Blackstone and fuel dilution

[ps2cho]

Is there a problem with Blackstone's fuel dilution numbers on their reports?

On another thread I have going someone made a comment that made it sound like my prior blackstone labs report's fuel dilution isn't anywhere near accurate.

I've always used blackstone and haven't spent much time on this forum. Is there something I'm missing here?

All I want to do is every other OC get an OA done so that I can catch any HPFP/Injector issues early.

 

[RDY4WAR]

In order to accurately measure fuel dilution, you need to run the sample through gas chromatography. Blackstone does not do this. They guess at the dilution based on flash point and viscosity which can give inaccurate results.

 

[kschachn]

Well it's not exactly a guess but rather inferred from another measurement. It is an actual ASTM method but it has poor repeatability and reproducibility stemming from the inherent subjectivity of measuring flash point. Just because it is an ASTM test doesn't mean it is particularly reliable once the required statistical variance is taken into account.

RDY4WAR is correct that a direct measurement using GC is much better. We have seen some Blackstone dilution values to be wildly inaccurate when compared to a direct measurement.

 

[ps2cho]

So is the best alternative the Oil Analyzers company then if its important to me for my TFSI DI engine?

 

[Danh]

So is the best alternative the Oil Analyzers company then if its important to me for my TFSI DI engine?

Yes, but even then it’s best to specify you want fuel dilution measured with GC when you submit the sample.

 

[Hall]

Has anyone ever sent the same sample to Blackstone and to other labs and compared the fuel dilution values ?

 

[Fordiesel69]

Why dont they run the sample through gas chromatography?

 

[kschachn]

Why dont they run the sample through gas chromatography?

I'd guess it is because they don't own one, they are generally combined with a mass spectrograph and can be quite expensive. Plus there is infrastructure involved, not the least of which is a trained interpreter of the chromatograms.

 

[Donald]

So is the best alternative the Oil Analyzers company then if its important to me for my TFSI DI engine?

OAI is just a Amsoil private label that uses the Polaris Labs to do the actual oil analysis.

 

[Cherrybomb]

I'm really happy with the OAI