I'm posting this as a 'service' to the BITOG community to warn about shoddy unreliable UOA test results!
This is a graph of the results I got on two identical samples of the same used oil - sent on 12.07 07 to two different testing laboratories, one in the USA (Oilguard) and one in Australia (Westrac Equipment...ergo caterpillar dealer).
You can see in the left hand column what the virgin analysis of the oil was according to the library here, then two test from oilguard to get a trend plus the third test on July 12th 07.
Alongside it is the result from Westrac Equipments laboratory...here in Oz.
The wear metal results etc are nothing whatever alike...
There are other glaring differences too.
When challenged about their results the Westrac lab technician, swore there was no mixup at their laboratory of samples (I had sent in 3 samples from 3 of my vehicles at the same time).
Then he went on to blame the postal service...saying that bored postal workers open the sample jars and swap the UOA bottles inside around just to mess with peoples heads!
He claimed sometimes the lids come off - and postal workers find the sample bottles in the bottom of the post bag & just put them back inside any open plastic jars and re-secure the lids etc.
Frankly I have zero to little faith left in the entire UOA testing industry!
I did a LOT of modifications to a vehicle I have over $100,000 'invested' (bad word to describe any vehicle purchase) in for my business.
I wanted to see if the LPG injection did indeed make the engine run a lot cleaner - i.e reduce soot levels as the manufacturer claims in writing on their website.
I wanted to see if the wear metal levels had dropped with the inclusing of oilguard bypass sub micron filtering.
I wanted to see if the rare earth neodyium magnets I was using on all filters cannisters - were doing the job of removing ferrous metals...
If I went by the Westrac results -just about EVERYTHING went up by magnitudes....including soot and wear metals etc.
I KNOW what went on - they MIXED up two of my samples - and it is only because I GRAPH my results and test at more than ONE laboratory that i KNOW they gave me my results for my sons 4wd diesel without bypass filtering etc - as being for my F 250.
I know we didn't mix up the kits because we labelled the inside jars as well - to match the paperwork they were sent with, just to be sure.
So....
Assuming that theres no way to be 100% sure your getting your own sample results back - what do you do - when the laboratory or postal pixies goofs?
Whos results did you get?
Are you buying a new engine from the same company just sent you dubious results?
Do the salespeople there deliberately substitute oil samples to target you to buy new product?
How many $1000's of $ might you waste and how many perfectly good engines have been totally screwed up by folks chasing non existent problems with their engine because the laboratory or postal workers screwed up?
How many folks with serious pending engine problems, got someone
else's good result and don't know they are headed for a meltdown of biblical proportions?
Why don't the testing kits come like a postal vote with a triple blind system (lead seals?) so such stoopid mixups cannot happen?
How many unscrupulous dealerships with a testing lab in house use it as a defacto engine/equipment sales tool?
Just a headsup people - this UOA business is NOT all it;'s cracked up to be and unless you are sending away at least 3 samples to independent labs - you could end up costing yourself a small fortune chasing engine problems you don't have!
Worse - like myself - you might actually tackle one of the manufacturers about their claims for a cleaner running engine- based on bad data - and maybe they will then turn around and sue you for the labs or postal workers mistakes.
Simply put it aint good enough - I wouldn't trust ANY of them as far as I could throw them!
Be very careful out there people - this UOA business could cost you an awful lot of wasted $ or worse with the shoddy service and work they perform.
Take nothing for granted and treat them ALL like theives until proven otherwise.
My experience could well be just the tip of the iceberg - who afterall regulates the UOA testing industry? What standards do they have to meet?
Frankly - your astrologer has about as much chance of getting your engine diagnosis right as these clowns in the UOA testing industry based on my experience to date!
Had I not meticulously kept my results and graphed them looking for trends I would never have known that they had switched samples on me...
How comeI picked it up but they at the testing laboratory didn't?
Be wary people - be very wary - the industry as a whole should be licensed and regulated and independently audited IMHO...
Cheers
This is a graph of the results I got on two identical samples of the same used oil - sent on 12.07 07 to two different testing laboratories, one in the USA (Oilguard) and one in Australia (Westrac Equipment...ergo caterpillar dealer).
You can see in the left hand column what the virgin analysis of the oil was according to the library here, then two test from oilguard to get a trend plus the third test on July 12th 07.
Alongside it is the result from Westrac Equipments laboratory...here in Oz.
The wear metal results etc are nothing whatever alike...
There are other glaring differences too.
When challenged about their results the Westrac lab technician, swore there was no mixup at their laboratory of samples (I had sent in 3 samples from 3 of my vehicles at the same time).
Then he went on to blame the postal service...saying that bored postal workers open the sample jars and swap the UOA bottles inside around just to mess with peoples heads!
He claimed sometimes the lids come off - and postal workers find the sample bottles in the bottom of the post bag & just put them back inside any open plastic jars and re-secure the lids etc.
Frankly I have zero to little faith left in the entire UOA testing industry!
I did a LOT of modifications to a vehicle I have over $100,000 'invested' (bad word to describe any vehicle purchase) in for my business.
I wanted to see if the LPG injection did indeed make the engine run a lot cleaner - i.e reduce soot levels as the manufacturer claims in writing on their website.
I wanted to see if the wear metal levels had dropped with the inclusing of oilguard bypass sub micron filtering.
I wanted to see if the rare earth neodyium magnets I was using on all filters cannisters - were doing the job of removing ferrous metals...
If I went by the Westrac results -just about EVERYTHING went up by magnitudes....including soot and wear metals etc.
I KNOW what went on - they MIXED up two of my samples - and it is only because I GRAPH my results and test at more than ONE laboratory that i KNOW they gave me my results for my sons 4wd diesel without bypass filtering etc - as being for my F 250.
I know we didn't mix up the kits because we labelled the inside jars as well - to match the paperwork they were sent with, just to be sure.
So....
Assuming that theres no way to be 100% sure your getting your own sample results back - what do you do - when the laboratory or postal pixies goofs?
Whos results did you get?
Are you buying a new engine from the same company just sent you dubious results?
Do the salespeople there deliberately substitute oil samples to target you to buy new product?
How many $1000's of $ might you waste and how many perfectly good engines have been totally screwed up by folks chasing non existent problems with their engine because the laboratory or postal workers screwed up?
How many folks with serious pending engine problems, got someone
else's good result and don't know they are headed for a meltdown of biblical proportions?
Why don't the testing kits come like a postal vote with a triple blind system (lead seals?) so such stoopid mixups cannot happen?
How many unscrupulous dealerships with a testing lab in house use it as a defacto engine/equipment sales tool?
Just a headsup people - this UOA business is NOT all it;'s cracked up to be and unless you are sending away at least 3 samples to independent labs - you could end up costing yourself a small fortune chasing engine problems you don't have!
Worse - like myself - you might actually tackle one of the manufacturers about their claims for a cleaner running engine- based on bad data - and maybe they will then turn around and sue you for the labs or postal workers mistakes.
Simply put it aint good enough - I wouldn't trust ANY of them as far as I could throw them!
Be very careful out there people - this UOA business could cost you an awful lot of wasted $ or worse with the shoddy service and work they perform.
Take nothing for granted and treat them ALL like theives until proven otherwise.
My experience could well be just the tip of the iceberg - who afterall regulates the UOA testing industry? What standards do they have to meet?
Frankly - your astrologer has about as much chance of getting your engine diagnosis right as these clowns in the UOA testing industry based on my experience to date!
Had I not meticulously kept my results and graphed them looking for trends I would never have known that they had switched samples on me...
How comeI picked it up but they at the testing laboratory didn't?
Be wary people - be very wary - the industry as a whole should be licensed and regulated and independently audited IMHO...
Cheers