FAQs

Where is my sample? I sent it in at least a week ago and haven’t heard anything.

Chances are we don’t have it yet. If tracking says it’s here, then it’s probably in line for testing. It’s also possible it’s done, but the email went to spam. If it’s not there, you should create an account online to view your reports. You will need your customer number to do that. It’s located in the lower right corner of the pre-printed oil slips that are in your kits. (Feel free to call or email us for your customer number.)

Aw, come on. Are you sure you don’t have it stashed away somewhere?

Trust me. We don’t make money unless we run your sample, so we don’t have any reason to leave them sitting around in back somewhere. If you receive more kits from us, then we either got your sample or we got your online payment. We automatically send a couple kits when we put you into the system. Sometimes your new kits arrive before we finish your report.

You know, I thought the post office looked kind of suspicious when I took the sample in. Since you don’t have it yet, maybe it’s lost. Should I yell at the post office?

Feel free. They are pretty good about delivering. Be sure to check your tracking number. You’d be amazed at the number of people who don’t do that before calling us.

But I need to yell at someone. How about you? Can I call up and yell at you?

Knock yourself out.

Seriously. How long should I wait before I give it up for lost and send in another one?

Give it a month. They don’t actually get lost very often, and they do usually find their way here eventually. Sometimes they go to another lab and then to us. Sometimes they get held up while the post office figures out whether it’s hazardous. (For the record, it’s not: You can print a letter to take to the post office that explains it.) And sometimes, we think the pony must die en route to Indiana.

Can I send it another way?

Sure, send it UPS or FedEx.

Can I send a sample from another country?

Yes. We are located in the United States but will send you a kit (for free!) anywhere in the world. You are responsible for the return postage.

Do I need to have one of your kits to send in a sample? Can I borrow one from a friend?

You can send us a sample in any package that won’t leak. Notice the key words here: won’t leak. Any clean and dry container with a screw-on cap should be okay. Bad choices for the mail include Tupperware, film canisters, pickle jars, and aspirin bottles. No matter how you send it, be sure to note the tracking number!

How about tape? Should I tape the hell out of this thing?

Apparently everyone loves tape. We get so much tape on oil sample containers that we should be in the used-tape business. But you know what doesn’t work very well? Scotch tape. Don’t do it. It’s really not any good. Our apologies to the Scotch tape people. Now electrical tape…that’s tape we can respect.

I don’t think you understand my deep, unyielding love of tape. I am going to tape that container so well, the oil couldn’t get out if it tried.

You and everyone else, brother.

I’m a little confused about how to pack it.

Put the oil in the white bottle, put the bottle and the gray absorbent material in the ziplock bag (so if it leaks, the oil is contained in the bag and doesn’t get all over your paperwork). Put the bag and the slip in the black mailer, then the mailer goes in the white return envelope with our label on it. Make sure the lid is on tight! We can’t test your oil if it all leaks out.

Okay. Did I hear something about a new label?

You did! We got new labels a while back but many people still have the old one. Learn more about that here. 

I didn’t get any oil slips in the black bottle.

No, you did. The slips are in the white envelope instead of the black mailer. Look in the envelope that everything came in. Also, be sure to separate them if they’re stuck together.

Oh, there they are. Hey this paper sucks. My pen won’t write on it.

I know. Use a pencil.

Ok, I’m filling out the slip and it asks for the Unit ID. What’s that?

That’s what you want to call it. Something like “New F150” or “Blue BMW” will work.

What’s this part that asks if the oil was changed when I took the sample? I didn’t change it until two days later.

We want to know if you’d like to run that oil more miles/hours, or if you went ahead and did an oil change around the time you took the sample. If the oil is still in place, we’ll let you know how much longer we think you can run it.

What does “Are you interested in extended oil use” mean?

It means, Do you want to run the oil longer than you do now. If you check yes, we’ll tell you how long we think you can run your oil.

How much oil do you need?

Our bottle holds 3 oz, or a little less than half a cup. You can get away with less, though we need at least 2 oz to do all of our tests.

I took a sample a year ago and forgot to send it in. It’s been on a shelf in my garage ever since. Can I still send it in? Will the results still be good?

Yep.

Okay but the oil was in the engine for more than a year. Is that a problem?

It’s fine. Oil doesn’t wear out by just sitting there. It only breaks down as it’s used and accumulates metals/contaminants. In the bad old days, engines weren’t sealed up tight. They had open breathers that would allow moisture and other contaminants to enter the engine. That’s not the case now. Very few modern engines have an open breather, so the oil can sit pretty much indefinitely without going bad.

Are you sure?

Yes. We know things.

Well, when I took the sample this time, I forgot to catch it as it was coming out, so I had to dip my sample out of the drain pan. Is that okay?

Depends. Was the pan mostly clean?

No, it had oil in it from about 15 other oil changes.

Then no, don’t send it in. Your sample will be contaminated.

What about the oil left in the filter? Can I use that instead?

Sure, just make a note on the slip that the oil came from the filter. It shouldn’t change much in the analysis.

Well, I also didn’t drive the car before sampling. Does it matter?

Totally fine. We recommend not starting the engine right before sampling, but even if you do, it’s not a big deal. Just make a note.

What should I store the oil in while I wait for the kit to arrive?

Anything that’s clean and dry, like a bowl or a dry plastic water bottle. Storing it won’t hurt anything.

I think $35.00 seems kind of steep for an oil analysis. I know other labs do it cheaper. Why should I pay you $35.00?

Because a person—not a computer—sits down and writes the comments for each and every sample we do. We look at your results and tell you in plain English how your engine is doing. Plus, if you call us you always get a live person, and we’re happy to talk to you about your results. Plus, each report is infused with love. Can’t you feel it? Feel the looooove!

Uh, whatever. $35.00 still seems steep.

Then you are just the candidate for our discount program. Click here to read more about it.

So do I need to set up an account to get started?

All you need to do to get started is send in a sample. If you’ve got one of our kits, just fill out the little slip that comes with it, and we’ll set up your account when we get the sample. If you don’t have one of our kits, you can print out a form from our website to include with the oil.

I want to set up an online account. What’s my customer number?

We will assign you a customer number once we receive your first sample or payment. You need that number to create an online account. If you have one of our preprinted oil slips, your customer number is in the lower, right-hand corner.

I don’t want to include my credit card number on the slip. What do I do?

You can pay online here.

Can I get a pump when I request my kit?

Yes, but pumps are not free. You can order one here: Products/Vacuum Pump. You can reuse the tubing we send by cleaning it out with kerosene or just let all the oil drain out – there won’t be enough residue left to affect future samples.

Ok, now for the technical questions. What is a TBN?

A TBN (total base number) measures the amount of active additive left in a sample of oil. The TBN is useful for people who want to extend their oil usage beyond the normal range. It’s only for gas/diesel engine oil – not transmissions or aircraft engines. You do not need to send a separate sample to get a TBN.

Can I get a TBN on my ATF?

No. But we can run a TAN (Total Acid Number) on your transmission oil.

How long should the oil stay in the engine before I sample it?

We like to see at least 500-1000 miles or 5-10 hours to get good data. More is better.

I used an additive. Can I still send in the sample?

Yes. Just let us know what you used.

Can you tell what brand of oil this is?

Maybe. Maybe not. Most oils use pretty much the same additives, just at different levels. If you tell us what brand you think it is, we can compare the additives to a known sample of that oil and see if they match up.

I don’t understand the Unit/Location averages.

These averages are particular to your own engine, so you can compare your own engine’s average wear to national averages, which are what you see in the universal average column. Note that if you have two of the same engine (like two F150s or two Cessnas with the same type of engine), the unit/location averages will show average wear for both engines together. Your “fleet,” if you will.

What does a question mark on the report mean?

It means there are signs of contamination, but not enough to say for sure. Sometimes we’ll use a question mark when the oil behaves strangely and it appears contamination is present, but we aren’t able to identify it.

What about “TR”?

That means a trace (of whatever) was present – a very low level.

Can you tell if the oil is synthetic?

No. We do not test the base stock of the oil.

Does it matter if I take my sample at the middle of the drain? I forgot and didn’t get my sample till almost the end.

It doesn’t really matter. We don’t suggest the beginning because there might be a little dirt around the drain plug. We don’t suggest the end because you might run out of oil before filling the bottle. But if you catch the beginning or end, it doesn’t usually make a difference. Just make a note when you send it in.

I’m worried – I found metal. Can you tell what it is, and should I get a filter analysis?

The standard analysis looks at metals present between 2-10 microns in size. That’s stuff you can’t see. We can do a filter analysis for anything larger, but it’s limited to looking for iron, aluminum, and copper. Save money and learn how to do your own filter analysis here!

I’m confused. I got some results, but they’re addressed to Oscar Huff. That’s not me, and this is not my engine.

What you are looking at is a sample report. Oscar is my old dog, and he’s dead, and he never did an oil sample in his life. Look for an attachment to your email, or log in to your account and view your report that way. Those are your results.

What’s the best oil to use?

Ah, the million dollar question. We are an independent lab, so we don’t make recommendations. It has been our experience that oil is oil, and either petroleum or synthetic-based oil will work well for just about any engine.

Come on, you’re holding out on me. I should use synthetic, right?

Buddy, you should use whatever you want. Synthetic oil won’t guarantee a longer engine life any more than eating organic food will guarantee you live till you’re 90. We here at Blackstone generally use regular petroleum-based oil because honestly, it works just fine.

Can you analyze my transmission fluid and differential fluid?

Yes. The kit is the same and the cost is the same. We also sell pumps for drawing samples.

Why are molybdenum, boron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and/or zinc different from average?

The universal averages are a mix of all different types of oil out there. Therefore, the additives that are present in your sample will not match those in the universal averages column. Click here to see what all the elements mean and where they come from.

I just bought a plane. Can you connect past reports to my sample?

Yes. We track aircraft by tail number so include that and we’ll include any history we have.

Is there anything special you need to know about my marine engine?

Let us know if your cooling system is opened or closed. If it is open, we need to know if you operate in fresh or salt water. We have a special oil slip available specifically for marine engines.

I was a horse’s behind when I filled out the slip, and I didn’t put down the miles on the oil, the miles on the engine, the right engine type, or the right oil type. Can I give you that info now and have you redo the report?

Well, yes, we’ll do it, but repeat offenders make me grouchy.

But not me, right? I’m special. You wouldn’t get mad at me!

Uh, right.