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Oil sample
Our standard oil sample is all most people need. The standard sample includes:
- Spectral exam (looks at how the engine is wearing, the oil’s additives, and more)
- Viscosity (checks the grade, or thickness, of the oil)
- Insolubles (total solids)
- Flashpoint (checks for fuel and other contaminants)
You do not need your customer number or an account to pay for a sample. We will match up your payment with your sample. Let us know if you need a kit.
Description
Got questions? Your oil has answers. People use oil analysis for all kinds of reasons. Among the most common questions people ask are:
- Does my engine have an antifreeze problem?
- Is there fuel in the oil?
- Can I run my oil longer?
- Should I change it more often?
- What’s the best brand of oil? (Spoiler alert: there is no best brand.)
A standard oil sample is sufficient for most people and will answer most questions people have.
But oil analysis can’t see everything! We cannot tell you whether it’s conventional or synthetic oil. We can take a stab at what brand of oil it is, but most oils use the same handful of additives (just at different levels), and there’s always carryover from one oil change to another. So it’s not always a slam dunk on being able to tell brand.
Likewise, we can’t always tell if the oil has been changed. Lots of people think the dealer is keeping their high-dollar oil for themselves, or that they didn’t change the oil as requested. If you’re worried about that, a TBN can help us determine how long the oil has been in use.
We cannot tell you how long your engine is going to last. We can tell you if the engine is wearing well or poorly, or if there are any obvious problems, but predicting the future is out of our wheelhouse (sorry!).
If the engine is in good shape, most people can run the oil longer than they are. That’s what we mean by “extended oil use” and we’re happy to throw a recommendation your way if you want to know.
