How do you read an oil analysis to determine engine health?

While we might not like to admit it, a lot of us probably rely solely on indicator lights within our instrument cluster to determine how healthy our vehicle is. Unless we hear or smell something really out of the ordinary, the likelihood of us realizing something is wrong is pretty slim without the warning lights. But there is a great way to determine the health of your engine as long as you know how to go about it and what exactly you’re trying to find. With that in mind, we thought we’d give you the rundown on how to get and ultimately read an oil analysis.

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How do I get an oil analysis?

This is probably going to be the hardest part of the whole process for some, as it isn’t typically something you can just head to the dealership or an oil change shop to get. You have to send samples of your oil into a laboratory for analysis, and it can be a bit pricey. But we assure you, if your vehicle is old and showing signs of wear and tear in other places of its mechanical systems, it could definitely be worth it to get the oil analyzed. There might be damage within your engine that you would otherwise have no idea of, and this can lead to further damage not only leading to even pricier fixes down the road but also putting you and your passengers at risk.

How do I read an oil analysis?

The first thing that you’re going to want to look at after receiving the results of your oil analysis are indicators of wear and tear. These can be discovered by searching for different kinds of metals showing up within the oil. If the quantity of these metals is low then it might not be anything to worry about, but if there is a lot of a certain metal in your oil it could certainly indicate that there’s something wrong with a part inside your engine. For example, if you find a lot of aluminum in the oil analysis there could be something wrong with your pistons, likewise iron could mean your crankshaft is wearing out.

Another thing that you can read within the analysis is about contaminants that have found their way into your oil. To give you another example, if you notice that there is a bunch of potassium and sodium contaminating the oil, that likely means that engine coolant is mixing with your oil as those are both byproducts of coolant. If coolant is mixing with your oil, then your head gasket might be failing. Likewise, finding silicon in the oil might mean your air filter has ceased working, as that’s found in sand and dirt.

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Hopefully this brief rundown has helped you a bit, but you can watch the video below for an even more in-depth look at how to discover hidden damage within your engine. Feel free to give us a call with any questions that you might have!