RS4 Used Oil Analysis (UOA) @ 1808 miles after break-in
08-03-2006, 06:24 AM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
RS4 Used Oil Analysis (UOA) @ 1808 miles after break-in
I'm posting the numbers from the UOA that I just had done on my oil by Terry Dyson, since everyone here with an RS4 or even an S4 B6/7 has an interest in how the engines are wearing in, and how the oil on delivery is standing up. His analysis is thorough and costs $40 per sample. I had my service tech take a sample when he drained the oil, since I didn't have anything to syphon oil out of the dipstick tube this time.
I'd suggest that if you're interested in how the internals of your engine and oil are doing, go and have your oil analyzed. I cannot share all of Terry's analysis with the group, since it is proprietary, but he does have some interesting insight into oils and engine wear.
Mileage on Car 1,808
Mileage on Oil 1,808
Factory/Dealer Oil (Castrol Syntec 5W40)
Aggressive Break-in within Audi limits
Iron 1 6 ppm (Normal to low)
Copper 21 (slight elevation)
Tin 4 (Elevated)
Lead 3 (Normal to low)
Chromium 1 (Low)
Nickel 0
Aluminum 20 (Elevated)
Titanium 0
Silver 0
Calcium 1048 (Additive)
Magnesium 8 (Additive)
Zinc 508 (Additive)
Phosphorus 497 (Additive)
Barium 7
Molybdenum 6
Antimony 0
Silicon 27 (Elevated)
Sodium 11 (Elevated)
Boron 15 (Additive)
Potassium 0
Vanadium 0
Viscosity 40C - 63.4 SAE 20, 100C - 9.4 SAE 30 (Oil shear)
TAN 0.92 (Low)
Flashpoint 315 (Low, indicating fuel dilution)
Oxidation 24 (Normal)
Nitration 8 (Low)
Water 311 (Extremely low)
TBN 4.2 (Additive package depleted)
Fuel 226 (1.5% fuel dilution)
Soot 0
Glycol 0
Vndx 128 (depleted)
Sulfate Byproduct 24 (good)
Generally this engine wears quite well at break-in. According to Terry Dyson, none of the elemental wear numbers are out of the ordinary. On the other hand, after 1800 miles, the oil took a beating. The factory 5W40 oil had sheered down to 30W. The flashpoint was down, indicating up to 2% fuel dilution, which would have occured early on during break-in, and probably why WOT is not a good thing out the gate. Finally, the additive package was depleted quite a bit. Essentially, my break-in method basically beat the crap out of the oil. In addition, the fuel dilution and flashpoint numbers indicate that during break-in there was quite a bit of blowby occuring, which would account for the higher oil consumption. My oil consumption has gone down dramatically, which should also reduce the dilution and increase the flashpoint next time.
I've changed to Elf Excellium LDX 5W40 and will be monitoring how it runs in this engine, and will post the results when they come in.<ul><li><a href="http://dysonanalysis.com">http://dysonanalysis.com</a</li></ul>
I'd suggest that if you're interested in how the internals of your engine and oil are doing, go and have your oil analyzed. I cannot share all of Terry's analysis with the group, since it is proprietary, but he does have some interesting insight into oils and engine wear.
Mileage on Car 1,808
Mileage on Oil 1,808
Factory/Dealer Oil (Castrol Syntec 5W40)
Aggressive Break-in within Audi limits
Iron 1 6 ppm (Normal to low)
Copper 21 (slight elevation)
Tin 4 (Elevated)
Lead 3 (Normal to low)
Chromium 1 (Low)
Nickel 0
Aluminum 20 (Elevated)
Titanium 0
Silver 0
Calcium 1048 (Additive)
Magnesium 8 (Additive)
Zinc 508 (Additive)
Phosphorus 497 (Additive)
Barium 7
Molybdenum 6
Antimony 0
Silicon 27 (Elevated)
Sodium 11 (Elevated)
Boron 15 (Additive)
Potassium 0
Vanadium 0
Viscosity 40C - 63.4 SAE 20, 100C - 9.4 SAE 30 (Oil shear)
TAN 0.92 (Low)
Flashpoint 315 (Low, indicating fuel dilution)
Oxidation 24 (Normal)
Nitration 8 (Low)
Water 311 (Extremely low)
TBN 4.2 (Additive package depleted)
Fuel 226 (1.5% fuel dilution)
Soot 0
Glycol 0
Vndx 128 (depleted)
Sulfate Byproduct 24 (good)
Generally this engine wears quite well at break-in. According to Terry Dyson, none of the elemental wear numbers are out of the ordinary. On the other hand, after 1800 miles, the oil took a beating. The factory 5W40 oil had sheered down to 30W. The flashpoint was down, indicating up to 2% fuel dilution, which would have occured early on during break-in, and probably why WOT is not a good thing out the gate. Finally, the additive package was depleted quite a bit. Essentially, my break-in method basically beat the crap out of the oil. In addition, the fuel dilution and flashpoint numbers indicate that during break-in there was quite a bit of blowby occuring, which would account for the higher oil consumption. My oil consumption has gone down dramatically, which should also reduce the dilution and increase the flashpoint next time.
I've changed to Elf Excellium LDX 5W40 and will be monitoring how it runs in this engine, and will post the results when they come in.<ul><li><a href="http://dysonanalysis.com">http://dysonanalysis.com</a</li></ul>
08-03-2006, 06:38 AM
#2
AudiWorld Expert
I think you have too much time on your hands...
I have never even considered doing an oil analysis right after breakin. To be honest, I have never ever considered doing any kind of oil analysis. This is the detail left to the manufacturer..especially on a car that cost as much as the RS 4 did.
08-03-2006, 07:01 AM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
And this comment is coming from someone with over 19K posts to his credit.
Just call me an overachiever. It doesn't take much work to hand a plastic bottle to the service tech, mail it and wait for a report to come back. It also doesn't take much time to share the analysis data with anyone that has an interest. If you ain't interested, then cruise on by.
For me, the information I gleaned was invaluable. I learned that it was a good thing that I changed out the factory oil at 1800 miles, rather than the recommended 5000 miles. I learned that that the engine is wearing in well, which gives me a measure of piece of mind. I learned that these engines do have a substantial amount of blowby, and now have a way to easily monitor it over the next year. I have a way to monitor overall engine breakin progress. And, I have a way to measure the performance of the oil that I use, whether to change to a different type, and when to change it for best engine life.
I run an engineering consulting business out of my home, learned a long time ago that reliable technical information is golden, that the only way to obtain reliable information on mechanical or electrical systems is to measure it, and not to trust the common wisdom or manufacturers claims. I could certainly follow Audi recommendations to the tee, but remember that those recommendations are designed to get the car through the warranty period with minimal repair incidents.
For me, the information I gleaned was invaluable. I learned that it was a good thing that I changed out the factory oil at 1800 miles, rather than the recommended 5000 miles. I learned that that the engine is wearing in well, which gives me a measure of piece of mind. I learned that these engines do have a substantial amount of blowby, and now have a way to easily monitor it over the next year. I have a way to monitor overall engine breakin progress. And, I have a way to measure the performance of the oil that I use, whether to change to a different type, and when to change it for best engine life.
I run an engineering consulting business out of my home, learned a long time ago that reliable technical information is golden, that the only way to obtain reliable information on mechanical or electrical systems is to measure it, and not to trust the common wisdom or manufacturers claims. I could certainly follow Audi recommendations to the tee, but remember that those recommendations are designed to get the car through the warranty period with minimal repair incidents.
08-03-2006, 07:08 AM
#4
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Salem Virginia
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: And this comment is coming from someone with over 19K posts to his credit.
Hey I think its fantastic that you have put forth the effort and time to share this info and I find it quite interesting. Once my car finally arrives and its time to change my oil I am going to have the analysis done.
08-03-2006, 08:03 AM
#7
AudiWorld Expert
As a engineer - I like what you did - and it indicates that changing your oil
now would be a good thing. The break-in has paid it toll on the oil - and 5K may be too long to wait for changing.
Most here are too young to remember the days when you changed the oil after 500 miles - and you retorqued the heads about that time also.
Most here are too young to remember the days when you changed the oil after 500 miles - and you retorqued the heads about that time also.
Trending Topics
08-03-2006, 08:20 AM
#9
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,333
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I changed oil on my vehicles after about 1k miles on break in
and then every 5K after that. I think that these analysis type things are a waste of time unless you are going to be racing and are demanding the upmost performance from your vehicle. It's nice to know information, but are you really going to do with it?
