Sample for UOA early, or at oil change?

[VeryNoisyPoet]

Car in my sig has 4k miles and 8 months on current fill of Mobil 1 10w30 HM and OEM Mann filter. Factory OCI is 5k miles, as the turbocharger automatically puts it in the severe service category (according to late 90s oil tech). The NA version of the same engine has 10k for normal service and 5k severe service. It does see relatively severe service in general, with a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving, occasionally loaded to capacity or towing a half ton trailer. However, most trips are longer than 15 minutes and it has an oil to coolant heat exchanger, so it never gets put away with cold oil. System capacity is 7 quarts and I've added 2 quarts make up oil due to leaks and repairs thereof, so plenty of oil and add pack available to deal with contaminants.

While I'd suspect the Mobil 1 could go longer, I want to get a used oil analysis to see how things are doing. Question is, should I take the sample now so when I hit 5k I have the report back to make my decision? Or do I sample when I change it at 5k, with a good chance I'm dumping out oil that is still quite serviceable? I don't want to extend beyond 5k in severe service without the used oil analysis data.

 

[CT8]

Wait until the mileage then draw a sample, wait for the results before changing the oil. A used oil analysis is close to the cost of an oil change.

 

[VeryNoisyPoet]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Wait until the mileage then draw a sample, wait for the results before changing the oil. A used oil analysis is close to the cost of an oil change.

Cost isn't a factor here. I already have the oil, and I split the cost of Blackstone's reduced price 6 kit pre order with my parents for all three of our cars, so it matters not when I sample or change.

 

[JLTD]

Blackstone takes what, about 3 weeks to get the results? Do the math and take the sample 4 weeks prior to the 5k mark - that way it can stay in longer or get changed when it needs to.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Blackstone doesn't take 3 weeks; don't create drama and misinformation where there is no controversy. When I drop my sample in their drop box on Saturday or Sunday, I have the results in my email by 5:30pm EST the next business day. Only one time out of about 19 samples has it taken more than 1 business day to get the results. Ryan and crew have always been fast, professional, and respond timely to emails as well. Nothing but good things to say about their customer service and response times.

Free shipping may take a while from what people have reported, but this is not Blackstone's fault it is USPS. Depending on when OP bought the prepaid sample kits he may not have "free" shipping, so he's likely covering shipping anyways. Ship it Priority and you will have the results within 4-5 business days total.

 

[VeryNoisyPoet]

Originally Posted By: SubieRubyRoo
Blackstone doesn't take 3 weeks; don't create drama and misinformation where there is no controversy.

[snip]

Free shipping may take a while from what people have reported, but this is not Blackstone's fault it is USPS. Depending on when OP bought the prepaid sample kits he may not have "free" shipping, so he's likely covering shipping anyways. Ship it Priority and you will have the results within 4-5 business days total.


2 to 3 weeks turnaround from sending off sample to email with report seems about right for where I am, and I understand the bulk of it is shipping. The kits we ordered do have the prepaid shipping and we have used 3 of them so far. What's interesting is the ATF samples took around 2 weeks, and the oil sample has taken a bit over 3 weeks, as if it got lost or held up somewhere. I might look into sending samples in a box with higher priority. Depends on if the cost is worth the time saved in each case.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted By: SubieRubyRoo
Blackstone doesn't take 3 weeks; don't create drama and misinformation where there is no controversy. When I drop my sample in their drop box on Saturday or Sunday, I have the results in my email by 5:30pm EST the next business day. Only one time out of about 19 samples has it taken more than 1 business day to get the results. Ryan and crew have always been fast, professional, and respond timely to emails as well. Nothing but good things to say about their customer service and response times.

Free shipping may take a while from what people have reported, but this is not Blackstone's fault it is USPS. Depending on when OP bought the prepaid sample kits he may not have "free" shipping, so he's likely covering shipping anyways. Ship it Priority and you will have the results within 4-5 business days total.


Dude no need to accuse me of creating drama, and don't put words in my mouth suggesting I am saying something bad about Blackstone.

Just telling it like it might be for OP, since folks that mail their samples in have reported it taking 3 weeks. Or perhaps I should have said "up to 3 weeks".

Since OP is concerned about going over, I suggested the most conservative approach to insure he would have results before the 5000 mile mark.

Not all of us have the option of simply putting a sample in the dropbox at Blackstone like you apparently do.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

JLTD, wasn't intending to put words in your mouth, just making sure OP was getting valid info about Blackstone itself. I do agree, it is quite convenient to be able to make a short jaunt off my normal route some weekends and drop it on-site. I don't disagree with your approach, or with the suggestion to pay a couple extra bucks and sample right at the "target" OCI and run a couple hundred miles over. Either way works, different method to the same eventual end

While I do commend Blackstone on their speed of actual analysis service, I do agree either the shipping should be faster or the overall price for the OA should be a little cheaper. But I also understand they are a small, ~1200 sq ft. business that needs to stay competitive with the equivalent of oil analysis puppy mills to keep their doors open. I like being able to patronize a "local" business for what I need. Peace

 

[deven]

OP lives in MA, same state as me. I've done FedEx priority mail to Blackstone and it still took around 3 weeks. I'm going to side with JLTD on this one.

 

[JLTD]

Right on Subie.

 

[VeryNoisyPoet]

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. I'll probably pull a sample in a couple hundred miles. Been changing my own oil for years and I wish I'd taken more samples to build up a trend, but never too late to start I suppose.