Off-spec RedLine 5W20, '00 Neon 10 mos ~6800 miles

[bulwnkl]

This was a run of Red Line 5W20 in the Mopar 2-liter 4 that has NOT been back-spec'd to run 5W20. I used this fill as hard as I can possibly use it since I do not put the car on a track. I pulled a trailer that pushed enough air I was driving flat on the floor for nearly 300 miles, the second half of that in 4th gear (or lower; stick-shift). Then, it sat outside for the winter being started at 25 below zero and driven about 9 miles one-way to work on city streets and county roads. I did get a block heater for it closer to spring than fall. Now, we pull a small boat (somewhere in the general vicinty of 1700 - 1800 lbs total weight, including trailer) up over the hills to the reservoir a few miles east of here. I used a K&N oil filter, new Fram air filter, new PCV valve, and just replaced the plugs and PCV valve (again) within the last couple/few thousand miles. FP60 for the first half of the OCI, and now Renewable Lube's Bio-Plus for the latter part after I ran out of FP60.

Analysis is a Dyson Premium. No comments nor input from Terry will be posted unless he chooses to post it for some reason. I'll only note that he's pretty smart about finding problems before they're problems (hint: I have never seen fuel in a UOA from this vehicle before).

Fe 20
Cu 8
Sn 3
Pb 0
Cr 0
Ni 0
Al 6
Ti 0
Ag 0
Ca 2289
Mg 19
Zn 1494
P 1216
Ba 0
Mo 943
Si 14
Na 34
B 40
K 0
V 0
Sb 0
TAN 2.86
Oxidation 161
Nitration 13
KF water 515
Glycol NONE
Viscosity Index 146
Viscosity (40c) 52.7 cSt
Viscosity (100c) 8.8 cSt
TBN 1.4
Fuel % 1.72
Soot {Below detection threshold}

I won't see this car in UOA any more, as it has been replaced by a Subaru (not sold yet, though, in case anyone needs a very good, reliable, durable, inexpensive used car). However, it will serve its next owner well for a long time if they'll just take care of it regularly. It's too bad because I bought some Renewable Lube 5W30 bio-syn to follow this Red Line. Oh, well...

 

[Laminar Lou]

You pulled a 1700lb boat with a 2 liter Neon?!? Cool.

 

[buster]

I think it's a really good report. I'd be happy with that under those conditions.

 

[Lonnie]

It's a good thing that you did not tell a mechanic about the thin oil you were using, unless would like a lecture on how ill informed you are and that it can't possibly work. Looks like 5w-20 worked well in your Neon, considering that it's not living a charmed life. Looks like Red Line is useful for something besides racing. I wonder if the Si and Na are normal for the conditions you're operating in.

 

[bulwnkl]

Thanks, guys!

I'm kind of disappointed that some of the wear metals are so high given what I've seen in this Neon on Red Line in the past, but I think Terry has nailed the reason for it exactly, and that's one of the reasons I like the Dyson service so much. He can tell you where to look for something beginning to go wrong, sometimes LONG before you can find it from symptoms while driving around.

I also recently used Dyson's professional service for a catastrophic failure in our fleet at work, and he saved us (okay, me) from a potentially ugly (and in the end, un-founded) fight with a local shop.

Lonnie: In my experience (limited though it is), those figures are low (i.e. good) for a Red Line UOA. They seem to use those elements as additives, if I recall some of the posted VOAs correctly.

 

[bruce381]

wet, fuel dilution and possible coolant leak
bruce

 

[bulwnkl]

Interesting, Bruce. What level of H2O do you hold as normal ("dry?")?

Also, what is making you say coolant leak? I can't see ANYTHING high here in terms of coolant metals given what Red Line's baselines have been for me and on here.

 

[bruce381]

NA and KF water a 515 ppm not my field really but KF should I think be bruce

 

[bruce381]

Quote:

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NA and KF water a 515 ppm not my field really but KF should I think be bruce

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Or maybe normal just goes to show a baseline of the oil is ALWAYS needed since ALL cars are made/useed/maintained/etc. different ALL may have similar wear rates BUT I do not count on it.I hate the "trend/data base" some labs use.
Unless it is on your car is not much use IMHO.
bruce

 

[bulwnkl]

Very interesting. Thank you, Bruce.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:

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I used this fill as hard as I can possibly use it since I do not put the car on a track. I pulled a trailer that pushed enough air I was driving flat on the floor for nearly 300 miles, the second half of that in 4th gear (or lower; stick-shift). Then, it sat outside for the winter being started at 25 below zero and driven about 9 miles one-way to work on city streets and county roads.

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Gosh I love it when someone goes out of their way to STOMP on the variables instead of trying to rationalize slight faults later on. There's no excuses here. You beat the tar out of the vehicle and anything that would have showed up ..surely should have.

You deserve a career in automotive field failure analysis.

 

[bulwnkl]

Thanks, Gary.

 

[buster]

With the fuel dilution that high, the viscosity really held up well.