It seemed that my VW Passat 2.0 TSI motor was happy with Motul 8100 X-cess 5W40 for a while...but the most recent UOA at 20,660 miles makes me worry. Specifically, the dismal Flashpoint and Viscosity numbers. Thoughts?
VW Passat 2.0 TSI; Motul 8100 X-cess; 20666 miles
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Originally Posted By: Finklejag
It ended up a thin 20 weight. I have seen too many Blackstone reports coming back like this. I'm starting to not trust them.
[censored] is [censored]. Stop using such a careless lab.
There is NO indication that you ran a 5w-20...they probably mixed up samples when doing flashpoint and viscosity tests. I hope these lab "techs" don't work for federal investigators.
It ended up a thin 20 weight. I have seen too many Blackstone reports coming back like this. I'm starting to not trust them.
[censored] is [censored]. Stop using such a careless lab.
There is NO indication that you ran a 5w-20...they probably mixed up samples when doing flashpoint and viscosity tests. I hope these lab "techs" don't work for federal investigators.
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Contact them and ask for clarification on the flashpoint and viscosity. I believe they keep a portion of the sample in the event a re-test is required.
jeff
jeff
Originally Posted By: qr25de
[censored] is [censored]. Stop using such a careless lab.
There is NO indication that you ran a 5w-20...they probably mixed up samples when doing flashpoint and viscosity tests. I hope these lab "techs" don't work for federal investigators.
Actually, the samples look to be the same oil. While the viscosity and flash point are lower in this most recent sample, the additive numbers match up with the previous tests. So either Blackstone messed up every one, or we're just looking at a single anomaly on this particular OCI.
OP, the wear looks pretty good so it doesn't seem like the engine was affected much. Can you tell us a little bit about your driving style during this OCI? Lots of idling or short trips in cooler weather? Most of the 2.0TSI UOAs that I've seen have looked better in terms of fuel dilution and viscosity retention, they don't seem to beat up the oils like the older 2.0FSI did. I run a 2010 GTI myself, so I'm quite interested in these tests on this particular engine. Thanks for sharing your results.
[censored] is [censored]. Stop using such a careless lab.
There is NO indication that you ran a 5w-20...they probably mixed up samples when doing flashpoint and viscosity tests. I hope these lab "techs" don't work for federal investigators.
Actually, the samples look to be the same oil. While the viscosity and flash point are lower in this most recent sample, the additive numbers match up with the previous tests. So either Blackstone messed up every one, or we're just looking at a single anomaly on this particular OCI.
OP, the wear looks pretty good so it doesn't seem like the engine was affected much. Can you tell us a little bit about your driving style during this OCI? Lots of idling or short trips in cooler weather? Most of the 2.0TSI UOAs that I've seen have looked better in terms of fuel dilution and viscosity retention, they don't seem to beat up the oils like the older 2.0FSI did. I run a 2010 GTI myself, so I'm quite interested in these tests on this particular engine. Thanks for sharing your results.
You need to ask for a re-test. If these numbers are accurate, then you need to improve the tune level. Maybe the intake valves are all clogged/carboned up. A 1% fuel on a Blackstone report is equivalent to around 5% anywhere else. Have you noticed a fuel economy drop lately?
The VW dealership did the oil change (I'm still taking advantage of the VW 3-year / 36,000 Carefree Maintenance program, so at least the labor and the oil filter were no charge to me).
This oil was abused a bit by the fact that my wife (the primary driver of the car) does seem to run a lot of short urban trips (I do harp on her to "take the long way home", especially now that it's getting colder). I'd say it was probably 80% urban driving, 20% highway driving. The oil was drained in late November, so it hadn't gotten terribly cold yet here in Wisconsin.
I detect a bit of Blackstone hate: who should I be using to perform my UOA that I can trust?
I did send an email back to Blackstone for clarification -- good suggestion. It'll be interesting to see how they reply. Since the Flashpoint and the Viscosity values are such a significant departure from my previous 3 UOAs (all using the same Motul 8100 X-cess 5W40 oil), it does make one wonder if the wrong sample were tested for that portion. A Flashpoint of 355 F is not comforting to me with a turbocharger...
This oil was abused a bit by the fact that my wife (the primary driver of the car) does seem to run a lot of short urban trips (I do harp on her to "take the long way home", especially now that it's getting colder). I'd say it was probably 80% urban driving, 20% highway driving. The oil was drained in late November, so it hadn't gotten terribly cold yet here in Wisconsin.
I detect a bit of Blackstone hate: who should I be using to perform my UOA that I can trust?
I did send an email back to Blackstone for clarification -- good suggestion. It'll be interesting to see how they reply. Since the Flashpoint and the Viscosity values are such a significant departure from my previous 3 UOAs (all using the same Motul 8100 X-cess 5W40 oil), it does make one wonder if the wrong sample were tested for that portion. A Flashpoint of 355 F is not comforting to me with a turbocharger...
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Did you give them the oil? I can't imagine they are using this as a bulk oil. I'm wondering if something got mixed up at the dealer.
Everyone on here loves to hate Blackstone. I'm not sure all the hate is warranted. Many use Polaris which is comparable in price but includes TBN.
Everyone on here loves to hate Blackstone. I'm not sure all the hate is warranted. Many use Polaris which is comparable in price but includes TBN.
I don't hate Blackstone; I've used them quite a bit over the years. But they do make mistakes, and their test method for flashpoint and fuel dilution isn't accurate enough to tune your engine. As long as you understand this part of the equation, I think they offer a pretty good service for the money. When I can afford it, I prefer Dyson Analysis.
Yes, I provided the dealer with the Motul oil for each oil change. I'm 99.98% certain they actually used it, because they always gave me a quart bottle that was half full after the oil changes. I have a fairly trustworthy dealer, and I'm on good terms with them, so I don't think there was any oil mix-up on their part. So for now, Blackstone is on notice...
BTW, I did hear back from Blackstone. Since it had been more than a week since my test, they no longer had my oil sample to re-test. However, he agreed the numbers looked suspicious, and offered to do another UOA for no charge in a few thousand miles to see if anything funky was going on. Not sure I'll actually do this though...I trust that the Motul is doing its job well. I'll just run another test at the next oil change in about 5,000 miles.
Did you change gas station or any additives? Maybe cold weather gets it so bad. But next test will show for sure.
I did add a bottle of Techron Concentrate Plus to run through the final tank of gas before the oil change -- but I also did the same thing for all the other oil changes. Otherwise, no changes...I try to be consistent.
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