Where or who do I contact to get this done. Is there a kit available that you send in??? Sorry is this is a repeat.

 

Dorkweed,

I sent my oil sample to this company. I am sure there are others out there too. I called them and they sent me 3 or so container bottle kits for free. You just take your sample and seal it up and mail it to them. They can bill you for the service and send you back your oil sample test results in a relatively short time. Hope this helps.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

Any John Deere, Cummins or Caterpillar dealer will do oil analysis for a quarter of the price of Blackstone and give a more comprehensive report to boot.
Blackstone is a total rip-off.
Just go into any of the above mentioned dealers and ask for a oil sample kit, they will give you a sample bottle with instructions for free.

 

Thanks for the info guys!!

 

I respectfully contend that you're exaggerating to a degree. Yes CAT and some of the other places are cheaper, however they don't always provide all of the same info. Most of the time those cheapy tests don't provide you with the TBN number, which we all know is a very important one. CAT specifically also reports in a different manner than all of the other labs. They report things as a percentage of allowable(and never tell you what that allowable is), instead of an actual number. For example one forum member was going over his oil analysis report with me and was freaked out by a 16% soot number. We later found out it was 16% of the allowable, but what a pain, they should just list the actual value. Some don't test water content or provide other parameters.

All I can say is when shopping for oil analysis testing, make sure you're getting the SAME test and then compare dollars.

Now I have no idea on blackstone's pricing specifically, but I bought 10 prepaid kits a few years ago from amsoil/Oil Analyzer's Inc, and they were like 12-13 bux a piece including TBN test... not gonna break the bank. Plus I like the fact that since OAI uses Cleveland Technical Center for testing, I can get the samples there quickly since they're local, and they are part of Stavely Services. Stavely provides an online database of all results - so I can log in any time and view or compare against eachother, all of my reports.. Kind of a nice service.

 

Blackstone wants $20 for a standard test, TBN is $10 extra. My last Cummins test was $8 and included TBN. If I buy ten tests at a time the cost is $6. My local Cummins NW has a 24 hour drop box for samples and fresh bottles, you can have the results snail or emailed. By email results show up in three working days. I've talked with folks using Blackstone who have waited over two weeks for results.
Never used JD but the sign on the counter says $7.50 for an oil analysis with TBN and $5 for coolant.
My feeling the only reason people use Blackstone is that they come up first in an alphabetical search.

 

WOW! I totally agree with you then infidel, I had no idea they had gotten so high!

Avlube does a great job, and is one of the few places that offer fuel analysis testing. I just checked their site, and their kit with TBN is $18.50. Not terrible but not as good as $6 or $8, that's for sure.

Can you tell me what the $6 or $8 test includes?

 

Lightman, my last test included Aluminum, Chromium, Molybdenum, Iron, Copper, Lead, Nickel,Manganese, Tin, Silver, Titanium, Potassium, Boron, Silicon, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Barium, TBN, viscosity, flashpoint, % fuel and antifreeze, % water and insolubles.
I'm sure that Cummins farms out the analysis as do most others. It could also be that individual dealers send their samples to different labs. It would be interesting to find out who does it for them. I wouldn't be surprised if engine manufactors offer analysis at a loss or at cost since preventive maintenance saves them in the long run with warranty issues.

One of my friends uses Oilguard http://www.oilguard.com/ the folks who make bypass filters for his analysis. It's the only place I've heard of cheaper than Cummins for a complete analysis, $5 each when you buy 12. Price is a couple years old so don't quote me on it.

edit I was wrong, it's now $9 for six tests - http://www.oilguard.com/Other/OilAnalysisProgram.php

 

My buddy works for Ford, repairs everything from the big rigs down to a small focus. He tells me, when a vehicle that is under warranty is brought in for anything. A oil sample is taken and the results are recorded. He had a lady bring in a Tarus and it wasn't running too well. Evidentally Ford puts something in the oil when it leaves the assembly line to track the first oil change. Well, this lady had 35K+ miles on the car and oil test showed the oil had never been changed. After being confronted with this, she said 'I didn't have the money for an oil change, So I just added oil I buy at wally world when it needed it". They convinced her to let them change the oil and the service writer through in a free engine flush. Car ran fine afterwards.

 

Infidel thanks for the info - oilguard is still offering some good pricing apparently. I had an oilguard bypass on my TDI, but never tried their analysis services. I still have some left from the 12 kits I bought back in 2000. About subletting work out - yes most of them do it. Avlube uses a lab called Predictive Maintenance Services. Amsoil/OAITESTING use a few depending on where you live. WHen I sent them in from Florida, or from here (duh), every time the work was given to Cleveland Technical Center. Then in the last few years I believe Staveley Services bought CTC. Even though I paid $12 for the full tests including shipping, I still like the fact that they provide a free online database that you can log into anytime and view your reports.

67Hotrod that's funny. I know a guy at work with a pathfinder that has 55k on it and has changed the dino oil twice...it's a lease and he doesn't care...it runs fine....scary!

 

A guy here at work did his second oil change (67k) on his cavalier, right before he traded it in on a he-mi. He now wishes he had bought the CTD.

 

There used to be an old saying when I was in high school. "Never buy a used car from a woman". I think the woman in 67's post just about proves that!!!!

 

Reminds me of the woman who went into the auto parts store asking for a 7IO cap.

Stand on your head to see what she meant.

 

JD is pre-paid system when you buy the kit. The only pain is they send the results to the dealer and you have to get it from them.

Cat has their own oil sampling lab and the numbers are confusing unless you ask for them in regular terms. They also offer ISO (cleanliness numbers) which is rare.

 

hmm... i still need to figure out how to get my lube oil sampled at work... we now have a oil lab upstairs... it is run by northland products i believe... and the samples are accessed on the intranet in the shop... if i can figure out how to gain access to that system, and slip an oil sample in with the ±80 samples that get dropped off by the lab everyday... hmm...

***edit***

i figured out how to access the oil sampling on the work intranet... it is linked to a secure online site... i think if i copy down the address i might be able to access it from home