Mobil 1 0W-40, 6,250 miles, Altima 2.5 SL

[Tom NJ]

Winter OCI, mix of highway and local.

Car: 2008 Altima 2.5 SL (QR25DE)
Oil: Mobil 1 0W-40
Miles on oil: 6,250 (6 months)
Miles on car: 24,024

Aluminum ------- 3
Chromium ------- 0
Iron ------------- 15
Copper ---------- 4
Lead ------------- 2
Tin --------------- 0
Molybdenum --- 90
Nickel ----------- 0
Manganese ----- 0
Silver ----------- 0
Titanium ------- 0
Potassium ------ 8
Boron --------- 123
Silicon --------- 23
Sodium -------- 10
Calcium ------ 3432
Magnesium ---- 15
Phosphorus --- 963
Zinc ---------- 1170
Barium ---------- 0

SUS Viscosity @ 210°F --- 67.3
cSt Viscosity @ 100°C --- 12.24
Flash Point ---- 415°F
Fuel ---------- Antifreeze ----- 0%
Water ---------- 0%
Insolubles ----- 0.2%
TBN ------------ 4.4

Blackstone's comments:

Silicon was high but this may be from sealers used when assembling the engine, which appear to be washing from the engine. Wear looks good and no fuel, coolant, or moisture was found. The TBN was a little stronger this time around with a reading of 4.4. At 24,074 miles, we have no problems to report.

Tom NJ

 

[buster]

Looks really good. This oil has plenty of life left.

 

[daman]

Good for 10,000.

 

[Audi Junkie]

High iron, big surprise.

 

[addyguy]

Thought this oil might have a bit more TBn for only 6k miles - I'd expect a TBN of 4.4 after 10k on this oil.

Nice add-pack on that oil, for sure!

 

[MrWideTires]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Thought this oil might have a bit more TBn for only 6k miles - I'd expect a TBN of 4.4 after 10k on this oil.

Nice add-pack on that oil, for sure!


QR25s are not easy on oil

 

[CompSyn]

So this 0W-40 began with a viscosity of 14 cSt @ 100º C and sheared down to a 30-grade at 12.24 cSt @ 100º C. I guess not such a big deal since your car is specified for 5W-30 anyway...

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: CompSyn
So this 0W-40 began with a viscosity of 14 cSt @ 100º C and sheared down to a 30-grade at 12.24 cSt @ 100º C. I guess not such a big deal since your car is specified for 5W-30 anyway...


It's the nature of the oil so it can help aid fuel economy. Making a more shear stable 0w40 is doable, but it would have a higher HT/HS (Redline 0w40 is 4.0).

 

[Nederlander75]

Looks pretty good, but why the M1 0w40 in this app?

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
High iron, big surprise.

High iron? 15PPM is high?

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
High iron, big surprise.

High iron? 15PPM is high?

Hardly

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: Nederlander75
Looks pretty good, but why the M1 0w40 in this app?


No valid technical reasons. I'm a scientist at heart with decades in the synthetic lubricants industry, so I am attracted to oils I believe are better or best, whether or not I need them.

Re the iron content, per Blackstone's database the average iron for all oils in this engine is 9 ppms for a 5,000 mile OCI, which equals 11 ppm for 6,250 miles. The difference between 11 ppms and 15 ppms is meaningless and lost in the reproducibility of the test. Frankly with the 26 ppms of silicon I would have expected a lot more iron. In any event, nit-picking ppms of any metal is an exercise in futility and beyond the scope of used oil analysis.

Tom

 

[Audi Junkie]

So, an average result for a "super premium" product is ok w/ you?

 

[21Rouge]

This looks (much) better than average to me given this OCI was over 6k miles and half a year which necessarily included winter weather. Of course the high silicon is no fault of the oil but the oil did protect against the potential effects of the high silicon.

Tom, did you replace this M1 with more of the same?

 

[Mokanic]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
So, an average result for a "super premium" product is ok w/ you?

Man are you asking for it...

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
So, an average result for a "super premium" product is ok w/ you?

Well I don't think one can judge an oil's quality by a single UOA, and even multiple UOAs are questionable. This is why I have never run UOAs, and would not have done so in this case if the analysis kit was not free as part of some proprietary experimentation.

I have been using M1 oils because I like the formulations and believe XOM place performance high in their value proposition. They spend a lot of money on R&D and OEM approvals, which I believe is an effort to maintain their reputation for leadership. Sure it is overkill for my application, but a few extra dollars for a premium oil is no big deal for me. Besides, I seek out good sales and paid only $3.98/qt for the M1 0w-40.

Originally Posted By: 21Rouge
Tom, did you replace this M1 with more of the same?

No, I'm running an experimental oil I helped formulate with a friend.

Tom NJ

 

[BobFout]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: Nederlander75
Looks pretty good, but why the M1 0w40 in this app?


No valid technical reasons. I'm a scientist at heart with decades in the synthetic lubricants industry, so I am attracted to oils I believe are better or best, whether or not I need them.

Re the iron content, per Blackstone's database the average iron for all oils in this engine is 9 ppms for a 5,000 mile OCI, which equals 11 ppm for 6,250 miles. The difference between 11 ppms and 15 ppms is meaningless and lost in the reproducibility of the test. Frankly with the 26 ppms of silicon I would have expected a lot more iron. In any event, nit-picking ppms of any metal is an exercise in futility and beyond the scope of used oil analysis.

Tom


Excellent post

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
So, an average result for a "super premium" product is ok w/ you?


I have been using M1 oils because I like the formulations.

Tom NJ


So that's a yes.

 

[Tom NJ]

I contest the term "average result" and its inference to oil quality, as a single UOA says essentially nothing about whether an oil is "super premium" or not. I ran the UOA to establish a base line for the engine before running an experimental oil, not to assess the quality of the M1 oil. I posted it here to contribute to the BITOG database.

I use M1 oils because I like the premium ingredients, extensive approvals, and formulating philosophy of XOM.

Tom

 

[daman]

Save your breath Tom the guy just likes trolling.

the oil did fine and you'd be wise to keep using it..