[Phil@rise]

Originally Posted by taylor192

Dude, you're making your company look very amateur.

Yes you can do an oil change for $40 and check it for visible substances, or you can siphon off 250 ml and send it for oil analysis for $30 and get a printout of non-visible substances too.

The oil analysis report is very valuable, knowing that elevated levels of certain metals/chemicals/moisture/... can identify engine problems earlier than your simple visible check.

Please do not call Liquid Turbo a troll. He's provided techniques used by commercial vehicles, racing teams, ... that is available to the public for less than the price of an oil change. Meanwhile you're sticking to outdated garage mechanic tips that waste $$$ and give people false sense of security.

Again the point I'm attempting to make here is that the oil isn't gonna be bad after 5000km's but its cheap insurance to change it by then. I've got clients that take it even further by doing so every 3000km's and they run synthetic. By doing a visual inspection of your oil and filter at those intervals can point out EXTREME wear conditions that can lead to engine failure. That is why I recommend every 5000km's and that is why most mechanics and engine builders I deal with suggest the same.
Now an engine oil analysis will point out many things contributing to regular wear and age but to point extreme wear conditions its not needed.
A most recent example of failure I diagnosed was in a boat. The motor had approx 800 hours of use on it and ran full synthetic. The PO of the boat had changed his oil every 100 hours, in my books thats not often enough for a boat they have slow going motors that carbon foul quick. I suggested 50-75 hours. His boat began to run rough on a recent outing so he called me to come down and find out why. I pulled the valve covers off and found the exhaust valve on cylinder seven wasn't opening all the way and also cylinder number four the intake wasn't opening all the way. His cam was fucked. I asked him when he changed his oil last and inspected it, his response just over 100 hours ago. When I drained the oil and pulled the filter it was full of visible metallic debris. The cam took out his bearings rod and mains. $12000 later his motor was rebuilt and reinstalled in the boat. This would have been avoided if he changed his oil more frequently and before the visible debris suspended in his oil took everything else out. If he changed his oil on the intervals recommended then his repair bill would have been limited to a faulty camshaft replacement. A $50 (his case) oil change could have saved him $10000 the other $2000 would have been for the cam (Its a 40 Grenfell foot boat and no engine repair is cheap on a motor buried below deck).
Is my point clear now? I do have more circumstances like this I've encountered in my 15 years in this business.



I will admit tho on one of my trucks it sees an oil change every few years and unknown mileage I just top up as needed but if she goes its just an excuse to build myself a sweet motor for it