Dealer bulk 5w-30 3730 miles, Malibu 25,400 miles

[BobsArmory]

UOA for my wife's 2016 Malibu with the 1.5 liter direct injection turbo . Yes I know it was a short run but I mostly wanted to drain the unknown dealer bulk oil out and put in something that I was sure had DEXOS Gen2 certifications. After prying and prodding the service writer about what oil it was he would only say that it was a Mobil product but I'm not even really sure about that. He got kind of ticked off when I was questioning him. Air filter is original factory. Air box has never been opened up. If I can't find a leak, should I change out the air filter? Does this look like a Mobil product? Thoughts?

 

[CT8]

The oil is thin.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

The moly looks high and the boron low compared to M1 5W30 VOAs I've seen, but the low calcium concentration along with the presence of magnesium remind me of M1. The zinc is actually kind of high in this sample, which is good for preventing LSPI. I'd guess you might have had some fuel dilution that Blackstone didn't catch. I believe that the oil change during the recall service for that engine was supposed to be done with ACDelco oil in the US and M1 in Canada, so I wouldn't be surprised if you had ACDelco oil and that was made by XOM. Just my speculation, though. We have some evidence that dexos1 Gen 2 oils from other makers are going to start looking like this...

 

[bigj_16]

I would change the air filter.

 

[69GTX]

At least through PQIA samples for 20 and 30 grade oils, almost none of them show up with magnesium except M1 synthetic. Older castrol had magnesium but at 3X these levels. And if M1, it sheared down from 11.1 to 8.55 in only 3700 miles....quite a lot. Up to only a few years ago all the Mobil conventional oils were non-magnesium.

 

[danez_yoda]

26K miles on a air filter will depend on how dusty your roads are. City only driving, that last a LONG time. driving near dusty construction sites or gravel/dirts roads, check frequently.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: bigj_16

I would change the air filter.

NEW air filters are more porous, actually making silicon numbers increase.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

From the viscosities, I'd say they used the 0W-20 dexos by accident... if only because BOTH viscosity checks fall exactly into line with every 0W20 UOA I've had done on my Fusion. Nature just doesn't make mistakes that pretty And, considering that this: "Engine oil meeting the dexos1™ specification of the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is recommended. See Engine Oil 0 290." Is all the owner's manual states, well, 0W20 dexos1 IS a "proper SAE viscosity grade" for some GM engines

 

[BobsArmory]

The last time this car was there they put on the incorrect oil filter. Now it looks like they might have put in the wrong weight oil. Good thing the free oil changes are done and I'll be doing it myself.

 

[BobsArmory]

Originally Posted By: Linctex

Originally Posted By: bigj_16

I would change the air filter.

NEW air filters are more porous, actually making silicon numbers increase.

But if the high Silicon levels are due to a defective filter wouldn't the silicon levels go down after installing a non defective filter?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted By: BobsArmory

Originally Posted By: Linctex

Originally Posted By: bigj_16

I would change the air filter.

NEW air filters are more porous, actually making silicon numbers increase.

But if the high Silicon levels are due to a defective filter wouldn't the silicon levels go down after installing a non defective filter?

Oh LOL not until it had a million miles on it!

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: BobsArmory

But if the high Silicon levels are due to a defective filter wouldn't the silicon levels go down after installing a non defective filter?

I don't think the filter media is defective, unless the filter is torn. More likely in a new vehicle the higher silicon levels would be a result of engine break in or a poor fitting air filter, ie defective gasket, or an intake air leak. Which is doubtful on a new vehicle unless an air intake connection from the factory is loose. Whimsey

 

[FlyNavyP3]

Originally Posted By: SubieRubyRoo

From the viscosities, I'd say they used the 0W-20 dexos by accident... if only because BOTH viscosity checks fall exactly into line with every 0W20 UOA I've had done on my Fusion. Nature just doesn't make mistakes that pretty And, considering that this: "Engine oil meeting the dexos1™ specification of the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is recommended. See Engine Oil 0 290." Is all the owner's manual states, well, 0W20 dexos1 IS a "proper SAE viscosity grade" for some GM engines

With the low flash point I'd say fuel dilution is more likely the culprit here.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX

At least through PQIA samples for 20 and 30 grade oils, almost none of them show up with magnesium except M1 synthetic. Older castrol had magnesium but at 3X these levels. And if M1, it sheared down from 11.1 to 8.55 in only 3700 miles....quite a lot. Up to only a few years ago all the Mobil conventional oils were non-magnesium.

This is still most likely a tight engine and the product is most likely a Mobil 1 product, but which one is impossible to tell. The important thing is to resample down the road and see if the wear metals and silicon trend downward. Trending is the key here as one single analysis is only a snapshot in time.

 

[StevieC]

I had high silicon the whole life of my Santa Fe's life and it was just gasket material leeching into the oil. Check for air infiltration anyway though.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule

This is still most likely a tight engine and the product is most likely a Mobil 1 product, but which one is impossible to tell.

No Mobil1 synthetic, Mobil Super Synthetic, nor any Mobil conventional oil has ever used that much moly (like twice there), so very much doubting its a Mobil product. PQIA or any ever seen on bitog.