MB 300D potassium in oil analysis?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
195
Location
Colorado
Here are the oil analysis from a 1987 300D 6 cyl 3.0L IDI diesel engine. The engine sat for 2 years before I installed it in my car. It has 186,000 miles.

The first numbers are the most recent analysis, with 6200 miles on the oil - Mobil 1 SuperSyn 15w-50. The engine burns about 1 quart every 5,000 miles.

The second set of numbers in was the first oil I put in the engine, with about 2800 miles it was a combination of leftover synthetic oils, mostly Mobil 1 Tri-Syn 15w-50.

Iron 26 49
Chromium 1 2
Lead 2 9
Copper 2 10
Al 5 7
Nickel 0 4
Silver 0 0
Silicon 6 11
Boron 112 36
Sodium 7 39
Magnesium 125 403
Calcium 2882 3045
Barium 0 0
Phosphorus 1076 1038
Zinc 1222 1244
Moly 67 77
Potassium 28 29
Fuel less than 1% less than 1%
Visc 16.82 13.63
Soot 1.2 0.3
Glycol NEG NEG
TBN 11.24 9.89
Oxid 4 6
Nitr 2 2
F-Soot 1.23 0.38

I am curious where this Potassium may be coming from? Could it be leftover in the oil pan that hasn't managed to drain out yet? Is it just coincidential that its 28-29 ppm both times even though the drain interval is slightly more than 2X the first interval?

-brian
 
Since you have negative glycol, and a good dose of boron, I'd say the potassium is from the new Potassium Tri-Borate additive.
 
Or you dropped a bannana in there.
grin.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top