Testing your oil at home...

[Leo]

Found this interesting article on how to do a few preliminary tests on your oil if you dont want to send it off for a used oil analysis. Good for your aunts car or something!

Definitely worth the read!

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Articles/Engine/Oil_Contamination/

 

[medic]

One thing that caught my eye was the "smell test" for gas. The used oil from my vehicle always smells like gas but the lab always shows
Also, this guy also states that if he finds nonmetalic debris he would drop the oil pan. Personally, I would be more than happy to pay $20 for a used oil analysis before I even thought about dropping the oil pan. With most newer vehicles, this is not an easy feat.

I can see this low cost / no cost testing to be a simple way to get a very basic idea if you have a problem, but a used oil analysis should still be done occasionally or before you start to do anything drastic.