Just wondering how to test results differ if we were to test after a short drive. Would the result shows better than the actual circumstances, or worse? If you get what i mean.

Blotter test engine oil condition after a short drive, of say 10 minutes and less, could likely demonstrates false positive in fuel dilution phenomenon in a perfectly normal and properly tuned engine giving rise to misinterpretation .

Besides, I'm not aware of occassions of engine gets destroyed (and require overhaul) typically after such short drive .

Having said that ,after each and every engine start, if one never drive and shut down engine beyond 10 minutes , then blotter test after short drive makes perfect sense ...... if that is the typical driving condition IMO .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 14 2020, 11:17 AM

"false positive in fuel dilution".

positive as in bad thing?
like positive in HIV testing, or demam denggi?

sorry have to be sure i understand.

Oops ............
By 'false positive in fuel dilution' I meant to say arriving at false and misleading conclusion/assessment/trouble shooting/solutions or whatever eventually not tackling or solving an issue or problem , if any exists .

Yeah, agree with your assessment on the 800 - 1000 gm difference in weight as given by Thrust .
Petronas data sheet shows an oil density of 0.8542 kg/Litre .
Nissan oil data not available . However I would speculate it as being lighter at around 0.840 kg/Litre .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 15 2020, 11:34 AM

Latest update from Mercedes as of today :
Shell Helix HX8 5W30 has still no MB 229.5 approval yet .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 15 2020, 02:15 PM

Hi bro Zeng, here is the sample taken after 12 hours.
Car 1: sample taken after 30 mins rested for 1.5 hour driving
Car 2: sample taken after 30 mins rested for 20 mins driving




This post has been edited by dopamine: May 16 2020, 08:48 AM

Hi dopamine ,

If you don't mind sharing here what are the two engine types and oil brand/grade types in question ?
Thanks for the 12 hour blotter spots , btw .

IME these blotter spot images would keep 'changing' and probably 'mature' after 48 hours or more . After 48 hours the changes in the images would likely not be obvious and drastic up to and beyond 96 or 120 hours .

It would be interesting if you could personally 'read' and 'study' the changing 'faces' of the images over 24/48/72/96 hour intervals (and share with readers here for educational purposes) .

My preliminary readings of these two 2400 and 3200 km usage oil blotter spots are that they are good with plenty of life to go on and it appears there is no signs of 'fuel dilution' in both samples as of now .

Oil sample for Car 2 is taken after 20 mins driving , would the 48 hour blotters shows fuel dilution (through observing transparent halo at the outermost zone) ? IDK .

Edit: Car 2 has only 2388 km after 11 months usage (June 2019) . Its 12 hour blotter as presented does not clearly shows fuel dilution problem yet , and I would speculate its 48 hour blotter spot image is likely to show transparent halo at its outermost zone should this Car 2 engine actually encounters fuel dilution phenomenon .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 16 2020, 10:55 AM

Thanks bro Zeng.
I will share again by tomorrow.
Car 1: CRV 2014 2.4l, using Mobil 1 5w30 ESP Fully Synthetic (green)
Car 2: Swift 2007 1.5l, using Petronas 5w30 Syntium 3000 FR Fully Synthetic

Both your cars calls for basic SN/SM specs .

However both your oils are fully synthetic and are of much more stringent specifications than basic SN/SM spec required by car OEMs .

1) Petronas 5W30 Syntium 3000 FR has stronger specifications in Ford 913 D approval :



Ford OEM typical recommended oil change interval for this oil is about 10,000 miles (or 16,000 km) in U.S.

2) From Post #1 here , Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 MB 229.52 VW 504 507 has even much stronger VW and MB approvals/specification than Ford .

In Europe , VW and MB OEMs recomended oil change intervals for this oil in appropriate modern VW/MB vehicles is 30,000 km (or 18,000 miles) .

Go figure .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 17 2020, 01:40 PM

Hi bro Zeng, here is the 24 hours sample

And here is the 48 hours sample.
For Car 2, can I still continue to use it since it is only for short distance town travel daily?

Hi dopamine ,

A)Car 1 : 2014 Honda CRV 2.4L ,3200 km, 1.5 hour driving with M1 ESP 5W30 MB229.52
1)This blotter has a 2 mm thick halo around the diffusion zone (of about 60 mm OD size image) and at 1.5 hour driving , it indicates some fuel dilution problem here .
2)If this sample was taken 'cool' at say, less than 20 minutes driving (which was not) , then it is hard to say for sure about the fuel dilution problem .
3)The centre zone (of 8-10 mm OD actual of 30-35 mm size) is not darkened and opaque in colour indicating good dispersancy of ESP .
4)However this 3200 km blotter centre zone is relatively darker colour than that of Car 2 at 2388 km usage meaning there is higher level of combustion contaminants/dirt or wear particles .
5)The diffusion zone external to centre zone is quite clean and light in colour . Generally this ESP oil is still in good serviceable condition with plenty of life to go on .

B)Car 2 : 2007 Suzuki Swift 1.5L ,2388 km ,20 minutes driving with Syntium 3000 FR Ford 913D .
1)Despite low usage of 2388 km over almost 11 months duration and 20 minutes of minimal driving , this Syntium blotter has no signs of fuel dilution phenomenon . Personally ,I'm a little bit taken surprise here .
2)The centre zone is hardly formed and very transparent and light in colour and not grayish/darkish . This indicates very clean engine oil with superb detergency and dispersancy properties .
3)The diffusion zone and centre zone are very much more transparent and lighter in colour than that of Car 1 indicating this 11 month old oil is in good and serviceable condition with plenty of life left to further carry on .
4)This 11 month old oil is severely under-utilised at 2388 km usage . This should have theoretically given rise to more corrosion wear at prolong storage duration at cold oil temperature . But, the fact of the matter is the clean blotter spot image indicates this not being the case here . Hence I personally don't buy the idea or argument by oil companies/car OEMs that used engine oil cannot exceed 12 months usage (or worse ,some says 6 months) . This position of mine is further backed by multiple used oil analyses results of oils exceeding 12 months up to as much as 48 months usage in a sump . Please note also that Malaysia has no winter seasons like other users and our minimum ambient yearly temperature is 23/24*C centigrade .

Yes , IMO you can continue using the 11 month old 2388 km Syntium 3000 FR oil in your Swift by comparing its blotter spot image with those 8000 - 15000 km blotter spots from Post #1 and evaluate for yourself .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 18 2020, 03:03 PM

Thanks bro Zeng for detailed explanation.
Here is the final sample for 72 hours.



This post has been edited by dopamine: May 18 2020, 08:14 PM

This 72 hour blotter spot from Car 1, 2014 Honda CRV 2.4 L further reinforces the presence of fuel dilution phenomenon , despite after 1.5 hour driving .
Is this CRV 2.4L engine prone to fuel dilution ?Is the fuel system in proper order ?
Btw, is it a Direct Injection engine , anybody ?

I still believe this 72 hour blotter of 2007 Suzuki Swift 1.5L is free of fuel dilution issue .
Can you monitor this blotter further in days ahead whether a translucent halo at outermost zone surrounding the blotter spot would eventually emerge or occur ??
If yes, there may be fuel dilution though minor , otherwise there is none .

All other components of comments in my previous post remains valid in these two 72 hour blotter spots .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 19 2020, 11:34 AM

-delete-

This post has been edited by zeng: May 19 2020, 11:33 AM

i think it shouldnt be direct injection.
Can i still continue to use it? or i should change EO? or any other preventative action i should be taken?

If your CRV 2.4L engine is not direct injection type , this fuel dilution issue after 1.5 hour driving is a bit abnormal IMO , although your low mileage of 3200 km over 5 months may promote fuel dilution as well .

Having said that , if your engine is Direct Injection type , then this fuel dilution problem is generally 'normal' .
Why I said 'normal' ?? That is due to the fact that some OEMs and all its SC's are not capable of resolving it and helpless in dealing with its fuel dilution phenomena .
A case in point is the modern Honda 1.5L Direct Injection Turbo (found in CRV and others) engine or typical Mazda carrying SkyActiv engine etc . Both OEM's are of international repute, and not national car of a Zimbabwee or Tongo .
Please search in Post #1 for a blotter spot of an Mazda engine indicating inherent fuel dilution phenomenon .

As per PM , fuel dilution problem has no relation at all with type or quality of engine oils in use .
It is strictly an indication of incomplete fuel combustion (and hence, loss of fuel efficiency ) and it has always been considered as undesirable and one issue to be eliminated by all car manufacturers for decades .
In short, it is an engine 'problem' .

As regards high levels of combustion contaminants/dirt and wear particles , it is a natural by-products of all engine operation and it increases with vehicle usage in terms of km traveled or engine hours .
There is where the practice of OEM recommendation of oil change intervals of 15,000 km or 10,000 km or 5,000 km comes in .

Can you continue using this oil ? Yes, as I had mentioned in my previous post . This ESP 5W30 is still in top shape and it has plenty of life to go on in your engine .

IMHO , by changing the engine oil earlier say in your case of 3200 or even 5000 km , as is widely advised and practised the mechanical life or longevity of this engine is not necessarily lengthened or extended or prolonged .

IMO, that is a complete myth !

Btw, I bought new and kept a car with carburretter engine up to 25 years long , and the engine in good working condition . A carbutteter engine is typically prone to fuel dilution problem .

This post has been edited by zeng: May 20 2020, 12:17 PM

Thanks bro Zeng for the detailed explanation.

You're welcome, and it's nice sharing opinions relating to your question/doubts on engine oils and blotter spots .