Just wanted to know what is the best mileage for a UOA on a new car. I currently have 8500miles and i think a UOA at my next oci at 10,000miles would be waste of money since any elevated wear number in the UOA would be explained away as "new car breaking in" What mileage do you guys think people with new cars should have their 1st UOA so that one can decipher the analysis rationally that not all numbers could be chalked up to "engine breaking/wearing in"???
new car and 1st UOA.....
- Thread starter deven
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The important part is to establish a trend. You want to see how some metals are retreating so you know when something is "unright". You have to start somewhere. Unless you want to wait until 18k or so to find out that your air filter is misaligned or your head gaskets are seeping, I'd start now (10k)
In my opinion 10k-15k is good enough to start. Like Gary said, you want to establish a trend to see if your wear levels will decrease over x amount of intervals.
Thanks, I hear ya'll! I guess its time to get some kits from blackstone
[ September 12, 2006, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: deven ]
[ September 12, 2006, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: deven ]
Patman
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If it were me I'd start right from the very first oil change, and as you get subsequent reports back, this would help you see when the engine's wear pattern has stabilized.
Well, the wear pattern on a new engine is going to constantly change for at least the first
15,000-30,000 miles, as the engine breaks in and the break-in causes decreasing break-in wear. So why do UOA's during that time to establish a wear pattern? You know that the pattern during that time will be a decrease in break-in wear and a decrease in the levels of oil contaminants caused by the break-in wear. Why pay for anywhere between 3 and 10 UOA's that will only tell you what you knew was going to happen anyway?
As to using UOA's to tell you about problems with gas or coolant getting into the oil, a bad gasket, etc., I'm not in favor of doing a UOA for that purpose unless you suspect one of those things is occurring and you can't find out in some other cheaper, quicker, way if its occurring. I view the fact that a UOA will sometimes inform you of such things as just one of the reasons for getting a UOA.
I'm not in favor of a UOA for every oil change either; its too costly. I think that a UOA every 10,000-20,000 miles is more reasonable.
I wouldn't UOA a new vehicle's oil until I had at least 20,000 miles on the vehicle.
15,000-30,000 miles, as the engine breaks in and the break-in causes decreasing break-in wear. So why do UOA's during that time to establish a wear pattern? You know that the pattern during that time will be a decrease in break-in wear and a decrease in the levels of oil contaminants caused by the break-in wear. Why pay for anywhere between 3 and 10 UOA's that will only tell you what you knew was going to happen anyway?
As to using UOA's to tell you about problems with gas or coolant getting into the oil, a bad gasket, etc., I'm not in favor of doing a UOA for that purpose unless you suspect one of those things is occurring and you can't find out in some other cheaper, quicker, way if its occurring. I view the fact that a UOA will sometimes inform you of such things as just one of the reasons for getting a UOA.
I'm not in favor of a UOA for every oil change either; its too costly. I think that a UOA every 10,000-20,000 miles is more reasonable.
I wouldn't UOA a new vehicle's oil until I had at least 20,000 miles on the vehicle.
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