Blackstone Lab Question

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Thinking of getting an oil analysis from Blackstone. As I understand it, they send you a free kit and you pay for it when you send in the sample? My other question is do you pay for shipping or do they send a prepaid shipping container?
 
Originally Posted by klt1986
Thinking of getting an oil analysis from Blackstone. As I understand it, they send you a free kit and you pay for it when you send in the sample? My other question is do you pay for shipping or do they send a prepaid shipping container?

They send the free kit and you pay when you send it in. As I understand it, they now provide pre-paid shipping kits
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Wix is a lot cheaper and you get a TBN for no extra cost.



Thanks for the information!
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Wix is a lot cheaper and you get a TBN for no extra cost.


I just bought 8 Wix kits on Amazon for ea.
 
They do now have a package return label on them. I've never had one not get there, but some of them get lost and show back up. I currently have one that has never been scanned, but it was picked up the same time as one that is now in Goshen, Ive never had one go to Goshen before.

My advice is either keep an extra sample of mail it in a priority mail envelope (not free)

Although Wix/NAPA is cheaper, they provide no interpretive commentary or universal averages. Also the web interface is quite a bit clunkier for an individual and doesn't provide an option to remove personal info.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by klt1986
Thinking of getting an oil analysis from Blackstone. As I understand it, they send you a free kit and you pay for it when you send in the sample? My other question is do you pay for shipping or do they send a prepaid shipping container?


Get it from NAPA, cheaper and includes TBN.
 
Originally Posted by klt1986
Thinking of getting an oil analysis from Blackstone. As I understand it, they send you a free kit and you pay for it when you send in the sample? My other question is do you pay for shipping or do they send a prepaid shipping container?


Why are you interested in an analysis? They are not cheap and can't tell you much you cant infer from driving style.

I did a couple from Blackstone recently because my wife drove WAY over the recommended interval of
6000 miles. 6k is not long for synthetic in a 2L NA engine with port injection with a easy highway commute.

We have a dealer "lifetime" engine warranty and I wanted "proof" that the oil was still service-able at 9300 miles.

Well I got a WIn - WIn from this analysis. The Oil was still serviceable and "wear" was extremely low.
and I could save mucho dinero on oil changes by extending to 10K miles.

SO again Why an analysis?

The Forum may be able to do a Remote Prediction without sampling a drop!

- Ken
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
They do now have a package return label on them. I've never had one not get there, but some of them get lost and show back up. I currently have one that has never been scanned, but it was picked up the same time as one that is now in Goshen, Ive never had one go to Goshen before.

My advice is either keep an extra sample of mail it in a priority mail envelope (not free)

Although Wix/NAPA is cheaper, they provide no interpretive commentary or universal averages. Also the web interface is quite a bit clunkier for an individual and doesn't provide an option to remove personal info.


Considering Blackstone's commentary is laughable at best, I don't consider that an issue.
 
Originally Posted by RDY4WAR
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
They do now have a package return label on them. I've never had one not get there, but some of them get lost and show back up. I currently have one that has never been scanned, but it was picked up the same time as one that is now in Goshen, Ive never had one go to Goshen before.

My advice is either keep an extra sample of mail it in a priority mail envelope (not free)

Although Wix/NAPA is cheaper, they provide no interpretive commentary or universal averages. Also the web interface is quite a bit clunkier for an individual and doesn't provide an option to remove personal info.


Considering Blackstone's commentary is laughable at best, I don't consider that an issue.


I'm just providing information for the OP, please point out where I indicated that what you considered an issue was in any way relevant to me.
 
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
Originally Posted by RDY4WAR


Considering Blackstone's commentary is laughable at best, I don't consider that an issue.


I'm just providing information for the OP, please point out where I indicated that what you considered an issue was in any way relevant to me.


When I said laughable, I also meant misleading and sometimes completely wrong. I saw one of MC 5w-30 that had sheared out of grade, had fuel dilution >3%, phosphorus showed <600 ppm, and TBN <3.0. The commentary said "Looks great" and "check again in 3k miles." lol
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by klt1986
Thinking of getting an oil analysis from Blackstone. As I understand it, they send you a free kit and you pay for it when you send in the sample? My other question is do you pay for shipping or do they send a prepaid shipping container?


Why are you interested in an analysis? They are not cheap and can't tell you much you cant infer from driving style.

I did a couple from Blackstone recently because my wife drove WAY over the recommended interval of
6000 miles. 6k is not long for synthetic in a 2L NA engine with port injection with a easy highway commute.

We have a dealer "lifetime" engine warranty and I wanted "proof" that the oil was still service-able at 9300 miles.

Well I got a WIn - WIn from this analysis. The Oil was still serviceable and "wear" was extremely low.
and I could save mucho dinero on oil changes by extending to 10K miles.

SO again Why an analysis?

The Forum may be able to do a Remote Prediction without sampling a drop!

- Ken


Very similar to your situation. 2019 Honda Pilot with extended warranty. Dealer recommends 3k oil changes, maintenance minder on the Honda will take it close to 10k. I'm not 100% sure I trust either one. Right now I have been changing the oil about half way through the cycle. Just curious to see how the Castrol Edge 0w20 holds up.
 
Originally Posted by klt1986


Very similar to your situation. 2019 Honda Pilot with extended warranty. Dealer recommends 3k oil changes, maintenance minder on the Honda will take it close to 10k. I'm not 100% sure I trust either one. Right now I have been changing the oil about half way through the cycle. Just curious to see how the Castrol Edge 0w20 holds up.


It can be predicted by you driving style and climate.

answer these questions:

a) How many miles driven per month
b) average speed
c) daily distance driven
d) daily hours driven
e) Longest monthly trip - other than commute
f) daily Ave. time idling for warmup
g) Average ambient temperature during commute

________________

Pay NO attention to the dealer "recommendation".

Read the Contract.. If it has unreasonable clauses just forget it if you didn't pay for it;
But insist a prorata refund if you DID pay for it.

Was going to buy a contract for my 2014 Nissan Rogue with a CVT, but in the fine print it didn't cover the CVT or even most engine parts.

Worthless.

Our "Free" Lifetime Engine service contract does not cover gradual "wear out" of parts.
smile.gif

Now there is a loophole big enough to fit a Circus Elephant through!

Who underwrites this "extended service contract insurance" ?

Good luck,

- Ken
 
Originally Posted by klt1986

Very similar to your situation. 2019 Honda Pilot with extended warranty. Dealer recommends 3k oil changes, maintenance minder on the Honda will take it close to 10k. I'm not 100% sure I trust either one. Right now I have been changing the oil about half way through the cycle. Just curious to see how the Castrol Edge 0w20 holds up.


Ask the dealer why their recommendation on OCI is so much shorter than the owners manual's. Then ask them what oil they would be using for those 3K OCIs. If they say anything other than straight conventional, point out how that seems like a big waste since any semi-synthetic oil can go much longer than 3K and synthetics even further.
 
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