Anyone ever get a UOA surprise?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
239
Location
georgia
Has there ever been a report on here where a person sent off a UOA stating the oil was one brand or type and the test shows something else was in there? Example would be having the dealer put in a synthetic oil and a UOA finds it to be conventional.
 
Originally Posted By: stygz
Example would be having the dealer put in a synthetic oil and a UOA finds it to be conventional.

Just for the record, a UOA wouldn't be able to tell the difference between synthetic and conventional.

...unless you're spending a LOT more money than Blackstone charges. Like, a LOT more.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: stygz
Example would be having the dealer put in a synthetic oil and a UOA finds it to be conventional.

Just for the record, a UOA wouldn't be able to tell the difference between synthetic and conventional.

...unless you're spending a LOT more money than Blackstone charges. Like, a LOT more.


I didn't know that. With all the UOA they do would you not think they would be able to tell if something was not right with the info they have from the customer and the test results?
 
I think you're expecting too much from a UOA. If you mean has a lab ever made a mistake? Plenty, in fact many had to be done over because of customers calling them out for mistakes.
 
The surprise I found in 2 vehicles (bought used) was higher than expected silicon and in both cases I found an issue with the air intake that was letting in a small amount of unfiltered air.
 
Originally Posted By: stygz
Has there ever been a report on here where a person sent off a UOA stating the oil was one brand or type and the test shows something else was in there? Example would be having the dealer put in a synthetic oil and a UOA finds it to be conventional.


It's happened before (but not synthetic vs. conventional). Folks have posted UOAs saying it was a certain brand, but the additive levels clearly show the signature of a different oil. Sometimes, it was the owner who changed the oil and, after the memory jog, recalls that he did in fact use something else.

As for a link to one, it'd probably take hours of searching through a lot of 'em. It has happened though...
 
Originally Posted By: stygz
I didn't know that. With all the UOA they do would you not think they would be able to tell if something was not right with the info they have from the customer and the test results?

A UOA is like a doctor visit.

Your doctor's basic physical exam can catch a lot of things, but there's a LOT that it'd miss.

99.99% of the UOAs you see are just as basic. They're like if your doctor took your blood pressure and pulse, asked a few inane questions, and sent you on your way. Perfectly good for catching certain kinds of problems; no good at all for catching others.

Now, you could go to the doctor and get blood work, X-rays, and a urinalysis with your basic physical. That'd be a heck of a lot more expensive, and it'd cover a heck of a lot more bases. There are UOAs like that. Unsurprisingly, no one ever does them.
 
Hi,

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: stygz
I didn't know that. With all the UOA they do would you not think they would be able to tell if something was not right with the info they have from the customer and the test results?

A UOA is like a doctor visit.

Your doctor's basic physical exam can catch a lot of things, but there's a LOT that it'd miss.

99.99% of the UOAs you see are just as basic. They're like if your doctor took your blood pressure and pulse, asked a few inane questions, and sent you on your way. Perfectly good for catching certain kinds of problems; no good at all for catching others.

Now, you could go to the doctor and get blood work, X-rays, and a urinalysis with your basic physical. That'd be a heck of a lot more expensive, and it'd cover a heck of a lot more bases. There are UOAs like that. Unsurprisingly, no one ever does them.


Well put dOOdfOOd
 
Yup, got these results back:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2824107/Searchpage/1/Main/187379/Words/Tribute/Search/true/Pennzoil_10W-30,_6,500_miles,_#Post2824107
 
Thanks, Doug! That's some of the highest praise I can imagine getting on this site.
cheers3.gif
 
I got a surprise...5.6% fuel.
UOA from a 2004 C240 Benz 21,000 km
on 0W40 Pet-Can Duron.

The wear metals were OK, the oil
KV100 13.2 down from 15.4 (old spec).

Blown spark plugs were the culprit
from the "kids" using regular 89 fuel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top