Factory fill (5w-30?), 2003 Protege 2.0L, 7647 miles

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Just got our Blackstone UOA results back for my wife's 2003 Mazda Protege. She got it new last October and it has about 8100 miles on it. Typical use is 10 miles to/from work with the occasional longer trip on the weekends. I'd guess a 40/60 city/highway split. I thought we'd follow the factory maintenance schedule (7500 mile oil/filter-change intervals).

Miles on engine and oil/filter: 7647
No makeup oil added or needed

Results (bold is Blackstone's flag):

Aluminum - 17
Chromium - 6
Iron - 73
Copper - 18

Lead - 3
Tin - 3
Moly - 86
Nickel - 1
Manganese - 5
Potassium - 10
Boron - 31
Silicon - 104
Sodium - 5
Calcium - 2251
Magnesium - 10
Phosphorus - 625
Zinc - 793
Barium - 3
SUS Viscosity - 54.3
Flashpoint - 370*
Fuel - Insolubles - 0.5
TBN - 5.5

I'm thinking we should have changed way sooner based on wear metals, but the TBN isn't that bad. I would guess the high metals are from the break-in and low mileage and should decrease dramatically next time.

We refilled with M1 5w-30 and a Pure One filter. I'll have that tested at ~15k miles - results should be much better. Still awaiting Terry's analysis. Thoughts?

[ October 02, 2003, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: TristanP ]
 
I would say you need to do a UOA at 5K on the Mobil 1. I think you are going too long on intervals. Are you sure your not in the severe service schedule category. If cost is an object shorten the intervals to 3-4K with a good dino.
 
To expand a little on unDummy's helpful reply, the owner's manual may have a standard and severe duty maintenance schedule. Most people fall on the severe schedule. I'm guessing the 7500 mile interval is the standard schedule. Based on your wear levels, I'd first try another UOA at severe (probably 3750 miles) to see if you get a "that's more like it" result, before you "set it and forget it."
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IMO you are going WAY TO LONG, this UOA proves that!!! I would have dropped that factory oil at 500 miles and again at 1,500 and 3,000. Now that you are on Mobil 1 you should not run your 1st synthetic to long. I'd change it at 3,000 miles on the mobil 1 and the 2nd Mobil 1 fill, run it to 5,000 miles. This is proof that the 1st factory fill can not go as long as the owners book says. I just about died when I saw those wear numbers.
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The TBN is still strong, so the oil held up pretty well. The insolubles aren't quite at the limit, so you didn't go too long on this oil. It would be interesting to cut your oil filter open and have a look at the media.
 
Actually the oil held up pretty well. I can only guess what type/brand of oil - so I can't say it thinned, but I bet it didn't thicken. As far as flashpoint, it probably isn't fuel.

Did you go "too long"? I say maybe, but you certainly didn't do any long term harm.

I hate to bash some of the previous callers, but they have read a few ideal UOA's and are now passing "expert" judgment. Sure there are break-in materials in your oil. You have "hired" the right guy - Terry - let him earn his money
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!
 
Vote goes with Jay and Pablo verdicts. Not bad for about a year old oil. Your wear(avg) is better than my wifes Acura MDX factory fill OCI at 3850 miles/6 months. Sure, you could have gotten less wear if you followed severe schedule OCI but I echo the sentiment that no long term harm is done on the motor. Next OCI/UOA could only be better, I don't think the 7.5k interval on M1 will be a problem either.
 
You are braver than me dude
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. I would not have gone that long. But otherwise-not really terrible. I would go no more than 5K miles on the next run. Also-unless you are running a K&N filter-I'm uncomfortable with going much beyond 5K miles on other filters.
 
Don't you think that by changing out the oil long before 7,000+ miles this engine would have less wear. By getting the "crud" out and by keeping fresh oil in the engine it should have put less stress on the engine during break in and keep wear metals down? Isn't this why a lot of folks drop at 500 miles and many poeple "in the know" reccomend this?
 
For a factory fill oil and the miles, this looks fine. You are a lot braver than most people on this board.

Most manufacturers no longer recommend those quick 500 mile, 1500 mile, 3000 mile changes anymore, but recommend using the regular maintinance schedule, which in this case was the 7500 mile interval.

Your next intervals should continue to show a strong decrease in wear metals after break in. If you were willing to go 7500 miles on the factory fill, go for the 7500 miles on Mobil 1 and check it out. Should be a nice decrease.

There isn't any proof here that a series of changes would have given any better wear numbers. The first fill is always going to have a lot of junk in it, and it will go down over time.

Ask yourself this: How many other factory fill UOA's have you seen, and what did they look like?
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This being a 2003 Mazda, it is assumed the factory fill was 5W-20 Motorcraft. However, while the viscosity points to it being a 5W-20, the Molly in it does not jive with previous Motorcraft 5W-20 UOAs or the VOA on Conoco Hydroclear, which is supposed to be the same stuff. I just did the first oil change on my Mazda6 at 1121 miles and used Motorcraft 5W-20. I'm wondering if I should use one of my Blackstones on a VOA on the Motorcraft to confirm it is the same as Conoco. Does this UOA point to something other than Motorcraft being used?
 
Its always tough to say what is used as the factory fill. The VOA of Conoco Hydroclear that I did shows that it is the exact same stuff as the Motorcraft (as of June/July anyways).

Look at it this way: Ford uses different oil filters at the factory than it sells on the aftermarket. Who is to say they don't do the same thing with the factory fill oil?

The moly may have also come from assembly lubes used to put the motor together.
 
Bah! Doesn't look so bad considering it's a break-in period and the oil is probably a 5w-20. I'm sure next UOA with M1 5w-30 will show better results, or the one after that.
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And I don't think 7.5K miles or 1 year is too long for this oil.

The only thing that makes me curious is the very high Silicon content. Is elevated silicon part of the break-in process as well or is it an incorrectly installed air filter?
 
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