I read an interesting thread around here about blot testing oil as a "poor man's" UOA. So for giggles, I pulled the stick on my 325, let a big drip drop on to some shiny cardboard, and waited a few days.
Actually it was a week; I noticed it when i walked past it in the garage tonight.
What I saw was that the oil spread out across the cardboard, as expected. But within the blob was a darker layer of what looks like sediment.
In the blot test tutorials, they indicated that the oil is bad when the dirt is on the outside edge. Here, by contrast, it's on the inside.
Any thoughts??
Like I said: it's M1 0-40 in my 02 325Ci and has maybe 3000 miles on it. The car just cracked 150,000. I was planning on my semi-annual OC around Thanksgiving, but maybe I'll move it up lol.
Blot test, only 3000 miles on my 352Ci's M1 0-40
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I'm disappointed. I was hoping to hear about your super-custom BMW 352! 
If only I could go back and edit that...
If its your first run with M1 at that many miles, totally normal. Seen it many times. Its sludge breaking free that hasn't mixed into the oil yet. It will, and your oil will go dark evenly. Extended intervals are gradual. After a few OCI's you'll be cleaned up and able to extend out to...max is requires a $20 UOA, cant use blotter.
Can tell you first hand what the oil looks like means absolutely nothing. Have a post with my kids car going right now, 2000 corolla beautiful looking oil. Dash lit up like a Christmas tree. CEL for a oil control valve, oil light on, its in bad shape with pretty oil.
My blot tests looked like yours. The spot in the middle didn't look dirty to me until almost the 5000 mile point. Now I would like to know for sure if oil is ok for continued service until a dark ring forms around the outside of the blot.
Can you use anything for the blot? any particular type of paper? coffee filter, paper towel, cardboard, does it matter?
I can tell you this...you can DEFINITELY leave the oil in until your winter change. Just some insols.
Fuel dilution is about the only thing you can definitively tell on the "blotter test".
You only have a little more than a month to go. You are fine.
White business card stock works great.
Here's a blotter test at 2658 miles on my 2011 Fusion 2.5L I4. The oil is Castrol Edge 5W-20 SM:
The slightly darker inner circle is where the initial drop was absorbed by the card stock. The darker inner circle is perfectly normal. A sample was also pulled at this time and sent to Polaris. The results came back with low wear metals, plenty of additive left, and no significant water, coolant, or fuel present.
The slightly darker inner circle is where the initial drop was absorbed by the card stock. The darker inner circle is perfectly normal. A sample was also pulled at this time and sent to Polaris. The results came back with low wear metals, plenty of additive left, and no significant water, coolant, or fuel present.I think it was caused by using BMW Oil in a 352ci Ford. 
Try Motorcraft next time. 
Try Motorcraft next time. Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
White business card stock works great.
Here's a blotter test at 2658 miles on my 2011 Fusion 2.5L I4. The oil is Castrol Edge 5W-20 SM:
The slightly darker inner circle is where the initial drop was absorbed by the card stock. The darker inner circle is perfectly normal. A sample was also pulled at this time and sent to Polaris. The results came back with low wear metals, plenty of additive left, and no significant water, coolant, or fuel present.
The slightly darker inner circle is where the initial drop was absorbed by the card stock. The darker inner circle is perfectly normal. A sample was also pulled at this time and sent to Polaris. The results came back with low wear metals, plenty of additive left, and no significant water, coolant, or fuel present. 
I go by these examples at 7K and then again 10K during the OCI.
http://www.acustrip.com/specs/onedrop.html
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