02 Miata, 9892 on oil, 115k total, M1 0w-40

[cheetahdriver]

Black Stone Comments
Universal averages show typical wear levels from this type of engine after approximately 3900
miles on the oil. In a very real sense, wear looks great. All wear, with the exception of iron, is in the correct
balance, implying the parts inside the engine are operating in a functionally sound manner. The high iron is
caused by the long oil interval, and is not a problem. The extra silicon is additive in the oil; your true silicon
level is about 12 ppm, which is fine. The TBN was 2.0 (1.0 is too low); active additive remained. Inch up to
10,500 miles next and check back.

Data



Oil Filter--------M1
MI/HR-ON-OIL------9892
MI/HR-ON-UNIT-----115,722

ALUMINUM----------3
CHROMIUM----------2
IRON--------------23
COPPER------------5
LEAD--------------1
TIN---------------0
MOLYBDENUM--------92
NICKEL------------0
MANGANESE---------0
SILVER------------0
TITANIUM----------0
POTASSIUM---------2
BORON-------------114
SILICON-----------18
SODIUM------------7
CALCIUM-----------3049
MAGNESIUM---------18
PHOSPHORUS--------878
ZINC--------------1117
BARIUM------------0

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FLASHPOINT-IN-F---385
FUEL%------------- ANTIFREEZE%-------0.0
WATER%------------0.0
INSOLUBLES%-------0.5
TBN---------------2.0

this oil had about 10 months on it. i must be doing something wrong, neither of my M1 0w-40 samples sheared out of grade. i changed over on this oil change to M1 0w-20.

 

[buster]

Looks good for 1 yr intervals.

 

[Taylor]

how do you like the 0w20? Notice any difference?

 

[TeeDub]

Both your samples had fairly high levels of solids. These are high molecular weight polymeric materials that are generated through oxidation/nitration. This is the main reason these two samples are still in grade. Test this oil after 5000 miles and it will be thinner than this 10k sample.

Wear looks okay, but if you can get that Si < 10 ppm the Fe level will drop correspondingly.

 

[cheetahdriver]

taylor, my butt dyno is notoriously unreliable. if i was guessing, i would say it revs a little more freely, but i also changed the air filter, so that could be it too.

the air filter is 44 pleats of compressed syn media. my air filtration quest has been the stuff of legend. the mazda OEM filter was 46 pleats of paper media, the local dealership sells a 16 pleat fiber bed filter that is good for stopping golf balls. the STP filter i have in there now was made in israel (???), and looks like a wix with a better rubber seal around the edge. the NAPA golds i have used in the past have had seal failures around the corners after 30k or so. i am changing the filter more often these days.

 

[TeeDub]

CD,

Have you been running Mobil 1 in both motors as Hillary put it "from day one?"
I'd be surprised to see this level of solids in an engine that's used a PAO/Ester based synthetic all along.

 

[cheetahdriver]

TeeDub,

yes, besides the OEM oil (which came out at 300) and a batch of DriveClean that ran from 300 to 1000, this one has always been run on M1 0w40. i use the M1-110 filter in it, which is .75" longer than the spec'd M1-108.

my FX45 OA showed .4 insolubles, for about the same mileage...

 

[GordoW]

"The extra silicon is additive in the oil; your true silicon level is about 12 ppm, which is fine."



How do they know that?

 

[TeeDub]

CD,

I've seen a number of analyses with high solids levels recently. It may be due to the ethanol "enhanced" fuel which is now common place (you can thank the influential farm lobby in Iowa). The use of alcohol as an oxygenate is supposed to significantly reduce NOx emissions, however it may be causing directionally higher oil oxidation which generates the insolubles. We like to say at work that "better is often the enemy of good" and this may be one of those cases. Since the Mobil 1 is dual rated for LD diesel use it does a good job of keeping this stuff suspended/dispersed, so I don't see a real issue h

 

[cheetahdriver]

well, any fuel savings with the 0w-20 (which i would consider minimal at best) will be lost in the noise from various levels of ethanol in the fuel. if i had a station i could buy 100% GASOLINE at, i would be there. of course, for the privilege of getting ethanol in the fuel, i also get lesser mileage, higher feed prices for the horses, higher food prices and more dirty water... but i digress.

however, adding insolubles just puts the cherry on the top of the whole pile of ....

 

[oilyriser]

Gas savings with thin oils will be seen most by the hypermilers, who don't load their engine much in the first place.