For the past several years I've been having my oil tested at each oil change. My current car always comes back as having really clean oil, which lets me change the oil once a year at the most. Having this test documented will help when I sell my current car. The company I've been using is Blackstone Labs. I'm thinking of buying a Fit and just wondering if anyone here has done the same and what your experiences have been.

 

pretty tight

 

I want to start doing this. How much does it cost and do u just ship them a bottle of it thanks

 

Lol! I barely have enough time to get my oil changed and more important, the money to do what I want/need to do to my cars... much less going through the hassle and added expense of having oil tested. Probably a good idea if you own a Ferrari or some other high-priced car. I don't know... just seems like overkill for a car like the Fit labelled an "econo-car."

There is a thread on this forum of someone having the oil from their Fit tested. The oil looked very good after the first oil change, and kept getting better for the next couple of consecutive oil changes, from what I can remember. Don't remember the exact thread, or where it's located. Just do a search for "oil tested," or anything resembling that.

 

Yep someone's already had their Fit's oil tested over three changes I believe. So far he's the representative for the "easy driving" camp.

I think the more people who test their oil, the better for us as a whole. I would love to see how a Fit's engine oil stands up to trackday abuse or aggressive driving. I would do it myself and share the findings (I'd fit under the "trackday" category), but there are very very few places that do oil analysis where I come from.

 

Blackstone charges $23 for a basic test and an additional $10 for a TBN (Total Base Number). The TBN shows how much neutralizing additive is still left in the oil. That's the key to finding out if you can stretch your oil change intervals. That was my main reason for doing it. The other reason is that I wanted to keep an eye on any unusual contaminants, such as antifreeze, metals and dirt.

The steps are that you first request the oil sample bottles. (They have a website.) When draining your oil, you catch some of the oil in the bottle. Once sent back, they Email you a link to download the PDF of your results. The results have both the technical output and plain language comments.

It's a handy service if you want to keep an eye on your engine and to gauge how often you really need to change your oil.

 

Blackstone labs rocks! They send you all the kits for free which includes 2 bottles, one for oil, one to ship it in, an absorbant cloth, ziploc bag, and a paper to fill out. Just ship it to them and send em $23 and your good. Im sending my oil in for the first time next oil change. They seem very professional and extremely well organized.

 

Ive never tested mine. But I do always use the correct oil at the correct change intervals. Never had any issues

 

I agree oil testing seems a little excessive for a car that's worth less than 19,000 new.

 

Oil testing is great - gives you lots of interesting info about your car, and allows you to spot problems related to engine life long before they become an issue. e.g. an aftermarket air filter that's letting in more silicon (dirt) than is healthy. And "splurge" on the $10 TBN's a few times, and it'll save you lots of money & time by letting you know how much more life was left in the oil, allowing you to safely reduce the frequency of your oil changes.

I've gotten 3 analyses done on this car so far - which reminds me, I may not have ever posted my latest one from last fall. And I'm about ready to change the oil, I'm definitely sending in a sample which will give me a 4th data point.