Hi Zeng, just sharing my 1800km blotter test with the same engine but with Aisin 5w30 pao+ester with ceratec.

Should I be worry about the silver lining around?

Mind sharing engine model and odometer km ?

Is the blotter hour matured , i.e 48/72 hours ?

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 6 2020, 11:02 PM

Its currently around 137k km, Proton CFE engine. Yes, it's a 48 hour blotter test.

Hi Andy ,

Having come across reasonably well performing blotter spot of a 12,000 km Aisin pao+ester 5W40 (sibling to 5W30) , I was a bit taken aback by the obvious emergence of slightly darkened aureole zone aka perimeter ring in this low mileage 1800 km blotter .

Initially I thought ceratec , which I don't know much about , may have a role in this grayish aureole zone .

Going through Post # 1 of this read and I found this Campro CFE turbo engine had a previous blotter spot of 5,218 km of Petronas SN 5W30 , in use immediately after DPS Engine Flush application prior to using Petronas oil .

That previous Petronas blotter also displayed a similar phenomenon in slightly darkened aureole zone which I speculated then it is to be related to DPS flush .

Now , this second oil use of Aisin 5w30 pao+ester also display a slightly darkened aureole zone /perimeter ring in a very low mileage of 1800 km .

I would speculate , again that it is related to that particular DPS engine flush usage prviously . True or not , only time will tell IMO .

As regards the silver lining external to this Aisin blotter spot test sample or halo as I call it , it is likely an indication of engine fuel dilution problem IF this blotter sample was taken hot i.e after 20 minutes or more of driving . Since you did not indicate clearly or thoroughly , this silver lining resembling fuel dilution can also be related to cold temperature oil sample when taken IDK .

IMHO, this 1800 km used oil is obviously still in serviceable condition for a long time to come and I don't think you should be worried about this silver lining , which is negative in a way .

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 9 2020, 10:39 AM

Sharing my first blotter... Hopefully it is ok.
Oil : Toyo Semi Syn 10w-40 ( used for around 2000km )
Car : satria neo clocking 155k km


Not sure this consider ok or bad...


Attached thumbnail(s)

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This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 12 2020, 04:37 PM

Hi ,
This 2000 km blotter spot of Toyo Semi Syn 10W40 is still in good shape and remains in serviceable condition for many thousands of km to come , IMO .
The centre zone is clean ,light coloured/yellowish and transparent indicating negligible amount of higher density contaminants or dirt .
A semi-circle of very light gray coloured aureole zone/perimeter ring is about to emerge .
Diffusion zone is light yellowish ,clean and transparent indicating very low levels of contaminants and dirt .
Absence of darkened jagged edge surrounding the diffussion zone indicating absence of water moisture in this 2000 km blotter spot .
No visible translucent halo at the outermost zone indicating no signs of fuel dilution .

wow
sounds like a good news
i always use Tesco/Giant Shell helix ultra 5w-40 , but due to MCO seldom go out then i've switched to this Toyo semi-syn from nearby workshop.

Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 has a very powerful specifications in MB 229.5 which is recommended for 30,000 km by Benz in appropriate engines in Europe .
It is a full synthetic solely or mostly of GTL base oils and probably contains no or very little PAO or ester .
It has strong additive package containing Molybdenum and Boron .
Semi Synthetic Toyo 10W40 has only SN (?) specs to 'boast' .

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 12 2020, 09:40 PM

thanks...
then i'll stick to Giant/Tesco SHU then
best value for money

Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 (Tesco) MB229.5
Oil Life : 20,183 km
15 months oil life with one and the same paper filter .
ODO :314,013 km in
Car model: 2007 Toyota Avanza 1.3L
Engine: K3VE Multi Port Injection
Added some 100 mL of graphited engine oil in Elf Molygraphite 15W50 .
Make up oil added : Nil

10 day old blotters ,

Note: For the 1st time , using 'wrong' method of blotter sampling i.e this sample was taken cold after some 12 hours of cooling post engine shut down , instead of supposedly taken hot after >20 minutes of driving .




This 20,183 km used oil was replaced with yet again Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 .

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 25 2020, 01:03 PM

Will upload my my oil blotter test sample after 11k (ard 1-2 more days)
Previously uploaded at 10k.

Car: Toyota vios (dugong) 2nd gen
Engine oil: shell helix ultra 5w40

@zeng, dps engine flush vs seafoam engine flush any major difference?
Will do flushing with cheap engine oil before try new engine oil.


Dang, giant is selling at rm89.90 for shell helix ultra 5w40

This post has been edited by tanalvis: Dec 27 2020, 12:56 PM

I think you meant to say 1 K here ?

Thank you for providing details like car model and oil model which makes cross-checking with Post # 1 easier .

I am no fan of engine flush like DPS or Seafoam , hence haven't read up much and compare .

But subsequent oil blotter spot tests from said engines shows early emergence of darkened aureole zone aka perimeter ring which may mean presence of higher quantity of black carbons or contaminants from previous engine flush .

One may interpret that the 'blackened' stuff have been removed by the effective engine flush from engine/piston ring areas .



SHU 5W40 4L pack Long Life with GTL base oils for RM 89.90 is really no brainer for 'all' Asian and NA (North American) engines .

It is also a no brainer for most or all current Euro engines that comes without Diesel Particulate Filter DPF , price wise and quality wise !

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 28 2020, 12:55 PM

Yup correct. Here is the new blotter test image

Toyota Vios 2008 2nd gen (dugong)
Current odo: 169,919 km
Date: 26/12/2020
Blotter time: after ard 54 hours
Oil age: 10,814 km
Engine oil: shell helix ultra 5w40





The deal is too good to pass on, so bought one for parent's Honda CRV.
As for my car, I'm contemplating to choose Castrol stop start A5/b5 or Petronas Syntium 3000 FR, but will change to 5W30


This post has been edited by tanalvis: Dec 28 2020, 10:32 PM

Hi Bro,

Looking at the outermost zone of translucent halo and its size , there is quite a major fuel dilution problem in the engine of this 10,814 km blotter spot which theoretically promotes oil degradation .

But it appears to me this blotter spot test suggests this fuel dilution/oil degradation 'potential' to be inconsequential at this mileage and not something to be worried about with sleepless nights .

There is absence of darkened centre zone and darkened aureole zone/perimeter ring and no signs of harmfull agglomeration of contaminants , which is good news as to the continuing serviceability of this used oil sample at 11K km usage .

Its detergency and dispersancy properties are still in top shape IMHO .

The transparent diffussion zone is mildly grayish and not darkened/blackish indicating quite low levels of combustion contaminants and dirt .

Brownish jagged edges surrounding the diffusion zone indicates the presence of water moisture in the used oil which appears harmless by looking at the blotter spot and its performance .

IMO, this used oil is still in serviceable condition .

Everything else being equal , I would personally prefer Syntium 3000 FR 5W30 approved by Ford/Renault to Castrol Stop Start 5W30 A5 which does not claim Ford approval .

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 29 2020, 01:17 PM

engine - campro vvt
odometer - 84k
engine oil mileage - 4k
engine oil - Mobil1 Super 2000 10w40

hi bro zeng, can you help me on this? engine just running 20k after rebuild and retune(standalone management)

my concern now is my engine oil turn darker fairly quickly, even before rebuild, notice this problem after installed standalone management, tune related maybe? i change my oil every month now, been trying urania 3000ls hdeo, syntium 800 10w40, problem still persist, oil turn very dark even after 1.5k running

no smoke or whatever on the exhaust

This post has been edited by OvenBaked: Dec 31 2020, 09:45 AM

Could it be your engine is running rich on fuel?

Might be, here my spark plug, too rich on idle?

I see your engine is running too rich from the dark build up around the spark plug.

Try to reduce the fuel delivery into the combustion camber a little and see whether there is improvement.

Hi ,

Centre zone is a bit grayish but not darkened or blackened yet , indicating a certain level of heavy and/or large size wear/contaminant particles floating around within the oil .

Emergence of darkened aureole zone /perimeter ring is quite obvious and something of relative concern requiring monitoring in the 4k km used oil . In a 84k Odo MPI(?)engine , I'm a bit 'confused' .

Diffusion zone is light coloured and transparent which is good news indeed .

Absence of darkened/gray jagged edge external to diffusion zone indicates absence of water moisture , typically .

Generally there is absence of translucent halo at the outermost zone indicating no obvious fuel dilution problem , if any . Tuning or your driving pattern may have helped this .

Overall, IMO this 4k km used semisyn Mobil1 Super 2000 10w40 is good and serviceable .

However you may want to monitor the emergent slightly darkened aureole zone which may mean tendency of undesirable agglomeration of contaminants or combustion by-products .

Engine oil turns darker fairly quick ? Could it be due to your usage of Euro ACEA spec oil , whose additives can/may be darker than non-ACEA oil ? Try a non-ACEA oil for comparison , I would suggest .

HDEO in diesel engines is always darker like Urania btw .

Mind sharing what scope of 'rebuild' was done ? Standalone management means ..... ???

Frankly, I'm quite astonished at your mentioned monthly oil change idea/practice not that you are wrong about it .

This post has been edited by zeng: Dec 31 2020, 10:35 AM