I have been driving for 56 years and have owned everything from a 1954 Oldsmobile to an Acura NSX. Now I have a Cayman. I have never heard of having your oil analyzed until I started to read this web site, nor has my mechanic. Is this something only Porsches need? If so, why?
It isn't something only Porsches need. In fact, even Porsches don't NEED it. But you know this already. I'd be willing to bet that only a small percentage of the porsche owners here get their oil analyzed. Never mind all porsche owners. Save yourself the $25 and don't do it. You'll be fine.
If you're truly curious as to why people do it... peruse blackstone lab's website and you'll have a better idea.
We do it for the race car as a bit of predictive monitoring. If a significant amount of wear metals show up in the oil we know that a bearing, etc. may be failing and we can tear down the engine before we lose a $15K core by throwing a rod through the block.
It is probably a waste for a street car, and certainly a low mileage factory engine.
Cheers,
For any Porsche with an M96/M97 engine it is a cheap way to avoid an IMS failure; cheaper than the gizmo that detects metal particles in the oil that Excellence wrote about in the latest issue...
For most cars I'd agree, but considering Porsche's notorious track record with engine problems, and the rather high cost of engine replacement, and that I plan to keep the Cayman indefinitely, I've done an analysis every other year on it. For the Boxster with the 9A1 engine I'm not bothering, yet. I also have a few friends with the notorious BMW S54 engines and they do oil analysis too (and with good reason). For most other situations, especially if you lease the car or plan to keep it for less than five years I think oil analysis is a waste. Some people make a game out of finding the longest oil change interval that makes chemical sense. I'd just rather use a conservative change interval.
What sleepless said. I'll be doing a UOA when I hit the 5K mark.
I got one done at 6800 miles for piece of mind and to ensure all was well (ie that it was breaking in properly, gaskets/seals were good and no coolant in oil, etc). I am glad I did because the results showed that it was breaking in better than average. I will not get one done all the time but once in a while for reassurance. I also do my own own oil changes in between the recommended 12 month interval (done at the dealership for warranty purposes) so that I can inspect the oil filter, etc. It is cheap insurance especially if one want to keep the car for a long time.
Potentially useful when you suspect something may be wrong with the car or you want some piece of mind. Perhaps after buying a used car you may want to have it done. Some people just like information
I recalled an anecdote about doing a used oil analysis:
I had a Saab 9-2X Aero (a rebadged Subaru WRX wagon) with a modified turbocharger. I wanted to know how well my engine was holding up at 19psi of boost so I did a UOA with about 5K on some "German Castrol" 0W-30.
Blakstone's report was all good save for high silicon levels. They suggested that I check the intake filter. Sure enough, there was a tear I'm the filter element. I'm glad I learned of it when I did.
I used to do an oil change after every 4 track days. I now know I can extend to every 6 track days because of the oil analysis, thus it has saved me money in the long run. I also plan toget oil analysis twice a year to check for metal content variation in the oil that may signal any type of potential wear/damage. For a daily driver, I'm sure it would be fine to do it like once a year and stick to oil change mileage intervals. For track cars, and how much we spend on running the car anyways, just a drop in the bucket. :beer:
