FWIW, Mobil offers oil analysis, at less than $10 each, but you have to buy
a 12-pack of the vials and mailers. Contact your local Mobil distributor for
more info. I've used this several times, mailed the sample through USPS, at
a cost of about 80 cents. You will get back a very detailed report, as well
as a trend report.

Karl M

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, Subject: Oil analysis group purchace

> I just ordered a couple more kits from Herguth and asked about
> discounts.  at 50 you get 30% off, 100 or more 40% off.  They also offer
> email results, including a color bar graph, in PDF format.  Anyone who
> wants to order a kit can call Linda at 888 437-4884 x 3012 and get yours
> for $20, which includes the shipping both ways.
>
> Any interest in a group purchase?  If we could order 100 they would cost
> members about $15 including postage and a small handling fee to someone
> who mails them out. They also sell a slick database program for
> monitoring fleets that tracks trends.  If there is enough interest I, or
> someone, could set up this database and the data would also be available
> to the whole group.  This could be really valuable information since you
> log oil brand, change frequency, mileage, etc.
>
> Someone like William Fryer who is concerned about his engine at 165,000
> miles could have actually tracked his analysis trends, or now look at
> the combined list historical data and see the results for that mileage.
>
> Maybe this is too much trouble for most of us, but I thought I'd throw
> it out for comment.
>
> Personally, I think every engine should have an oil analysis every
> 50,000 miles, and those of you using synthetic oils for megabuck$ could
> probably save money not changing oil so often if you tested every 5000
> miles or so!