Can you see "seal conditioners" in UOA?

[Ayrton]

Can you see what elements make up what the oil companies call "seal conditioners," in Used Oil Analysis?

Just curious, if when we look at a UOA, if there are any elements in there, that form what they call these seal conditioners, for example, what they tout in high mileage oils.

The reason I ask is that I wanted to see if perhaps, some regular oils, actually have a good bit of these seal conditioners anyway, and it's more marketing hype and just a tad extra, in the high mileage variants.

Or, are the seal conditioners and additives they claim to help prevent/slow leaks, something we cannot see at all in UOA?

Thanks!

 

[Maxima97]

put a sheet of newspaper under your car over nite

check oil left at each OCI (it's normal to burn less than 1/2 Qt after each OCI plus some moist and fuel dilusion so the change out should roughly same as you put in)

 

[dparm]

I have often heard that it's the basestocks themselves that can do this. That's why they tend to balance out PAO and ester with each other -- seal compatibility.

 

[Ayrton]

Originally Posted By: Maxima97
put a sheet of newspaper under your car over nite

check oil left at each OCI (it's normal to burn less than 1/2 Qt after each OCI plus some moist and fuel dilusion so the change out should roughly same as you put in)


Thanks. I'm really just trying to find out what the seal conditioners are, and if you can see them in a used Oil Analysis. I don't really need to monitor my leakage.

 

[Maxima97]

The seal agents just like base oil are trade secret. Group 1,2,3 oil are all good to seal before Group IV PAO was introduced. That's why PAO (like MobileOne, GC)has oil has to blend with other agent to go with the seal. PP/PU are just Group 3 and perform just as well as Group IV. The G III oil end result is similar to G IV oil to end Synthetic Oil labeling argument in 90s. Some Group Vs are very good to seal. Vegetable and animal fat based G oil are good seal conditioner. Not a bad idea to add 1 Qt of G-Oil to every OC.

 

[Tom NJ]

Seal conditioners are polar organic compounds with no metals. They do not show up on a UOA. Oils labeled "High Mileage" usually contain extra seal conditioners.

Tom NJ

 

[ahoier]

Don't forget, we're coming to a change of the era too

There was a thread somewhere, I think it was one of the G Oil threads, where people pointed out the "lack of" useful information from a VOA.....some of the additives they are starting to use, will not show up in a "standard" oil analysis....

Now, send the sample away to Dyson or something, for a couple hundred, and I bet they could find something more

 

[MolaKule]

See "Seal Swell" here:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=530321#Post530321

and

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=530224#Post530224

Post 530230

You will not see any of these chmical compositions in a low cost VOA.