For the 20k miles previous to this, I'd been using Syntec 10W-30 for 10k mile intervals. Then, I got a "free oil change" card from the dealer & used their bulk 5W-30 as a flush (drove it for 20 miles before I dumped it) & put in this run of 0W-40. (Hopefully, that cleaned out some of the nasties.) The OEM filter (UK-made ACDelco PF53 clone) stayed, but I drained as much of the bulk oil out of it as I could. I’ve also had a K&N drop-in air filter on the car for the past 20k miles, & it hasn’t needed cleaning yet.
We took a family trip over Memorial Day Weekend & fully loaded the car with four people & luggage, & then went up into the mountains (we live at 5,300 ft, & everything from here is up). It didn't feel like we were straining the engine at all, but it was during this trip when we began experiencing a cold-start problem that stayed with the car until this sample was taken.
I suspected a head gasket problem might’ve contaminated the oil (we had coolant seepage on the outside of the engine block at the gasket line), but it doesn’t appear to have reached the oil.
The other unusual situation for this period was some Diverter Valve (turbo bypass valve) testing I ran this past Spring. Basically, I had the car idling while I swapped DVs & observed their operation under normal-idle (approx 900rpm) & fast-idle (approx 1200rpm) conditions. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I had numerous occasions of multiple intake openings downstream of the air filter. Of course, I was doing this at the edge of a field, while the wind was blowing …
After swapping DVs, I’d make several ¼-mile runs with each new part, taking the engine up to 6,000 rpms each time (much higher than our “normal” driving routine).
The "representative" VOA for this oil can be found here. The same lab (H.O.Penn) did this UOA.
“These are a percentage of a maximum allowable index. At 100%+ you have a problem. Your oil looks well within normal levels for the miles on the oil.”
Fuel dilution wasn’t listed, but this lab doesn’t flag it until it reaches 4% anyway (it’s part of the “Caterpillar Standard”). I was told it doesn’t negatively affect lubrication & viscosity properties until it reaches that point. (I don’t know if the very high percentage of short trip service adds enough fuel to measurably affect the viscosity.) I’m running the hotter of the two factory-recommended plugs.
Particle Count wasn’t listed either, which apparently was a mistake on the lab’s part (& they don’t keep the samples). It’ll have to wait until next time!
Considering the use of a K&N air filter & the intake breaches during the DV testing, I’d say the silicon level looks pretty good. Also, keeping in mind that this oil was run during the coldest months of this past winter (frequently sub-zero) combined with the short trips, I think iron looks pretty good (for this model of engine) as well.
We're slowly heading towards 10k miles on this batch, & should reach it somewhere in the middle of Winter! Let me know if I’ve left anything out.
We took a family trip over Memorial Day Weekend & fully loaded the car with four people & luggage, & then went up into the mountains (we live at 5,300 ft, & everything from here is up). It didn't feel like we were straining the engine at all, but it was during this trip when we began experiencing a cold-start problem that stayed with the car until this sample was taken.
I suspected a head gasket problem might’ve contaminated the oil (we had coolant seepage on the outside of the engine block at the gasket line), but it doesn’t appear to have reached the oil.
The other unusual situation for this period was some Diverter Valve (turbo bypass valve) testing I ran this past Spring. Basically, I had the car idling while I swapped DVs & observed their operation under normal-idle (approx 900rpm) & fast-idle (approx 1200rpm) conditions. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I had numerous occasions of multiple intake openings downstream of the air filter. Of course, I was doing this at the edge of a field, while the wind was blowing …
The "representative" VOA for this oil can be found here. The same lab (H.O.Penn) did this UOA.
(*) The Oxi/Nit/Sul numbers are relative to standardized Caterpillar Labs index, explained to me this way:
“These are a percentage of a maximum allowable index. At 100%+ you have a problem. Your oil looks well within normal levels for the miles on the oil.”
Fuel dilution wasn’t listed, but this lab doesn’t flag it until it reaches 4% anyway (it’s part of the “Caterpillar Standard”). I was told it doesn’t negatively affect lubrication & viscosity properties until it reaches that point. (I don’t know if the very high percentage of short trip service adds enough fuel to measurably affect the viscosity.) I’m running the hotter of the two factory-recommended plugs.
Particle Count wasn’t listed either, which apparently was a mistake on the lab’s part (& they don’t keep the samples). It’ll have to wait until next time!
Considering the use of a K&N air filter & the intake breaches during the DV testing, I’d say the silicon level looks pretty good. Also, keeping in mind that this oil was run during the coldest months of this past winter (frequently sub-zero) combined with the short trips, I think iron looks pretty good (for this model of engine) as well.
We're slowly heading towards 10k miles on this batch, & should reach it somewhere in the middle of Winter! Let me know if I’ve left anything out.
