It is generally in your best interest to rely on oil analysis to determine your oil change interval. Of course, on many passenger car vehicles that only take 4-6 quarts of motor oil, the price of the oil analysis is nearly as costly as a complete oil change.

Of course, the result is that most folks won’t pay for a “true” oil analysis – but they might be willing to perform a simple oil analysis themselves, if they knew how it could be done. It won’t give you readings as accurate and precise as results from a lab, but it can give you enough information to determine whether you should be changing your oil or not (as long as you don’t push things too far).

As you read this article you’ll find detailed instructions for 1 of 6 DIY oil analysis tests which you can utilize to determine how well your oil is holding up and whether it’s ready for a change. In this way you can begin to set realistic oil change intervals for your vehicle.

It would likely also be in your best interests to learn a bit more regarding lubricants and filters in general. You might find the following sites useful in this quest.

- No More Oil Changes – Over 150 pages of motor oil information

- The Motor Oil Evaluator –

- A Motor Oil Forum for discussion of motor oils

The Blotter Spot Test

This test reveals oxidation products, sludge formation, dispersancy failure, glycol contamination, water contamination, fuel dilution, and high levels of particles.

You want to place a drop of used oil on the surface of chromatography paper (good heavy white card stock works pretty well too) – make sure the engine/oil is WARM (not HOT). Place your white paper/card suspended horizontally above a table or countertop and so that the oil drop area will be touching nothing – on either side of the card. For instance, if you’re using stiff card stock or a stiff business card (which you really should be) you could set the card across the top of a coffee cup.

Be sure the drop dries completely before you attempt to evaluate the appearance of the oil drop. Once all of the oil has been drawn into the pores of the paper you can begin evaluating the condition of your oil.

- A colorless spot or slight yellowish outer ring = “good” oil.

- A dense, dark deposit zone = Dispersancy failure

- A black, pasty area = Anti-freeze in your engine oil

- Center of circle dark with distinct outside ring = Severely oxidized oil

- Center of circle dark with outer rings = Fuel in oil,Fuel dilution

Information for the blotter spot test in: Fitch, J.C., “The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide”, Noria Corporation 2000

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Many people don’t realize that each oil is unique and that there truly is a difference in quality and performance between each different oil or brand. They do NOT all offer the same benefits and drawbacks to the vehicle owner. Once an individual finally realizes that there IS a difference, they often begin a motor oil quest of epic proportions to find “the one” that will best protect their vehicles and/or equipment. I hope, within this article and some subsequent follow-ups, to help guide an individual through that process .

Extraordinary Engine Oil Paradise

Of course, many people make the assumption, as they pursue their “ultimate motor oil” that there is necessarily a “best oil” that will fit everyone’s needs. Some SUPER oil which will, undoubtedly, serve everyone perfectly. But, the extraordinary engine oil paradise that they are looking for is a legend at best. It simply doesn’t exist|cannot be found.

No SINGLE oil can effectively meet everyone’s needs. In fact, no one BRAND can meet the needs of every user either. A premium brand synthetic, like AMSOIL, Redline, NEO or similar, MAY, in fact, be a more premium quality oil, but that doesn’t make it the best choice for every situation.

That is why it is imperative that an individual come to an understanding of the exact lubrication needs of THEIR application before it will be possible to find their best oil. Once the needs are known, it’s time to learn a bit about motor oil so that you’ll know what motor oil characteristics will be most important for meeting those needs. Then you simply need to find the oils that offer the best of those characteristics.

Following this objective method is really going to be the most effective way to ultimately find an oil that will meet all of the particular needs of your application, thereby extending it’s useful life and offering you the greatest economy of use.

The oil selections made (synthetic, blend or petroleum, 10w40 vs. 15w40, CJ-4 or CI-4) are likely of little importance, no matter what your Uncle Joe tries to tell you, except in the sense that the choices made should be those that will best meet the needs of your application. As long as they meet these needs, it really will not much matter what oil or brand you decide to use.

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