Boxer07 ,I couldn't see any (clear,sharp and opaque) center zone, indicating there isn't much contaminants and oil dispersancy property is in tip top condition, hence this oil is good to go on beyond 10200 km OCI .
You may take another blotter spot test after 1500-2000 km from now, I suppose.

Note:May I ask, what engine model is this ?

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 1 2018, 09:46 PM

This Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0W30 has OEM approvals in VW 50400 50700, MB 229.52 229.51 229.31 .....
that has 30,000 km OCI in Europe VW,




Absence of center zone indicates clean oil with high dispersancy capability ......
I would rate its 10,500 km usage in Mazda6 2.2L diesel could be further extended.
Maybe try another blotter in 1500-2000 km from now.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 2 2018, 02:26 PM

Yes, TGMO 0W20 is undeniably a very strong oil with good UOA results such as,

Btw, IIRC all Honda's in USA has factory recommendation of 10,000 miles OCI whilst under warranty , that's equivalent to 16,000 km here.

I completely understand your situation with local SC on warranty matters .... on OCI's beyond 10,000 km.

I would hazard a guess your used oil condition may probably show some 'goldenish' colour and not dark black.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 2 2018, 02:52 PM

In this aspect of adhering to 10,000 km OCI for warranty purpose , one may consider the lowest priced semi-synthetic SN/SM if money is a consideration.
For most Asian engines, a Shell Helix 5 in 10W30 (or a 15W40) SN A3B3 mineral would be more than adequiate to do 10,000 km OCI , IMHO.

Having using Lexus fullsyn (viscosity grade?) in your car now, I would suggest do some blotter spot tests (which are free anyway ..) from time to time and upload here for sharing with general readers for assessing the combined conditions of this Lexus oil AND engine condition , as a social project in Lowyat community.

Alphaz,
Will appreciate your sharing of this high mileage Aisin 5W30 blotter spot tests ....for everybody's knowledge and experience.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 2 2018, 03:37 PM

My rule of thumb on used oil colour has been :-
a) goldenish hue colour indicates oil condition is fit for continuing service;
b) dark black colour does NOT indicate condemnation of used oils, unless with burnt smell.

12,000 km OCI should be easy for HGMO 0W20 in a 2014 Honda engine , I guess.

Sorry to give you another boring and repetitively similar comments ......
that there is absence of center zone in this 11400 km blotter indicating high dispersancy capability of this oil sample .
Generally the other zones are not dark indicating low level of contaminants/combustion byproducts possibly due to cleaner ( Hyundai G4GB ) engine internal conditions and adequate quality of this Aisin 5W30.
If I were you, I would continue using this 11400 km oil and do another blotter spot test in 1500-2000 km and go from there.

This Aisin 5W30 , though 'unbranded' looks quite impressive so far.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 4 2018, 11:50 PM

If you are still having the container bottle, read the fine prints at the back, or upload picture on back of bottle, to see if it's made in Japan/Singapore/local ?

Sure enough , there is good news in absence of center zone indicating the oil's continuing serveceability.
However at outer most rings, there is some indication of fuel dilution ....... not sure if it's caused by sampling at cold temperatures, or having frequent short trips, or fuel injection matters though.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to keep used empty engine oil bottle ..

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 5 2018, 11:18 PM

Air fuel ratio is too rich.
Might be fuel system or driving pattern problem.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 8 2018, 11:10 AM

Thanks, chemistry.
This bottle has Japanese (market) in mind possibly, and it's barcode points to USA with an office in Singapore.
Couple with performance in this blotter spot test, it helps a little bit in my confidence level in its efficacy.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 12 2018, 01:45 PM

Where factory warranty issue is concerned, it's best to retain warranty rights by adhering to 'uncommon sense' factory recommendation of Oil Change Interval and 6 months/1 year duration.

For those out of warranty, one may stretch OCI's in km or goes beyond 1 year duration stipulation.
Other than uneconomically costly and impractical UOA's , I'd adopted free and easy Blotter spot tests to assess used oil conditions.........
realising along the way that factory recommendations are excessively conservative and short.

If the car is out of warranty , short answer is stretch it to say, 1 year or longer.
Long answer.

Sorry , I can't follow what you mean by 'critical stuff' ?
Forget about what Toyota says about 6 months duration change, be it for fullsyn, semisyn or mineral .....
as we don't have cold temperatures or winter seasons.
Toyota's recommendation on 10000 km oil change interval is for fully synthetic.

Now , your brother's car travels 4800 km per year.
I would suggest you use any SN/SM/SL mineral oil for 5000 km or 1 year, and that's being conservative.
If it's my car, I would pick a mineral A3B4 oil for 8000 km or 2 years.
You don't really need fully synthetics or semi synthetic in this low use car.

This post has been edited by zeng: Apr 9 2018, 03:28 PM

Or no no ......
I'm addressing strictly about engine oil and it's change intervals of 5000, 10,000 or any other km readings.
Other fluids like coolant/ATF etc and oil/air filters etc should still follow OEM recommendations, though I may have my own criteria in relation to OEM's.

This thread is strictly about assessing used engine oil conditions, and varying it's oil change intervals OCI's accordingly.

Having said this, I do blotter spot test on ATF and varies it's change intervals accordingly, while other OEM recommendations are being considered as well.

Hope , it helps clear up some confusion.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 14 2018, 03:43 PM

I didn't follow OEM recommeded change intervals of oil filter typically about 10,000 km ..... strictly.
Basing on oil change convenience, I do replace oil filters after 16,300 km and also 15,000 km of usage matching with engine oil change activity out of convenience.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 14 2018, 03:48 PM

Changing oil filter in between oil changes is indeed another way of 'topping up' new oil with additives , thus this practice could 'prolong' OCI if one so wishes it.

Hard to comment without further details like km/month in use;engine model, turbo? direct injection?; engine oil grade/specs etc.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 18 2018, 10:42 AM

Helix Ultra doesn't offer 10W30 in M'sia.
Assuming this is an Euro turbo engine with Diesel Particulate Filter specifying use of this oil etc ......
and further assuming this oil is Shell Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0W30, whose typical oil life could be upto 30,000 km in some Euro engines......
..triggering oil change at 12,000 km here, with due respect to whoever is this OEM, I'm of the opinion its oil life monitor is too conservative and I personnaly won't follow it in my car that's without warranty requirements.
This is 'confirmed' with this well done (and lighted) 24 hr blotter spot shown above.JMHO.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 19 2018, 11:30 AM

Huuh ........ that's no joke. It's hell lot of clean and transparent, not much of dark coloured contaminants such as soot, dirt, combustion byproducts etc.
It's like my 5000 km oil blotter above.
This oil is powderful, that's for sure.
At the same time , this Hyundai engine is very clean and in tip top condition. How long mileage is this engine, btw?
Any intention of prolonging oil change of existing sump oil ?

Edit: Heck , this is 194k km engine. Two things here:
a) there is no doubt about the capability of this engine oil(Aisin fully synthetic (PAO+Ester) 5w-40 API SN), and
b) this Hyundai engine is hell lot of a clean at 194K km indicating high quality of this engine design and manufacturing , maybe helped by your driving habit and maintenance regime.
Japanese OEMs better buck up, IMHO.

Edit 1:only very faint shape of centre zone, and is fully transparent not opaque.
Edit 2:Sorry, I think this 12,000 km Aisin 5W40 oil blotter is obviously better than my 5000 km Total Quartz 7000 Energy 10W40 A3B4 oil blotter.

This post has been edited by zeng: Mar 28 2018, 03:37 PM