M1 EP 0w20/4000 miles/2020 Honda Accord 2.0T

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Nov 30, 2022
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46000 miles on car, maintenance minder 70%, 2 months since last change. This is my first uoa.
Car is modified with upgraded turbo, fbo, tune.
Others have reported fuel dilution with this engine, but my results are worse than I expected since this is a relatively short oci, I use 93, and most of my miles are highway.
Replaced with HPL premium plus 0w20. I was going to wait 5000 miles, but now will change at 4000 or maybe even less.
Thoughts?
 

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What a let down for M1 🫥🫥🫥.
1 ppm of Fe / 1k miles is, in no way, a bad showing. The other metals are so low they are to be considered noise.
There's no contamination other than fuel, which for a tuned DI car is not at all uncommon, and something the oil has no control over.
I see no reason 5k miles could not be tried, and then make the next OCI decision from there.

Care to explain your position of this being a "let down"?
 
1 ppm of Fe / 1k miles is, in no way, a bad showing. The other metals are so low they are to be considered noise.
There's no contamination other than fuel, which for a tuned DI car is not at all uncommon, and something the oil has no control over.
I see no reason 5k miles could not be tried, and then make the next OCI decision from there.

Care to explain your position of this being a "let down"?

Just so I understand, are you suggesting that I accept this level of dilution as inevitable (given a tuned TGDI car) and make the oci decision based on how much viscosity decreases over time with increasing dilution?
Also, for my knowledge, does fuel dilution generally increase linearly over time? For example, my dilution was over 5% at 4000 miles. Would it have been 2.5% after 2000 miles?
Thank you.
 
Assuming the fuel dilution is normal and will not go away, I'd pick a grade that would finish in the 20 grade range with the FD. Probably your favorite 0W30 or 5W30 would suffice.
 
Just so I understand, are you suggesting that I accept this level of dilution as inevitable (given a tuned TGDI car) and make the oci decision based on how much viscosity decreases over time with increasing dilution?
Also, for my knowledge, does fuel dilution generally increase linearly over time? For example, my dilution was over 5% at 4000 miles. Would it have been 2.5% after 2000 miles?
Thank you.
Obviously, if the dilution is due to a faulty component (injector?) then we'd all agree that should be fixed.
If the fuel dilution is due to high fueling rates with the tune, that's just something you'll have to accept as part of the consequences.

However, the wear rates in your UOA here clearly show that at this level of dilution, though not desirable, there's no detrimental effects to the engine.

I advocate for using the UOA as the tool it is best suited for; tracking lube condition and tracking equipment condition. If (and this is not the case for you, but it's part of my example) your wear rates were as good as they are now, and your fuel dilution were low, I'd say you could easily double the OCI. However, though you have good wear rates, you also have an oil condition which may degrade the servicability of the lube fairly quickly, and therefore I only advocate for OCI extension by 1k mile increments.

Run a few OCIs at 4-5k miles and see if the wear rates stay consistent; they are very good at the moment.
- if the wear rates stay fine, increase the OCI by 1k miles and repeat (try 5-6k miles and if good, go to 7k miles .... )
- if the wear rates are adversely affected significantly at 5k miles, then you've reached the practical limit of the OCI

Lube conditions (vis, FP, contamination) are only PREDICTORS of WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
Wear Metals are a NOTIFICATION of what ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
As long as the wear rates are good, everything else is just a potential marker for a possible change in wear.
 
Obviously, if the dilution is due to a faulty component (injector?) then we'd all agree that should be fixed.
If the fuel dilution is due to high fueling rates with the tune, that's just something you'll have to accept as part of the consequences.

However, the wear rates in your UOA here clearly show that at this level of dilution, though not desirable, there's no detrimental effects to the engine.

I advocate for using the UOA as the tool it is best suited for; tracking lube condition and tracking equipment condition. If (and this is not the case for you, but it's part of my example) your wear rates were as good as they are now, and your fuel dilution were low, I'd say you could easily double the OCI. However, though you have good wear rates, you also have an oil condition which may degrade the servicability of the lube fairly quickly, and therefore I only advocate for OCI extension by 1k mile increments.

Run a few OCIs at 4-5k miles
and see if the wear rates stay consistent; they are very good at the moment.
- if the wear rates stay fine, increase the OCI by 1k miles and repeat (try 5-6k miles and if good, go to 7k miles .... )
- if the wear rates are adversely affected significantly at 5k miles, then you've reached the practical limit of the OCI

Lube conditions (vis, FP, contamination) are only PREDICTORS of WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
Wear Metals are a NOTIFICATION of what ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
As long as the wear rates are good, everything else is just a potential marker for a possible change in wear.
I am taking a very similar approach to all you are suggesting. Think it is sound advice. Taking baby steps until I have enough uoa to see things are staying steady before I increase oci. Presently at 3500 trying to get to 5500 and would be satisfied with that for a while. First oci we used the oil life meter and with the results (extra quart of fluid) they should call that thing the oil life roulette meter. My last change at about 3500 the oil life meter showed 70%! I dont think so.
 
46000 miles on car, maintenance minder 70%, 2 months since last change. This is my first uoa.
Car is modified with upgraded turbo, fbo, tune.
Others have reported fuel dilution with this engine, but my results are worse than I expected since this is a relatively short oci, I use 93, and most of my miles are highway.
Replaced with HPL premium plus 0w20. I was going to wait 5000 miles, but now will change at 4000 or maybe even less.
Thoughts?

I posted Acura RDX 2020 with the same engine (stock, no modifications), 7400 miles on Mobil1 EP 0w-20, mostly highway driving, 4.0% fuel dilution from the same lab. I just changed oil again at 3300 miles, sending to lab again. I put Kirkland 0w-20. Boutique oil type will do nothing for fuel dilution issue. Cheap oil & frequent oil changes is the way to go. I am thinking of going to 0w-30, the viscosity drops anyway
 
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