For those who may be interested, here is my first oil analysis. 2010 TL J37A4 engine. 1500 miles in little over a month. Oil is Honda Factory Fill 5w20 presuming from viscosity in analysis. 75% hwy 25% city driving. Temps in the mid to high 70's and maximum of mid 80's. Factory air and oil filter. Here are the results.
Wear Metals
Iron 31
Chromium 0
Lead 7
Copper 51
Tin 8
Aluminum 8
Nickel 0
Silver 0

Additives
Boron 156(dispersant, Anti-wear)
Sodium 10(anti-wear, found in coolant too)
Magnesium 32(anti-wear)
Calcium 1352(detergent)
Phosphorus 929(anti-wear part of ZDDP)
Zinc 795(anti wear part of ZDDP)
Molybdenum 601(friction modifier, anti-wear)
Titanium 0
Vanadium 0
Potassium 0
Fuel<1
Visc@40(cSt) 41.7
Visc@100(cSt) 8.62
Coolant No
Viscosity Index 199(higher the VI, better the base stock)
TBN:4.53(active additive left. <1.0 means oil needs change)
Silicon 56(dirt in oil)

Comments: First oil change analysis is pretty useless since all wear metals will read high from break-in oil. This analysis shows that Honda indeed uses a special "break-in" oil since molybdenum is very high. Normal off the shelf oil usually averages a value of around 100 or less from my experience. ZDDP(Zincdithiophospurous) is borderline high probably due to the extra goodies in the "break-in oil" that honda uses. Glad that I changed it as silicon read 56 which is VERY high for even a break-in engine. Usual value for Si is in the 20's for break-in and should be in the range of 10 or less in a well tuned engine.
Some oil mfg are now using Sodium as an anti-wear additive to combat the lower levels of ZDDP mandated by the GF-4 and SM rated oils. High amounts of Phosphorus can cause catalytic converter failure. Most SM rated oils have zddp values in the 700's the most.
For the most part first oil analysis on a new engine is meaningless since the numbers are so skewed but is good to do if one is to trend values from one analysis to the next which I do. I do a UOA on each OCI and also like to cut my oil filters open to see the integrity.
Oil that was replaced is Royal Purple 5w30 with a Royal Purple oil filter #8208 I believe is the part number.
Viscosity was spot on for a 5w20 oil.
Oil filter kits are purchased at dingo.com and performed by OAI AKA Staveley Labs.

 

For those who may want a detailed interpretation of the elements/values this is a good article/chart.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/content...Oil%20Analysis

 

Very interesting write up! Thanks for sharing and giving that detailed explanation

Do you change your own oil? If not, tell me how the dealership responded to your request of using Royal Purple Filters and 5w30 oil instead of 5w20 (factory).

Also, why did you choose 5w30 over 5w20? I'm not one of those that makes a life or death drama over switching viscosities, but I might concur if somebody says you might see marginally lower fuel economy with a switch like this.

 

Thanks for the info, but 1,500 mile-old oil shouldn't really be analyzed. It's too soon.

 

Thank you very much for the detailed information.

I'm sure that many of us are curious why you'd change the oil after only 1500 miles, especially since the dealer organisation seems to be insisting on following the computer these days.

When do you think you will change the oil again?

 

thank you for doing this. very good info.

 

Will you do another analysis when the on board computer tells you to change the oil? Curious to see what those numbers will be.

 

There is no harm in changing out the oil before the MID tells you to. It even says that in the Acura instruction manual. I believe the reason it gives is that *paraphrased* "since Acura is a eco-friendly company, they're doing their part in promoting you only change your oil when the MID tells you to, because all you end up doing is increasing the demand for oil by replacing it when it does not yet need it." Technically, this is the opposite of financial sense, but seems commendable on a level of conservation.

 

Prepreludesh- I do all the maintenance myself or my staff(I own a shop). My take or opinion is that 5w20 is really for CAFE purposes and to squeeze out all mpg's possible. I find that 5w30 is the best medium for me. 5w20 tends to give more valve clatter while 10w30 feels too sluggish in most vehicles I have owned. Honestly, I have not seen any mpg difference so far.

Princelybug- You are right in the fact that 1500 miles on an oil is too soon not only in analyzing it but changing it so soon also. I do it for trending purposes, so I have a foundation to work with as I do successive used oil analysis. The fun part about doing a factory fill analysis on a honda oil is the fact that Honda Motor Corp. makes it clear in their manual that the oil the car comes with is a "special" break-in oil and not to change it out earlier than the OLM tells you to. The analysis does support that they use a special oil with higher than normal anti-wear adds. I always change the factory fill oil early in every car I own because I have seen plenty of "wow" moments in my experience with factory fill oil. I once found finely grounded pieces of some sort of a bug in an engine oil that did not get caught by the oil filter and was in bypass mode. Plus we don't know how long the oil has been just sitting in the pan before the car gets on a transportation vehicle to the dealership.

George Knighton--I answered the first part of the question above. As to when I will change it out next all depends on how fast the OLM gets to 0%. I tend to drive around 10K miles so most probably at the end of this year. The OLM can't differentiate between conventional and synthetic oil so I am comfortable with taking the OLM down to 0.

ggesq--you are welcome! This has definitely become an expensive hobby for me. I am truly addicted to wasting money on oil analysis.

kingmeow--Yes I will be doing an analysis when the OLM goes to 0. I do one on every oil change. Yes it will be interesting to see how the numbers stack up. I was so upset with the silicon value(dirt) that I tossed the OEM air-filter at 1500 miles and put in a new honda air element thinking that the old one might have gotten contaminated. Will be interesting to see what this value will be. Will post the UOA here when I do.

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

that is good info good to know there really is special break in oil.Chaiwala do you live in hawaii?

 

Good info here! Thanks!

 

I live closer to Australia than Hawaii

 

A bit off topic, but my guess is Singapore.

At least based on the tea reference in your screen name...

 

I'm guessing guam, since his screen name sounds more like a Chamorro name than Singapore. Chamorro pride!

 

The guy's name means "tea vendor" in Hindi.

You must really get around. Most Americans have never even heard of Chamorro, even though Guam is a part of the United States.

 

Certainly, changing the oil early in the service life of a new engine has traditionally been considered a good idea. But if you do that, it's critical to refill with break in oil, and run that until the first "scheduled" oil change interval. Servicing the engine with regular oil at 1500 miles would be a mistake, IMO.

 

I blame it on the military. I worked with many people from Guam and they all had Chamorro Pride stickers on their cars it seemed, guess it kinda stuck, haha.

But you must get around if you knew how translate hindi words, maybe he is from Singapore

 

Certainly lots of Indians there.

A chai wala station:

 

That's why I was thinking Singapore...

 

Wow...I am actually in Fiji but I was born and raised in the USA. I chose my screen name from the movie Slumdog Millionaire where the main character is a "chaiwala" and is one of my favorite movies.

Talking about Indian, I do service all of Vijay Singh's vehicles even though he is never in Fiji. LOL

 

Mystery solved LOL. I guess Guam was the closer guess.

Excellent movie as well! I'm bit curious as to how hard was it to get a TL imported, or if there were alot of additional costs involved.

 

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