UOA's and warranty

[PT1]

Just wondering how many here do a used oil analysis of critical lubricants (engine, trans,diff oils) prior to expiration of your factory warranty(say 10k)? I plan to start doing that this year so I can get a read if there are any issues in my engines at least.

Had I done that with my GMC Yukon front diff failure I am certain I would have had the necesary evidence to prove an upcoming bearing failure and win the warranty claim versus having them tell me "Sorry".

I plan to now take 2 samples of engine oil at the same drain. One to send to blackstone and one to keep to give to the dealer if anything is going bad in the blackstone report.

What do you guys think? Does this sound silly?

 

[The Critic]

I don't know of any dealers that will listen to an UOA.

 

[Bill in Utah]

When I had my first Head Gasket leak the MFG did look at my used oil analysis and finally fixed the problem after some "work" from me.

The 2nd time the used oil analysis show another Head Gasket leak in the same engine 41k later, the MFG told me to pound sand.

I'll get a used oil analysis about 10k before the end of my Subaru warranty just in case. The more info you have can not hurt I feel.

Bill

 

[PT1]

I am just thinking back to an insurance claim I made on my boat for a transmission failure cause by striking a submerged log and bending the propshaft and prop. The insurance company paid for the shaft and prop repair but 2 years later the trans failed due to the bearings failing from the shock of the hit at 3000 rpm which cause severe brinelling of the roller elements.

I re-opened the claim which the inusrance company attempted to deny. They sent their own engineer out to check out the claim. I had the failed bearings with the actual duty cycle specs from Timken for those actual parts and was able to prove that it was virtually statistically impossible for all 3 bearing positions to fail at 15% of their normal duty cycle and it was actually "hidden damage" from the accident two years earlier. The guy was stumped and could only agree with my data when I told him that the next stop was small claims court where I would be asking for extra "costs" associated with having to take the legal step. He approved the claim and the insurance company replaced the entire transmission.

So, this is the route I will now take after my GMC experience.

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
I don't know of any dealers that will listen to an UOA.


Me neither. But could be usefull in front of Judge Judy.

 

[zulu]

I've only ever seen used oil analysis help on one instance. A co-worker had an 02 Buick Regal with an extended GMPP warranty. LIM gaskets started leaking around 68K and he had to do 3 consecutive used oil analysis showing coolant contamination before GM fixed it. The first 2 times he went in they basically blew him off, but after firing off a letter to the regional CSM with documentation, they took him a bit more seriously the next time around and fixed it "under good faith," whatever that means.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I don't know of any dealers that will listen to an UOA.


Me neither. But could be usefull in front of Judge Judy.


Don't laugh...99% of Judges know nothing about cars and will many times side with a consumer who has loads of scientific data...even if 2/3 of it is meaningless it is the David vs Goliath scenario.

 

[cmhj]

Having written warranty claims for 30 years I can say that used oil analysis will help in some cases. Very rare but some.

Yes, I've seen it.

The most recent case is it did save my mother a rather expensive LIM gasket job on a car that was soon to go out of warranty a few years ago.