Delo LE 15W-40, 6166 miles, '89 BMW 325i (E30)

[glennc]

This oil was run from 9/07 through the end of January in my old E30 BMW. I'd reckon this oil saw just about everything in terms of weather and driving conditions except midsummer heat. I tow frequently with this car, usually motorcycles, and the first half of the OCI saw many day trips through the mountains laden with trailer and bikes. Snow hasn't let up here since early December, so the second half was full of cold starts in single digits/teens and short trips. Purolator oil filter, Mann air filter.

Miles on oil: 6,166
Miles on unit: 288,907
Make up oil: None

Quantity in sample/Universal average:

Aluminum: 5/3
Chromium: 1/0
Iron: 14/11
Copper: 7/5
Lead: 4/3
Tin: 0/0
Molybdenum: 76
Nickel: 0/0
Manganese: 0/1
Silver: 0/0
Titanium: 0/0
Potassium: 2
Boron: 305
Silicon: 7/5
Sodium: 6
Calcium: 1,589
Magnesium: 365
Phosphorus: 1013
Zinc: 1269
Barium: 1

Sus Viscosity at 210F: 72.7
cSt Viscosity at 100C: 13.65
Fashpoint in F: 395
Fuel Percentage: Antifreeze: 0.0
Water: 0.0
Insolubles: 0.5
TBN: 2.6

Blackstone's comments: At 288,907 miles, your 325i is wearing a little more than most but we see no signs of and problems. If long oil runs are the norm, that would explain the above average wear. Universal averages are based on an oil run of 5,300 miles. We think you could run your oil a little longer but we suggest no more than 7,000 miles for now. The oil was in good shape physically, containing no moisture, fuel, or coolant. The air and oil filters are working well too. The TBN read 2.6 so you had some active additive remaining. We consider 1.0 too low for extended use.

By comments: I have changed the oil in this car every 4k until now but wanted a longer run to expose any weaknesses in the oil. This is the tenth consecutive run of Delo 15W-40. Correcting the wear numbers for mileage the wear is virtually identical to Blackstone's universal averages across the board. Si is nice and low at 7, though I might go back to Mahle oil filters to see if that improves the insolubles. Viscosity looks perfect and with the TBN I think I could do 7500 without worries.

I am curious about the new Delo LE formula. Seems like less moly than before, huge boron, but where's the calcium? Is Mg a substitute for Ca? More effective than Ca? I may have missed some threads on this oil but did not see a virgin analysis posted. Any consensus on whether it is as effective as the old Delo? This one meets SM and I wonder if it has given up any advantage with respect to pre-SM formulations.

 

[REDDOG]

Very good, especially considering the cold weather. I have run the CI-4 Delo in my truck and the cold weather startablility was remarkable for a 15W40.

The LE has more boron than I have seen in any other oil. The magnesium is a detergent/dispersant like calcium. Delvac 1300/Delvac 1 have used calcium/magnesium combo for many years.

The reports I have seen for Delo 400 LE (admittedly few) have looked promising.

Again, nice report.

REDDOG

 

[Last_Z]

Excellent report for a 15W-40 in CO, nonetheless! Delo has never dissapointed....I'd stick with it.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Big jump in Boron
Big drop in moly
Calcium seems low for a diesel oil.

Is it the oil - or is it Blackstone?

(edit)
I just caught the "LE" after the word Delo. Is this a different formulation than the Delo I find in diesel oil aisles??

 

[REDDOG]

777,

Delo LE is the new CJ-4 version of Delo.

 

[glennc]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Big jump in Boron
Big drop in moly
Calcium seems low for a diesel oil.

Is it the oil - or is it Blackstone?

Look at this thread if you're wondering about Blackstone:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1086145#Post1086145

Same sample was sent to Blackstone and Oil Analyzers. Moly was identical, Boron was within 10% and Ca was within a hundredth of one percent. Some wear metals were off a bit but not beyond what I'd expect as an ordinary margin of combined sampling/testing error.

 

[Steve S]

Maybe low sulfer diesel doesn't have the potential of acidifying the oil.

 

[HondaMan]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Maybe low sulfer diesel doesn't have the potential of acidifying the oil.


Steve S,

Are you meaning to say that the new oils for LSD will not have a tendency to form acid?

If so, not true. Look to my very recent UOA of Rotella 15w-40 CJ4..... UOA

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: HondaMan
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Maybe low sulfer diesel doesn't have the potential of acidifying the oil.


Steve S,

Are you meaning to say that the new oils for LSD will not have a tendency to form acid?

If so, not true. Look to my very recent UOA of Rotella 15w-40 CJ4..... UOA
Potential meaning as much. me bad in my statement

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
glennc - This appears to be a very good report indeed

Balckstone Labs continue to amaze me with comments obviously coming from "unpracticed" Practitioners without many analytical skills!

They should perhaps just have a system of "Alerts" like the Major Oil Coys I deal with

 

[glennc]

Thanks for the comments. I guess it did seem a little strange that they called the wear "above average," when the metals per mile are virtually perfectly on the averages. I would say it was just that: average.

By the way I have another sample off to Blackstone from this car. Results should be back any day. It is a "kitchen sink" sample: I wanted to do every possible experiment before switching to Red Line in order to get some clean UOAs on that product when the time comes. The RL has been in for around 1k now.

Thanks again,