Hi bro,

You did right with sample taken after 40 minutes engine running, exceeding my rule of thumb of minimum 20 minutes of engine operation.

With hot oil sample being taken, it would point to strictly fuel dilution phenomenon should the upcoming 48 or 72 hour blotter spot test develops translucent halo at the outermost zone ....
ruling out effects of cold blotter sampling method.

Please keep viewing/observing the 'ever changing' blotter sample images (for self education) until say, 48 or 72 hours post sampling till such time it sort of 'matures' and then upload the mature 48/72 hour blotter spot test image for more meaningful comparative assessments/interpretations vis-a-vis all the other 48/72 hour blotter spot tests in this thread.

Btw, you have here a rather high quality/spec engine oil in this local Petronas Syntium 3000 5W30 SN+.
It is a mid-SaPS engine oil of 0.8% weight Sulphated Ash (Hence I expect its superb performance, never mind the fact this Syntium is not ACEA spec'ed).
Don't worry about its seemingly low'ish TBN of 8.0 , my dear friend.


This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 4 2021, 08:34 PM

Between the Shell HX8 X 5W-30 vs the Petronas Syntium 3000 5W-30, which one is actually better?

I have bought these 2 engine oil before.. The Shell was used in a Myvi. Noted it's clear colour engine oil which looks really clean and pure.

Syntium on the other hand was used in a Honda. Looks like your regular gold dyed engine oil,

Hmmm.... thousand apologies ...
Syntium 3000 5W30 SN+ is NOT 'better' than Shell Helix HX8 X 5W30 imho.

Shell Helix HX8 X 5W30 SN+ has 'extras' in meeting additional specification requirements in ACEA A3B4 and other European OEM approvals which Syntium 3000 5W30 SN+ does NOT have, never mind Syntium is a mid-SaPS engine oil.

I should have been more precise in previously suggesting mid-SaPS Syntium 3000 5W30 SN+ as being of 'rather high quality/spec' strictly in the context of relative comparison among similarly spec'ed SN+ class of engine oils.

However, it is interesting to note that both of these two engine oils seem to possess a certain level of D1G2 Dexos1 Gen2 protection against LSPI (Low Speed Pre-ignition) phenomenon, though without appropriate GM D1G2 approvals.



This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 5 2021, 01:06 PM

Hi Zeng, below is the 48 hours blotter. The odo now is 133k not 134k as i previously mentioned. And its been 5 months and 1 week simce my last service at 130k km. Curious to know if i can still use it until 140k km or at least can drag to 9 or 12 months. Im not sure what is the black dots on the oil spot but this paper is not a new paper, it is a used paper and already printed



With a bit light at background


This post has been edited by clockpulses: Jun 6 2021, 12:15 PM

How much is the retail price of HX8 X 5W30 at petrol station?

My Syntium 3000 i bought at Petronas for RM180.
Really need someone to convince me if i can drag the service interval to 9 or 12 months. Nowadays, because of mco i dont drive that often and dont want to go to workshop too often. I dont mind paying a RM180+/- oil as long as the oil is good and can stretch as long as possible. But i do drive the car once a week (over 80kmph) for about 20 minutes.



This post has been edited by clockpulses: Jun 6 2021, 12:29 PM

One year can la.

Hi Bro,

Thanks for uploading these 48 hour blotter spot tests which I believe have kind of 'matured' and are not having vastly evolving changes with time, in the image.

Basically these blotter spots are lacking in undesirable 'structures' ..........
meaning the used oil conditions are in top form with plenty of life to go.

Centre zone (of about 8 mm diameter size in real sample) is not darkened and is clean and transparent, which is good news as it indicates very little or negligible amount of heavy and/or big sized contaminants/dirts being present in this 3k kms 5 months 5W30 sample.

There is also absence of darkened aureole zone/perimeter ring indicating the oil's detergency and dispersancy capabilities and properties of the used oil is intact and in top form.
Besides , there is absence of coagulation of contaminant particles which is good news.

Diffusion zone external to 'perimeter ring' (which is not darkened here) is light coloured and transparent showing very very low levels of combustion contaminants/dirts.

Darkened and jagged edge outside of Diffusion zone is absent , indicating absence of undesirable water moisture content in this 40-minute operation hot oil.

At the outermost zone, there is some slight appearance of translucent annulus called halo which indicates mild level of fuel dilution phenomenon in this hot blotter sample, which remains harmless for now with very little contaminants/dirts in this 3k kms 5 month used oil sample.

Overall IMO there is a lot more oil life to go on and this used oil is fit for continuing service.

Can this used Syntium 5W30 continue to be in operation till Odo 140k kms, meaning a 10k kms oil change interval or 12 months use in Campro ?

Well, I believe this Syntium 5W30 should perform well till then whilst you may continue to take blotter spot test say, at 6000 km and 9000 km mileage with a view of establishing the possibility of 10k kms oci, at a level/mileage comfortable to you.

Don't worry about the 'black dots' you mentioned as they are merely 'imperfections' in sample taking on a used/old A4 sized paper and it doesn't distort the 'reading' of blotter spot.

This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 6 2021, 01:54 PM

Completely agree with you on 1 year usage.

There were several Used Oil Analyses of engine oils exceeding 12 months use up to as long as 4-5 years (while with mileage as high as 8-9k kms or so) as showing very low ppm levels of metal wear particles .....
in countries having winters and summers.

Hi Zeng. Thanks so much and good to know. Fyi, there was 1 time i kind of "tortured" the engine by idling for long hours (i think almost 3 hours) under hot sun in the afternoon, the reason is unavoidable which i don't want to explain. Also within the 3000 km, there were mixed town stop and go crawling bumper to bumper driving and long drive (40km highway and 20km town driving per day).

I worried the oil is not usable anymore due to the above. Will take the 6k sample again next

This post has been edited by clockpulses: Jun 6 2021, 02:18 PM

Thank you. Also good to know. The car no more warranty so im not worried about the warranty will be voided. Loan also almost finished paying amd dony plan to change new car

Im working from home since early last year. I changed the previous oil on april this year. Ran 13 months. 3k km.

I intend to change yearly now. Unless i travel alot.

Several local car sites reported it's List Price at RM180 for 4L pack and Recommended retail price at RM165.

Some Giant stores have been offering Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 (with MB 229.5 approval) at RM99 , if you are fine with the higher viscosity grade.

The bold above may contribute to the implied fuel dilution phenomenon in this blotter spot test sample with a translucent halo annulus at the outermost zone imho.

As you are taking blotter spot tests periodically at intervals of say, every 2000-3000 km you may compare your results against many other blotter spots of similar Syntium 5W30 oils and/or samples of similar Proton engines as summarised in Post #1 of this thread.

This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 8 2021, 07:53 AM

Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 (Tesco) MB229.5
Oil Life : 8,784 km
6 months oil life .
ODO :322,798 km in
Car model: 2007 Toyota Avanza 1.3L
Engine: K3VE Multi Port Injection
Make up oil added : Nil, but .............
After current blotter spot test, some 100 mL of graphited engine oil in Elf Molygraphite 15W50 is added for its friction-reducing additives.

48 hour blotters,




Comments to follow....
Ok, the centre zone of this 8,784 km M1 0W40 is a bit grayish but remains transparent and not darkened yet indicating a moderate level of heavy and/or big sized contaminants and dirts is present.

Aureole zone/perimeter ring is not darkened but merged nicely such one cannot visually 'see' the demarcation between centre zone vs aureole zone vs diffusion zone, i.e 'structures' are kind of not formed.
It indicates the contaminants are very well spread out from centre zone and it has not begun agglomeration and thus is good news.

Diffusion zone (of inner half) is slightly grayish but remains transparent. The outer part of diffusion zone looks like a clean annulus indicating very negligible amount of dirt contaminants.

The jagged edge has begun to darken a bit indicating water moisture content seems to be building up, but no harm for now imho.

There may be a very faint shadow of translucent halo at the outermost zone .....
possibly very light level of fuel dilution IDK. How I wish inter-state travel balik kampung is not prohibited under current mco , so that this fuel thing may be 'evaporated' off with a high rpm drive of an hour or more.

Overall I'm of the opinion this M1 0W40 at 8,784 kms is fit for continuing service and remains good to go.

Note: These current blotters at 8,784 km contains purely M1 0W40 oil .
The 100 ml of so of Elf Molygraphite 15W50 is today added on for its friction-reducing additives as a 'top up'.

Note2: The dark black dots in the centres of the blotter spots are probably caused by dipstick ends in contact with the A4 paper whilst taking sample.

This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 8 2021, 09:02 PM

Proton inspira.
Car mileage : 178k km
Total semi 10w-40. 7500km. 24 hrs.
Looking clean n good.

Hi bro, sorry for the delayed response ....

You are right. It is clean and good.

Centre zone is not grayish or darkened, indicating quite low levels of heavy (metal wear?) or big sized contaminants within this 7500 km blotter sample. This is good news partially.

Just outside of Centre Zone is the aureole zone/ perimeter ring which 'unfortunately' seems to be emerging with slightly darkened shade ring indicating the phenomenon of agglomeration of combustion by-products has begun......though the used oil's detergency and dispersancy property has remained intact and in top shape thus far.

This darkening trend of aureole zone/perimeter ring is something to monitor closely with continuing further use of this 7500 km used Total 10W40 oil, if you so wished which I would.

External to this Aureole zone is the diffussion zone which is very light coloured, clean and transparent, indicating very low levels of contaminants (of lighter mass and density) within and it still carries plentiful detergency/dispersancy reserve capacity of absorbing/attracting additional quantities of 'foreign' materials yet to be released as combustion by-products with further use.

There is absence of darkened jagged external edge outside of Diffussion zone indicating absence of water moisture content within the used oil.

Another good news here is the absence of translucent halo at the outermost zone indicating absence of fuel dilution phenomenon.

In general I believe this 7500 km used oil is still in good shape and fit for continuing use, if one so wishes.

This Inspira engine of yours at 178k kms seems to be in very good shape and well taken care of imho.

Edit: Are you continuing the use of this 7500 kms Total oil?

This post has been edited by zeng: Aug 2 2021, 10:24 AM

Will continue using till 10k km. Thanks Zeng for your view on the used oil.

The following description may apply in your case :-


Bitog

Now my oil is probably somewhere in condition 3. Probably it will become condition 6 after more use isn't it?
Normally how long in terms of km will it turn to 6?

Granted blotter tests are principally jugdemental and qualitative in the sense that it could not be 'quantified', I would rank your 7500 km Total 10W40 sample as somewhere around 1.7 or 1.8 where darkened aureole zone is yet to form.

Of course we could sometimes argue it is higher at 2.5 etc.

To get closer to Spot 3, your Total 10W40 could probably go up to 11,000 - 14,000 kms.

Spot 6 ? That's still very far imho until one gets into the regime above 20,000 km for this semisyn.

Note:Post #1 has links to some 15 blotter spot tests of my Total 7000 Energy 10W40 (SL A3B4) samples for comparison purpose.

Edit: Even though a Used Oil Analysis is 'quantitative' in providing numerical ppm's of various metal wear or metal elements, it is still basically a judgemental and qualitative analysis in terms of assessment/evaluation as to the state of 'wear' of the used oil sample and its stage of oil life journey etc.

This post has been edited by zeng: Aug 5 2021, 02:41 PM

please don't continue with misinformation.

UOA have TBN and TAN assessment and that is a definitive and quantitative assessment of an oil lifespan.
HARD SOLID NUMBERS that you cannot judge and bias with.