Hi Chemistry, thank you for sharing the blotter spot test of a HDEO Mannol Diesel Extra 10W40 CH-4/SL semi synthetic .

Usage condition of 95% stop/go in town and 4-5 times daily start-stop would be considered by all if not most vehicle OEM's as severe service, cutting its normal OCI to half typically.

What more we are talking about an oldie carburretter engine that typically calls for short OCI in the good old days.

Having said that this 8325 km oil is traditionally considered as 'too' long an OCI for a carburretter engine but you know what, this used oil is fit for continuing service basing on the following:

a) this oil is dispersing the soots/dirt/contaminates away from deposit spot very well, though it's graying/darkish colour indicates quite an amount of soot/dirt etc ;
b) there is absence of 'emergence' of centre zone;
c) there is absence of structures/rings/halos on blotter spot;
d) there is quite an indication of fuel dilution, probably inherent in a typical carburretter engine but , it's not a big deal really.



According to the following picture, I would rank or classify your blotter spot condition as good sitting in between Spot 1 and Spot 2.

These pictures advise only planning/scheduling an oil change AFTER this oil has further worsened/deteriorated to Spot 7 ......
it remains an advice though , as all of us would get freak-out here.




Source

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 1 2019, 12:16 PM

This blotter spot test of yours demonstrates engine oil life of today is quite independent of, or not quite influenced/dictated by :
a )fuel dilution, arising from carburretter engine , and
b )12 month usage limitation of engine oil, which does not lead to 'automatic' condemnation of oil.

The above 'conclusions' are also being backed up by numerous Used Oil Analyses.

IME, your suggested 10,000 km OCI is likely to be a non-issue in terms of used oil quality.

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 2 2019, 10:57 PM

Hi Bro,

This a-week plus after seafoam blotter spot looks less grayish, hence cleaner than your previous two-day after seafoam blotter spot below,

.... this presents confusion as to 'why' the inconsistencies in blotter picture appearance/display that could be explained by variations in circumstantial factors , back lighting etc between the two occassions on blotter taking.

But, one thing remains valid is the supposed 'increase' in dirt/soot/contaminants or dispersancy breakdown after one-week plus seafoam usage has not caused rapid oil deterioration to 'destroy' this HGEO 0W30 to the extent that it warrants 'so soon' a removal or replacement as advised by seafoam factory/experts.


Comparing this 2-day usage blotter spot of yours against another HX8 5W30 SL 1069 km blotter of 90Boyz several posts above, the 2 day usage blotter (after changing out seafoam'ed HGEO 0W30) demonstrate observable graying dirt/soot etc . Would the blotter darkened further ? Possibly.
Btw, I'm equally surprised at absence of yellowish/brownish coloured blotter spot appearance , as normally observed.

But at this stage of blotter appearance, I'm of the opinion this HX8 doesn't warrant immediate replacement as 'sacrificial' oil , yet. Instead it may be construed as wasteful, as far as residual oil qualities is concerned.

As regards, attributing smoothness feel etc upon oil replacement to having seafoam'ed is , IMHO, a placebo effect I speculate , unless and until this seafoam left behind adequate amounts of Moly ,Titanium and/or Boron additives after oil change, which it did not purport to claim .

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 5 2019, 02:10 PM

UOA M1 EP 5W30 7110 miles (11,400 km) in Mazda 2.3L with fuel dilution ,TBN 4.7 .
Unable to retrace 12,000 miles UOA for now.


Edit:As I understand it, M1 EP 5W30 has a virgin TBN of 9.48 .

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 7 2019, 01:16 PM

Simple Oil Blotter Test


Source

Hi Bro,
You have a very clean 3155 km blotter spot test here, free of centre zone and also free of gray colour zone that relates to contaminants/dirt/wear etc.

I would rank this oil as in Spot 1 with plenty of life in it.



How long you intend to go on this HX8?

Edit: Is your HX8 a SL or SN ?

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 23 2019, 11:42 AM

Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 (from Tesco)
13021 km in 2005 Avanza 1.3 K3VE engine
ODO 292545 km
Blotter spot 72 hrs.


Absence of centre/deposit zone and its perimeter ring,
...... and going

This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 27 2019, 06:25 PM

Hi,

VOA of Shell Helix HX8 5W30 SN MB229.3 :

KV@40*C - 73.38 cSt;

KV@100*C - 12.11 cSt;

Viscosity Index - 163;

Total Base Number - 9.90

Sulphated Ash - 1.18 %;

Noack - 6.6 %;

Sulphur - 0.376 %;

Molybdenum - 39 ppm;

Phosphorous - 731 ppm;

Zinc - 815 ppm;

Boron - 2 ppm;

Magnesium - 11 ppm;

Calcium - 2942 ppm.

Technical Data Sheet:


This post has been edited by zeng: Sep 30 2019, 08:41 PM

It is free and easy, everyone can do ownself with a piece of A4 paper or coffee filter , by dropping one drop used oils onto the paper.
No need pay money and kept waiting for weeks ....
Post#1 has some links.

This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 1 2019, 03:19 PM

Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 (from Tesco)
14306 (not 14341) km in 2005 Avanza 1.3 K3VE engine
ODO 293830 (not 293865) km
Blotter spot 96 hrs.

Replaced with similar oil, during Ori oil seals and Ori engine and gearbox mountings replacement .


This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 2 2019, 12:31 PM

Not sure if the mountings price is not high ...





Sorry, mistakenly deleted pictures on O2 sensor, before cleaning and after cleaning externally.
Internal can not clean, so mechanic recommend replacement, IDK.
He bought Perodua sensor (same Denso sensor but different electrical fitting) as it is cheaper than 'Toyota' sensor, but used back my old fitting.

Below are the 2 oil seals,

Yes, fuel consumption increases from 11.5-12.5 km/L to 9.9 km/L despite similar tyre pressure of 44 psi.
Computer reads old (wave oscillations) readings between 0.1 and 0.6 in Volts(?).
After sensor replacement, back to specification of between 0.1 and 0.9 , again pictures wrongly deleted.

Edit:WKC, will find you a Shell Helix HX7 5W30 virgin oil analysis.
You used SL or SN ?

This post has been edited by zeng: Aug 27 2021, 10:00 PM

From the russian oil club, sir .

Here it comes ....
Virgin Oil Analysis of Shell Helix HX7 5W30 SN MB229.3 :

Hope it helps .

This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 3 2019, 11:57 PM

To be honest, I was taken aback too when first came across this voa results.

From my readings around, VOA testings in Germany/Russia is more sophisticated then that in NA like Blackstone etc.

I don't doubt the 'ball park' figures in this test, though Labs do make mistake occassionally and there is always a margin of error in any lab testing, hence the requirements of periodic calibration of lab equipments.

I'd used HX7 10W40 before but not its 5W30 siblings, and I must concede this Helix HX7 5W30 SN is a quality engine oil in relative terms to other 5W30's .

Agree with you on the use of GTL base oils in this HX7 5W30.
IMHO, technically it is a fully synthetic oil but somehow marketed as semisyn.
It's really a good bargain for buyers.

This Noack 6.0% can't be a semi synthetic oil , IMO.
I believe it is a full synthetic oils.
It would be wise to sapu these fully synthetics paying for semi synthetic price.
Alas, I have already a huge stash of fully synthetics in stock awaiting to be used .

This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 4 2019, 10:33 PM

Well,SL version of Helix HX7 5W30 has a VOA Noack of 7.4 % ; whilst
Shell Helix HX8 5W30 SN MB229.3 has a VOA Noack of 6.6 % .

There is no doubt on my part on the base oils quality of these three Shell oils here.

Shell Formula 5W30 is sometimes called Conventional, and other times called Full synthetic, granted its VI of about 160 or so.

However, the 2011 PQIA voa sample shows a very high Noack of 14.9 % and also generally much higher content of Sulphur at 3471 ppm .



It's said to be composed of Shell Very High VI (VHVI) base oil, of which I am a bit doubtful of its quality in relation to other name brand's (say, Mobil 1) or Shell GTL base oil quality .

So, be cautious with Shell oils though .

But with VOA's or UOA's(Refer to post#1) and blotter spot test performance, I feel assured about the base oil quality of the 3 Shell oils mentioned above.

This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 6 2019, 09:26 PM

Hi Chemistry ,
There is absence of darkened or black perimeter ring or rim surrounding the centre/deposit zone , indicating absence of or negligible amounts of insolubles or semi-solubles ,or coagulation of contaminants and pollutants within the oil eco system , that has been properly and successfully dispersed away from metal contacting surfaces as represented by the transparent and light-coloured centre zone area and its absence of opaquecity .

Taking Russian site formula for Coefficient of Dispersancy CD = 1 - ( d*d/D*D ) , where
d = outer diameter of 'gray perimeter ring,per se' inclusive of centre zone and/or part of diffussion zone , 45 mm in your picture ; and
D = outer diameter of diffussion zone (just within translucent ,fuel zone if any), being 95 mm here ,
Your CD is 0.77 which is well above the arbitrarily set oil change limit of 0.3 .

IMHO, this 9771 km used CH4/SL Mannol oil is good to carry on in service , if you so wish or comfortable .

Yes, you have some fuel dilution problem which I feel is academic and of no issue in the oil's continuing service ,yet .

Note:95% stop-go in town is classified by OEM as severe service implying oil change intervals is to be halved . However , in the absence of UOA, your blotter spot indicates the oil condition and its detergency/dispersancy capabilities is in good shape , IMO .

This post has been edited by zeng: Oct 24 2019, 11:56 AM