WWLWD?? Just got some news from Blackstone

[Hujan]

Stupid question: For those of us who are still enjoying free oil changes from the dealer, is it possible to have them save a sample to send to Blackstone? I'd like to get a baseline for my own car so that I can track changes.

[SYZ]

Originally Posted by Hujan

Stupid question: For those of us who are still enjoying free oil changes from the dealer, is it possible to have them save a sample to send to Blackstone? I'd like to get a baseline for my own car so that I can track changes.

I asked mine to do so and they happily obliged. I would provide the container otherwise they might just use whatever they can find available, which may have residue that could possibly contaminate the sample.

[Longbow64]

I gave the dealer the bottle, they took the sample during the oil change. No extra charge.

[Hujan]

Originally Posted by SYZ

I asked mine to do so and they happily obliged. I would provide the container otherwise they might just use whatever they can find available, which may have residue that could possibly contaminate the sample.

Cool, thanks. Any tips for a good container?

(Sorry for taking this OT, guys. But I figure more collective M3 data is better, right?)

[SYZ]

Originally Posted by Hujan

Cool, thanks. Any tips for a good container?

(Sorry for taking this OT, guys. But I figure more collective M3 data is better, right?)

Best container is probably the one they send you from Blackstone; otherwise, use a clean plastic container that won't spill in your car if disturbed on the way home i.e. has a screw-on lid. My dealer used an empty aspirin jar.

[Longbow64]

Blackstone mails you the kit for free. They don't charge you until you send something in.

[Hujan]

Originally Posted by SYZ

Best container is probably the one they send you from Blackstone; otherwise, use a clean plastic container that won't spill in your car if disturbed on the way home i.e. has a screw-on lid. My dealer used an empty aspirin jar.

Originally Posted by Longbow64

Blackstone mails you the kit for free. They don't charge you until you send something in.

Ah, did not realize they send you the kit. Makes sense. Thanks, guys.

[Billj747]

Originally Posted by aussiem3

It will be interesting to see what the average is for a particular mileage range. That will shed some light rather than looking at an overall average. I might do this some time today if time permitting.

I took my 35 values and made a scatter plot:

[DATM3]

Originally Posted by Billj747

I took my 35 values and made a scatter plot:

Wow, i don't see any trends. From this data, I don't see how we can tell when our engines will blow up. Is that why you stopped getting the reports after 75k?

[Billj747]

Originally Posted by aznboi319

Wow, i don't see any trends. From this data, I don't see how we can tell when our engines will blow up. Is that why you stopped getting the reports after 75k?

That was just from searching online. Only found 35 S65 Blackstone reports. Not many above 60k.

[DATM3]

Here is the report of the oil change 4,000 miles later.

[dparm]

Having talked to one of the owners of Blackstone (in person), he said that too many people panic when they see elevated particle counts. Particle streaking can happen and doesn't mean the engine is about to blow. There are also cases of great UOAs where the engine lets go without warning.

UOAs are best used to understand if a given oil and change interval works well for the engine. Determining engine health from a UOA is dicey.

[DATM3]

Originally Posted by dparm

Having talked to one of the owners of Blackstone (in person), he said that too many people panic when they see elevated particle counts. Particle streaking can happen and doesn't mean the engine is about to blow. There are also cases of great UOAs where the engine lets go without warning.

UOAs are best used to understand if a given oil and change interval works well for the engine. Determining engine health from a UOA is dicey.

So is it okay for these bearings to have wear? I have been seeing pictures of a lot of these bearings taken from cars from various mileage some even showing copper. Is that normal wear on bearings over time? Are they actually the problems that cause the engine to blow or is it something else? Since the clearance is tight did they engineer it on purpose so that once the engine is properly broken in the bearings will naturally wear like that?

[Billj747]

Originally Posted by aznboi319

Here is the report of the oil change 4,000 miles later.

Was the oil TWS or EDGE professional OE TWS?

[Vic311]

Is it me or are people generally working themselves up into a state over this oil/bearing business?

If the worriers looked at their own health the way they do their car, they'd probably be accused of being hypochondriacs.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by aznboi319

So is it okay for these bearings to have wear? I have been seeing pictures of a lot of these bearings taken from cars from various mileage some even showing copper. Is that normal wear on bearings over time? Are they actually the problems that cause the engine to blow or is it something else? Since the clearance is tight did they engineer it on purpose so that once the engine is properly broken in the bearings will naturally wear like that?

Engines wear, sure. I don't profess to be an expert on this particular motor nor its supposed bearing issues, but I just don't want to see mass panic when a particle count is slightly elevated on an oil analysis.

[speedaddictM3]

Originally Posted by Vic311

Is it me or are people generally working themselves up into a state over this oil/bearing business?

If the worriers looked at their own health the way they do their car, they'd probably be accused of being hypochondriacs.

Sorry but not all of us are gazillionaires like you who can afford to drop $25000 at a moment's notice when their S65 self destructs.