets, and here's the g'box & b'axle magnets I've fitted to the respective drain plugs in their clean state - g'box on the left[frame][/frame]
and as seen on draining out the oil[frame][/frame]
I do urge you all to fit magnets; it's a nice feeling to see all those bits retained out of harm on the magnet as well as giving another clue to the state of your lubrication.
Regards, MikeN.

[les]

Sensible idea but not too sure about the nice feeling seeing all that crap on the magnet, I'd be wondering where it all came from!

[MikeNash]

Well Les, that's about what you see when draining the oil. Don't forget that there's a residue of oil that "sticks" to particles and bulks it out. The important magnet is that in the back axle, 'cos the latter bounces about and which keeps stirring the wear particles that might otherwise sink out of trouble; the magnet captures them and holds them safe. The magnets shown are ferrite (Eclipse make, I think) fitted a decade ago but today I'd fit the far more powerful cheap neodymium rods that are now available.
Re the gearbox, due you ever crunch a gear? Then fit a magnet!
Regards, MikeN.