What's the minimum miles a vehicle should be past its last oil change before the oil is drawn for the analysis to get the best results. Plan on doing the Blackstone Labs test and have requested a kit.
Blackstone oil analysis
- Thread starter floridafitz
- Start date
According to Blackstone Labs:
How long should the oil stay in the engine before I sample it?
We like to see at least 500-1000 miles to get good data. If the engine has a problem, it may very well show up with fewer miles than that, but more miles are preferred.
I would sample it every six months (usually spring or fall) to a year or when the OLM light indicates a change is due (whichever comes first). This is when most everyday folk would bring their car in to get it changed. But as they say the longer the better. But 500-1000 is the minimum. So there is the answer.
How long should the oil stay in the engine before I sample it?
We like to see at least 500-1000 miles to get good data. If the engine has a problem, it may very well show up with fewer miles than that, but more miles are preferred.
I would sample it every six months (usually spring or fall) to a year or when the OLM light indicates a change is due (whichever comes first). This is when most everyday folk would bring their car in to get it changed. But as they say the longer the better. But 500-1000 is the minimum. So there is the answer.
meerschm said:
Never done it so at 180K miles thought it might be a good baseline for rough estimate of remaining engine life. Also have a 2010 Equinox 2.4L in the family and want to analyze the oil before 5 yr / 100k drivetrain warranty is up. Been some serious issues with this DI engine in the 2010/2011 model years.
Grimor
Member
- Mar 28, 2013
- 954
Having done oil analysis for plane engines, i really don't think there is much value in doing them for cars. The trace elements you're going to see aren't very identifying and could come a wide variety of places. I did it on my cars long enough before to developed a trend (couple years) and found that engines are made of steel and aluminum and the longer you keep the oil in, the more trace elements you get...
Grimor said:
Great point to consider. The Equinox high pressure fuel pump for the direct injection has some history of leaking fuel into the engine oil through a faulty seal, so I'm also looking for the analysis to show the gasoline content in the oil, if any. If it comes back abnormal, I will pursue with the GM dealer.
