Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
If their wear metal levels are that inaccurate, then they should report the range. I.e., 11+/- 5.
And, yes, I expect a $25 oil analysis to be accurate. If it's not, what good is it?
Really not trying to be a butt here. But....this is an excellent thread for new folks stepping into UOA's.
Define accurate? I would say for $25 each, this UOA is as accurate as any. Now I didn't say it's a good value or of value at all. I too would be mighty angry that the entry person messed up. You absolutely deserve to be made whole. Contact the lab and set them straight.
But going on about the numbers? With the exception of the Fe, none are out of place at all. I sound like a broken record, but it's like you won't acknowledge it. Again - which numbers are so bad?
As for the Fe, they do seem high, usually in the 3-4-5-6 range - but a good learning point is that all oil does have some native Fe and to get your panties in a wad over a UOA with 10 or 15 ppm of Fe is just nuts. I do think the lab should recalibrate and re-run, at the very least for not labeling the samples. It would be interesting to see how Fe changes.
Lastly - a VOA is good, and I would but it a notch about a single pass UOA. But really the trend is your friend. You need to do a VOA, then 3-4 MINIMUM, and statistically SEVEN (7) UOA's to properly trend an engine. Now, this is not taking anything away from the value of a UOA to spot an engine issue like a coolant leak or emission system problem or the like, but this is where I really agree with Doug Hillary. Single pass UOA's are just for recreational use only.
If their wear metal levels are that inaccurate, then they should report the range. I.e., 11+/- 5.
And, yes, I expect a $25 oil analysis to be accurate. If it's not, what good is it?
Really not trying to be a butt here. But....this is an excellent thread for new folks stepping into UOA's.
Define accurate? I would say for $25 each, this UOA is as accurate as any. Now I didn't say it's a good value or of value at all. I too would be mighty angry that the entry person messed up. You absolutely deserve to be made whole. Contact the lab and set them straight.
But going on about the numbers? With the exception of the Fe, none are out of place at all. I sound like a broken record, but it's like you won't acknowledge it. Again - which numbers are so bad?
As for the Fe, they do seem high, usually in the 3-4-5-6 range - but a good learning point is that all oil does have some native Fe and to get your panties in a wad over a UOA with 10 or 15 ppm of Fe is just nuts. I do think the lab should recalibrate and re-run, at the very least for not labeling the samples. It would be interesting to see how Fe changes.
Lastly - a VOA is good, and I would but it a notch about a single pass UOA. But really the trend is your friend. You need to do a VOA, then 3-4 MINIMUM, and statistically SEVEN (7) UOA's to properly trend an engine. Now, this is not taking anything away from the value of a UOA to spot an engine issue like a coolant leak or emission system problem or the like, but this is where I really agree with Doug Hillary. Single pass UOA's are just for recreational use only.