The car is a 2002 Mercury Sable LS Premium with the 3.0 Liter 24V Duratec V6. Do not confuse that with the Vulcan engine of the same size available in this model.
Usage was 60/40 highway-city driving. I do not remember if this has the AX4S or the AX4N tranny. Oil analysis by Schaeffer’s Manufacturing.
Schaeffer’s indicated "ALUMINUM: PUMPS, CLUTCHES, THRUST WASHERS, BUSHINGS. OIL SHOULD BE CHANGED. RESAMPLE TO ESTABLISH TRENDS."
Wear metals and additives below are in PPM. Sulfur, Oxidation and Nitration are expressed as a percentage, where 100 % is the number you must stay below.
NR means "not reported".
At the time this sample was taken, my mechanic dropped the pan, took the sample, swapped filters, and replaced the pan and refilled the tranny with Pennzoil Mercon V. That means my current (today) fluid is approximately 50% old, 50% new.
I’ll be sampling and changing again at 60,000 miles. My game plan is to drop the pan, swap filters and refill with Mercon V every 15K.
This tranny had her first ATF service at 30,402 under the previous corporate owner. I do not know if it had a full flush or drop the pan service at that time.
Date: April 2005
Lab Schaeffers
Mi Unit 43170
Mi Oil 12768
Copper 127
Iron 91
Chromium 0
Aluminum 38
Lead 31
Moly 2
Phosphorous 222
Zinc 21
Magnesium 0
Calcium 54
Sodium NR
Potassium NR
Antifreeze % 0
Fuel Dilution N
% H20 0.0
Silicon 14
Viscosity CST 6.38
Viscosity SUS @ 210 F NR
ISO 10W
Sulfur 11
Oxidation 20
Nitration 0
Insolubles NR
Editorial Comments:
I really don't like the CST viscosity, but Schaeffer's didn't remark on it or flag it as abnormal. I was of the belief that Mercon V was supposed to be somewhere between 7.3 and 7.5 on CST viscosity.
Schaeffer's appears to think that aluminum doesn't normally go over 15 PPM, and that my 38 PPM puts me in the "abnormal" category, but not their "severe" category.
I don't know if I should worry about that or not. Really, the viscosity change creeps me out more than the aluminum.
Miscellaneous:
There's a thread on this car's engine at http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002719
Usage was 60/40 highway-city driving. I do not remember if this has the AX4S or the AX4N tranny. Oil analysis by Schaeffer’s Manufacturing.
Schaeffer’s indicated "ALUMINUM: PUMPS, CLUTCHES, THRUST WASHERS, BUSHINGS. OIL SHOULD BE CHANGED. RESAMPLE TO ESTABLISH TRENDS."
Wear metals and additives below are in PPM. Sulfur, Oxidation and Nitration are expressed as a percentage, where 100 % is the number you must stay below.
NR means "not reported".
At the time this sample was taken, my mechanic dropped the pan, took the sample, swapped filters, and replaced the pan and refilled the tranny with Pennzoil Mercon V. That means my current (today) fluid is approximately 50% old, 50% new.
I’ll be sampling and changing again at 60,000 miles. My game plan is to drop the pan, swap filters and refill with Mercon V every 15K.
This tranny had her first ATF service at 30,402 under the previous corporate owner. I do not know if it had a full flush or drop the pan service at that time.
Date: April 2005
Lab Schaeffers
Mi Unit 43170
Mi Oil 12768
Copper 127
Iron 91
Chromium 0
Aluminum 38
Lead 31
Moly 2
Phosphorous 222
Zinc 21
Magnesium 0
Calcium 54
Sodium NR
Potassium NR
Antifreeze % 0
Fuel Dilution N
% H20 0.0
Silicon 14
Viscosity CST 6.38
Viscosity SUS @ 210 F NR
ISO 10W
Sulfur 11
Oxidation 20
Nitration 0
Insolubles NR
Editorial Comments:
I really don't like the CST viscosity, but Schaeffer's didn't remark on it or flag it as abnormal. I was of the belief that Mercon V was supposed to be somewhere between 7.3 and 7.5 on CST viscosity.
Schaeffer's appears to think that aluminum doesn't normally go over 15 PPM, and that my 38 PPM puts me in the "abnormal" category, but not their "severe" category.
I don't know if I should worry about that or not. Really, the viscosity change creeps me out more than the aluminum.
Miscellaneous:
There's a thread on this car's engine at http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002719