Lik

Blackstone Lab mails you the oil analysis kit free of charge, but they charge US$22.50 per analysis, and I don't know if it is legal to mail used engine oil from Canada to the US.

I remember seeing on VCMC that there is an oil analysis lab somewhere in Surrey, but I am too lazy to go dig that up la. No idea how much they charge though.

-Lik

Quest

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com says $10 - $30USD.  Is there any lab doing that in Vancouver?  Don't mind to play around with the number.  

I think http://www.bobistheoilguy.com have way better inf ...
B2L2 發表於 2009-12-18 22:27

Shorter OCI isn't gonna help much for DO REMEMBER that there are additives in the oil that would require heat and pressure to bond to the moving parts (and that's why the oil industries long shy away from using the "infamous" 4-ball wear test for it does not represent the actual condition that the moving engine parts experience during operations).

Also: if you have the $$$ to do numerous UOA tests, check it out after oil change , 300kms after oil change, 1200kms after oil change, etc. and you'll see that the wear numbers (esp. iron) will start to stabilise after, say, 1200kms and will remain on that "plateau" until the tbn runs out, and/or additives depleted.

As far as colour's concerned: this is bunk (purely psychological) for oil is meant to suspend the dirt/debris and have different colour even when fresh off the bottle. To me it just means that the oil is doing it's job.

Additional reference: diesel engines are known to create a lot of soot so engine oil is responsible for carrying it away and circulate it through the filter. Oil in diesel engines get dirty in 300kms and will stay tar-black for many more thousands of kms to come.

If you want to know how your engine /engine oil is doing, do a couple of UOA with a specific brand name of oil you have been staying true to. That way, you can tell if you can still extend the oil mileage for a bit (in my case: wife's 04 camry can take the oil easily to 7000kms in both Castrol GTX, valvoline conventional or MortarMeister full syn 5W30.

Q.

shutterbug

Quest, you're the man!

I think you're the most "pro" on this auto board!  Everything makes sense...thanks.

spoonek4

如果係10-30usd一個ANALYSIS，真係就黎夠錢買桶新油喇喎

QUEST兄，難得你呢排o係樹，咁你點睇果D 成年都係行得唔夠一萬公里既車﹖係唔係唔需要換油呢﹖96年車行得5萬幾既或者90年車行得兩萬零既我都見過，咁呢D 車又需唔需要做service呢(service & lube brake caliper部件/換水箱水，波箱油，迫力油等等)﹖

service 真係唔止換油，有時仲包埋tire rotation同check tire wear, tire pressure，check燈，check晒所有發電機皮帶，風油軚泵/冷氣皮帶，check風隔，水箱水強度同各樣fluid level等等，一d 好多人唔知，唔會或者唔識做既野，換油果陣都會check埋...

好似我女友部civic，應該呢一兩日吉左口釘o係右頭軚開始slow leak，好在琴日同字典仔一齊service佢部車果陣發覺到，如果唔係佢又要等我或者拖車喇...

佢部車里數唔高架喎，就黎兩年先得兩萬六km多d

字典仔

65# shutterbug

經過你咁樣解釋, 同你之前既講法其實已經好大分別, 我亦都覺得有好多人都係因為懶成日都覺得未夠mileage jei唔駛換住, 98年車而家先六萬幾既至少有幾架, 92年車而家三萬幾既布有一架, 有架仲好似唔知90/91年而家先八千....冇錯, 係八千...

個車主仲覺得佢自己架車好好condition, 咁低里數一定可以仲賣到好價同有人買, 結果係個個都驚佢其實擺都擺到壞, 跟本呢個亦都係事實...八千公里連fuel pump都換過...

冇錯, 我真係唔會每一架車都問, 不過見到有奇怪既一定問, 保養得好d之後命都希望可以長d; 當然, 冇人會知呢個會唔會係事實, 但求都係心安理得, 如果唔覺得係一個問題既咩都唔做都得, 少少驚就做多少少, care既咪做多d, 好似今日幫一個tune車既人整少少野, 佢就係度勁"小"好多人剩係識渣, 識改, 連最少既保養都未做好; 當然, 觀點角度唔同, 做既野梗係唔同啦...

再舉個例, 03年G35四萬八千公里(計過, 一日平均20-22km), 好低里數丫, 廠叫佢8000換油, 佢就真係八千, 六年幾七年車, 一個禮拜都會由渣一次素里返UBC, 其他男友接送, 平均唔夠一年零一個月換一次油, 四萬三果時有一個cylinder已經少左compression (190-160-195-190-195-195)...係, 160夠有找, 仲係高過minimum, 不過一架咁新既車就真係好可惜...

我會攞一d玩實生活既case出黎比較, 可能就係因為我成日都會做compression test同leakdown test (for 買賣二手車, 朋友tune車前tuner要知架車既健康狀況, 真係會由萬零公里到十幾, 廿幾萬既車都要試, 試得多就自然知道點解一d人架車可能比人地高里數不過仲係健康d, 有d點解好新淨就已經比人差...

至少, 我講完既都係事實, 唔係剩係吹, 幫唔幫到大家我唔知, 大家鍾意點做亦都唔到我理 (好似一個uncle每次都係笑笑口話唔得閒所以遲黎換油, 咁我又可以點? 祝佢好運囉, 我做就做左我自己既本份喇)...

CP: 其實一直都好peaceful, 只不過係我覺得有d野有d地方如果可以講得清楚d誤會亦都會少d, 因為真係好多人其實睇完都只不過係一知半解...

Quest講既野就detail好多, 不過可能technical到大家未必一定睇得明...其實好多時侯佢地測試d油都係係個lab度, 有一d測試同現實生活係有一定既偏差, 所以我都好相信佢地會R&D之後都會再黎一d現實生活既測試, 就好似點解車廠要出recall一樣??? 如果覺得七千冇問題咪七千囉, 如果覺得一萬冇問題就一萬囉...好似我自己架車咁, 換完油都未行夠一千, 不過停左保險一陣, 見到又半年喇, 咪換一換油囉, 換完順左又慳油左, 安心咪得囉...

Quest

Points well taken, spoonek4 and 字典仔.

Trouble is, most general public don't seem to care/know how to maintain an automobile properly, for over 90% of them neglect their cars altogether (no oil change/skipping oil change, tune up, brake, etc. even maintenance and inspection, etc.) and the rest of them tends to "overdo" it. While I would not focus on the remaining 10%, let's talk about the rest 90%, shall we?

Automobile esp. water-cooled type, requires frequent , if not long hot continuous driving in order to extend the longevity of the engine and various lubricated mechanical parts. Frequent stop-n-go driving, as well as short trips, will kill and engine (if not the other emissions components) very quickly.

Example: a friend of mine bought a used Toy paseo sometime ago, with 180,000kms on the clock but engine and emissions were in top shape (deviation around 3psi all across 4 cyls). Because he lives 0.6kms from where he works, he resort to doing frequent short trips on a daily basis and basically killed the cat and the engine in 3 yrs time afterwards. (BTW: this friend of mine works as a teacher in Killarney).

For some, it's a necessity to drive short distances due to health reasons but for others: it's better to cover longer distances or combined several short trips into 1 major one. Not only will you save on gas due to minimisation of cold starts, but also makes your engine runs longer also.

I'm glad to be among some good technical friends here to share my knowledge (incl. spoonek4 and 字典仔 and derek) so long as you don't mind me old man ranting...

Q. :drive:

spoonek4

唔該晒quest兄...

係囉同之前你地其中一位講過，買二手車千其唔好搵太低里數果D，揀D一年行兩萬左右既，其他再由相熟車房CHECK會好D。

因為真係太恐怖喇，見過有人拎車黎，買左部2手車，00年行左5萬零，overheat拖黎，check左係水膽(thermostat)有事，但係都唔止，仲有其他皮帶裂晒，valve cover gasket漏油，頭避震打柴，其他當然水泵timing belt 都未有跡象有換過(水泵有漏水痕跡)，當然又係上手車主拍晒心口話直板任驗全"完裝"，終於整獲甘既....

渣短途成日著冇一陣又熄車果d舊電快死真係事少，d 比較高年份既車fail air care 事大。

shutterbug

經過你咁樣解釋, 同你之前既講法其實已經好大分別, 我亦都覺得有好多人都係因為懶成日都覺得未夠mileage jei唔駛換住, 98年車而家先六萬幾既至少有幾架, 92年車而家三萬幾既布有一架, 有架仲好似唔知90/91年而家先八千....冇錯, 係八千...
Actually my stance haven't changed...all I was trying to say was that to follow the manufacturers service schedule (severe or normal) and don't need to service your car more than it really needs.

shutterbug

至少, 我講完既都係事實, 唔係剩係吹
I have doubts about what you said is the truth that's why I asked so many questions.  Example, uneven dipstick level, and dark oil means oil interval too long.

I mean nobody knows everything, I don't either, but finding out the truth is the main point.

spoonek4

don't need to service your car more than it really needs.

好睇唔同車唔同condition唔同人唔同渣法而定，你部車handle 到，係ok既，其他人既車唔一定得。當原廠recommend既severe schedule都唔係好爽既話，就睇車主本身而定，lease車就部車都唔係自己既，當然做得多都係益下手車主，但係buy out左既，試下service 密d(我唔係齋講換油，其他oil seal/gasket/火咀/火咀線/distributor或coil部件/drive belt/timing belt/水泵etc) 唔係壞事。人同車都好，預防永遠都係勝於治療

Most of the time it's efficient enough.  Many small car don't have oil coolers because they don't need it, just the cooling system will do the job.

講真原裝cooling system 係唔係真係handle到，好難講，由於生產成本既關係只會屬於夠用囉，好似以我部fit 仔黎計，本身個水箱係闊身cover 車頭兩邊既既，同好多single over head cam 既civic單邊水箱既就已經爭好遠，睇個scan gauge出黎既reading我部fit 已經efficient好多。

anyway，好多我同字典仔既意見都係由經驗(有d 仲可能幾大代價)得番黎，都係同大家分享下，好似我自己本身做service advisor為例，個客做完鐘意既，下次返黎都開心d。唔鐘意既，你叫佢跟番原廠recommend 既service interval佢都會覺得你up-sell 緊佢，嘻！你肯做我當然歡喜，你唔做service你覺得happy d既，我亦都ok，我已經做左我份內野。