I sent a sample of engine oil to Blackstone labs for analysis at my last oil change (80k miles). The sample came back with higher than normal sodium. Some quick research seems to indicate coolant in the oil as a potential source. The only issue is that they also tested the oil for coolant and found none. I'm also not losing any noticeable quantity of coolant from the reservoir. Does anyone else have experience with Blackstone analysis in terms of their accuracy/reliability? Other potential explanations?
High sodium in oil sample
- Thread starter ephantmon
- Start date
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osufans
Full Access Member
Possibly need an air filter change? I'm guessing maybe getting some road salt into your intake?
rockymountain
Full Access Member
Lay off the chips and soda. :shrug:
BjBnet
Full Access Member
did you have the oil tested before you put it in....not likely the problem but....
No, never thought of that, plus didn't want to spend $29 to test new oil.
The brand was Valvoline full synthetic 5w-30.
I HAVE been driving through a lot of road salt, so it is possible I sucked some in through the air intake.
Here's a link to a UOA of Synpower 5W30: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2135346&gonew=1#UNREAD
How does this one compare to your Na level?
How does this one compare to your Na level?
waywardtravel
Full Access Member
Do you have previous samples to compare.
If not don't worry a bit if no coolant detected.
If so is it close or increasing decreasing? Now serious homework must be done.
I used to get about 10-20 engines sample results a week for our equipment. One sample says nothing. If you sent the results to five engine manufacturers who then sent it to their top worldwide service engineers saying WTF, they would laugh and say don't worry but send us the next one.
If not don't worry a bit if no coolant detected.
If so is it close or increasing decreasing? Now serious homework must be done.
I used to get about 10-20 engines sample results a week for our equipment. One sample says nothing. If you sent the results to five engine manufacturers who then sent it to their top worldwide service engineers saying WTF, they would laugh and say don't worry but send us the next one.
desync0
Full Access Member
You live in MD, so I'd assume they use a lot of salt this time of year, sodium increases are fairly common in oil samples this time of year, especially now that more places are using calcium chloride spray on the roads, it really works it's way in to everything, including your intake.
The benefit of oil sampling comes in when you do it consistently so you have something to compare to and you can see if something increases more rapidly then it has in past samples.
Also if that was bench top test, and not a proper lab test, then the test before you could have had a blown head gasket.
Ohh and polaris labs does quality work, they're very popular in the truck world for guys running by-pass oil filters.
The benefit of oil sampling comes in when you do it consistently so you have something to compare to and you can see if something increases more rapidly then it has in past samples.
Also if that was bench top test, and not a proper lab test, then the test before you could have had a blown head gasket.
Ohh and polaris labs does quality work, they're very popular in the truck world for guys running by-pass oil filters.
huntbuggy
Full Access Member
Kitchen chemist...
Agree you need more constant testing and an initial control to compare to before making conclusions.
I don't buy the road salt intake theory, especially given CaCl2 and many road salts here have little to no sodium and you'd have more problems than a little sodium in oil if your engine was ingesting salt like NaCl. (corrosion, chloride ion reactivity, crystallization&grit etc..)
My theory is our gasolines. Now that most countries have mandated ethanol minimums in all our pump gas (E5 horsesh*t in our country now by law since December, E10 and E85 pushed heavily elsewhere) we are going to see all kinds of new solutes in our gas. Ethanol can dissolve all kinds of compounds that gasoline hydrocarbons cannot, not to mention the additive compounds the refineries have to add to make so much ethanol miscible in the gasoline blends.
(If you can tell I'm not a big fan of ethanol :thumbsdown: until someday we're producing it in cellulosic ethanol plants ie. wood waste, garbage etc... and engines not built for it are long gone.) It's not only a very inefficient fuel, it has chemical properties a lot of us gasoline folks are not used to...
:Rant:
Agree you need more constant testing and an initial control to compare to before making conclusions.
I don't buy the road salt intake theory, especially given CaCl2 and many road salts here have little to no sodium and you'd have more problems than a little sodium in oil if your engine was ingesting salt like NaCl. (corrosion, chloride ion reactivity, crystallization&grit etc..)
My theory is our gasolines. Now that most countries have mandated ethanol minimums in all our pump gas (E5 horsesh*t in our country now by law since December, E10 and E85 pushed heavily elsewhere) we are going to see all kinds of new solutes in our gas. Ethanol can dissolve all kinds of compounds that gasoline hydrocarbons cannot, not to mention the additive compounds the refineries have to add to make so much ethanol miscible in the gasoline blends.
(If you can tell I'm not a big fan of ethanol :thumbsdown: until someday we're producing it in cellulosic ethanol plants ie. wood waste, garbage etc... and engines not built for it are long gone.) It's not only a very inefficient fuel, it has chemical properties a lot of us gasoline folks are not used to...
:Rant:
desync0
Full Access Member
I'm going by my trucking experience, and trucks (which do injest A LOT more air lol) can have elevated sodium in oil samples in the winter due to road salt/NaCl. Especially in trucks that have new air filters. New paper air filters and horrible at trapping dust, and dry salt caked roads make nice dust clouds when a semi goes bye at 65 lol
But most places use CaCl since it's supposedly environmentally friendly, even though it corrodes the shit out of anything metal.
But most places use CaCl since it's supposedly environmentally friendly, even though it corrodes the shit out of anything metal.
