Trying to decide which UOA lab to use.

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MikeySoft

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The bulk price for Blackstone is $19 without TBN, which is around the present price for the WIX (ALS) with TBN. But WIX does not do SUS, flashpoint , fuel, and insolubles. WIX was a lot cheaper a while ago.

I don't know how important SUS is but I would like to know about fuel entering the oil. Insolubles would also be nice to known. To me, TBN would be important when I change oil type and/or for verify the Maintenance Minder of my Honda is reasonable correct. I could add TBN for $10 to Blackstone on these occasions.

I want to keep the same lab once I start UOAs for my I4 2013 Accord.
I expect I'll be changing my 2013 Accord's around every 9 months depending on my driving.
Comment on which lab would be better and why are welcome.

Jac has a posting from the two labs for the same UAO, Thanks.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...782#Post2805782
 
I googled Wearcheck. Can a private car owner use it? If so, where do I get a kit? It seems like this is for corporations to get UOA.
 
They don't give you ISO 4406 with your MOBII Quattro Pete?


Mikey Soft, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck with wear check.
 
It looks like they have 3 types of "Mobile Oil Analysis" from their brochures on the web site:

According to a brochure, it looks like 1 (MOB1) is similar to the standard Black Stone analysis.
The second one (MOB2) adds AN (ASTM D664) and BN (ASTM D2896). I'm assuming this is TAN and TBN, correct?

Quattro Pete,
The broacher is dated 2009 but you got TBN is the standard test?

Anyway, I plan to get more info when they are open on Monday.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
Quattro Pete,
The broacher is dated 2009 but you got TBN is the standard test?

I always ask for MOB2 with TBN and TAN and pay them $24 for it.
 
I called WearCheck today. They said the basic MOB1 analysis is $14. The MOB2 test which include AN is $18. The MOB2 test with both AN and BN is $24. He said they recommend the $18 MOB2 test for auto gas engines.

I read someplace (cannot find link now) that many of today's oil additives increase the AN but the additives' AN numbers go down as the additive is used up. Then, AN goes up as the oil ages. It said a good indication of oil life remaining is when the AN is larger then the BN.

I explain to WearCheck I just plan to do UOAs when I change my oil to see how the oil did and how valid the Honda's Maintenance Monitor (MM) predicts the oil life. I do not plan to do UOAs between changes. I do not plan to extend the OCI beyond the MM's oil life prediction. He said the $18 MOB2 was best for that.

I plan to change my oil when my Accord's MM indicates around 15% of oil life remaining.

I plan to do an UOA of Honda's Factory Fill oil just for the heck of it and maybe as a baseline. I plan to use "Mazda 0w20 GF with Moly" oil after that. Most likely I will do two changes with the Mazda oil. After that, who knows, maybe go back to Pennzoil Platinum as I used in my 2003, but use 0W20 instead of the 5w20 I used on the 2003.

Blackstone likes to use TBN while WearCheck likes to use AN for gas engines.

All comments are welcome, including if AN alone would be good for my case.
Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
I explain to WearCheck I just plan to do UOAs when I change my oil to see how the oil did and how valid the Honda's Maintenance Monitor (MM) predicts the oil life. I do not plan to do UOAs between changes. I do not plan to extend the OCI beyond the MM's oil life prediction. He said the $18 MOB2 was best for that.

But if they only give you TAN in this $18 test, then how can they determine whether the oil has gone too far or not? I guess they use some arbitrary TAN level above which they condemn it. I just hope they take into account the starting TAN of a virgin oil because as I mentioned earlier, some of these newer oil formulations have a fairly high starting TAN.

Just curious, but how long of an OCI does your Honda oil life monitor suggest you do? Is it variable or just a miles counter?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
I explain to WearCheck I just plan to do UOAs when I change my oil to see how the oil did and how valid the Honda's Maintenance Monitor (MM) predicts the oil life. I do not plan to do UOAs between changes. I do not plan to extend the OCI beyond the MM's oil life prediction. He said the $18 MOB2 was best for that.

But if they only give you TAN in this $18 test, then how can they determine whether the oil has gone too far or not? I guess they use some arbitrary TAN level above which they condemn it. I just hope they take into account the starting TAN of a virgin oil because as I mentioned earlier, some of these newer oil formulations have a fairly high starting TAN.

Just curious, but how long of an OCI does your Honda oil life monitor suggest you do? Is it variable or just a miles counter?

I think they are assuming if you do near normal OCIs, the elevated AN from the additives in the oil would have gone down because the additives are being used up and any elevated AN will be the results of oil life being used up. I'll try to find the link I talked about earlier which addresses this. It was not a WearCheck link.

My old 2003 Honda's MM OCI was based on only miles of 10,000 but the owner manual said to change at 5k miles for "severe" driving. I changed the 2003's oil around 8,000 miles and had fantastic UOAs as can be seen in the link in my signature below.

My new 2013 Honda's MM is based on driving conditions. The owner manual has nothing about miles, only to change the oil between 15% and 0% oil life as indicated on the MM or once a year, which ever comes first.

Some people on the Accord forums state they drive over 1000 miles or more and the MM oil life has only gone down by 10%.
However, I was doing a lot if multiple short ( < 1 mile), cold winter starts for a while. My 2013 MM dropped 10% is a little over 400 miles. Thankfully, I'm driving more normal now and it taking the MM longer to drop additional percents of oil life.

While maintaining my car is a hobby, part of this hobby is to see how accurate the MM oil life is compared to the UOAs.
 
I get my oil analyzed at the local Caterpillar Dealership. It cost $12 including the bottle and mailer. Results are usually emailed to me within 1 or 2 days. The test are done in house at each dealership that has an oil lab.

Does anyone else use a Cat dealership for oil analysis?

Also, I see that most everyone on this site wants a TBN test but when I spoke with the lab at the dealership they said that in their opinion "The ifra-red results speak much better for oil condition than tbn/tan. Soot, sulfation and nitration provide a window to oil condition that better monitors how your oil is standing up then the other test." Do you guys agree with this statement and why or why not?
 
Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
Sorry if this is a dumb question but does Caterpillar equitment use gas or diesel?


Gas & Diesel, but most use Diesel. However, the analysis lab can test everything. Oil from gas or diesel engines, transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid, antifreeze, etc. Doesn't have to be Cat equipment.
 
I went to my local CAT dealer today. They have UOAs for around $19. It includes UPS shipping to a lab in Bensalem PA. The lab name is the local CAT dealership name followed by, " - Analytical Service". Anybody used or know anything about this service?
 
Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
I went to my local CAT dealer today. They have UOAs for around $19. It includes UPS shipping to a lab in Bensalem PA. The lab name is the local CAT dealership name followed by, " - Analytical Service". Anybody used or know anything about this service?
Sorry, I met the CAT UOA is a little under $18 + local sales tax.
 
The CAT UOA service is excellent, I use it exclusively. They also do free TBN/TAN, you just need to request it on the form.
 
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