3.3TT Original Oil Filter Element Cut Open

[Sybaritic]

Hi everyone, in case you're a car nerd like I am and was curious about how much metal bits are trapped from engine break-in, here is a pic of my original oil filter element cut open, when I changed the lube oil at 4,861km (about 3,000 miles for my USA friends). You can see the odd piece of metal, but all in all, fairly little, and the filter paper is not quite black yet because the oil was still fairly clean coming out, but I was itching to install a fresh filter and oil in there from break-in, and do the work myself.

From what I can see here, you can probably push the factory oil a little longer before first change. Also, I was pleasantly surprised it was an oil filter made by Mahle. This car is so German!

 

[MrSmoofy]

This type of inspection is done for every oil change on an airplane motor or should be done as well as sending it off to a lab to be analyzed.

 

[Sybaritic]

This type of inspection is done for every oil change on an airplane motor or should be done as well as sending it off to a lab to be analyzed.

Oh interesting, I didn't know that. I will take the oil to get analysed on Wed and then report back. Apparently they fill the engine with a special break-in oil from the factory, so I will see how the readings differ from past oil reports I have on record from my other cars.

 

[MrSmoofy]

Oh interesting, I didn't know that. I will take the oil to get analysed on Wed and then report back. Apparently they fill the engine with a special break-in oil from the factory, so I will see how the readings differ from past oil reports I have on record from my other cars.

In case your interested, P&E Airframe & Powerplant - AOPA

On our cars sure it's nice to know if the oil has metals which would be a bad sign for the engine but worse case your engine dies and you get a towed. For an airplane, if your engine dies there is a good chance your gonna crash and possibly die.

 

[brancky3]

Blackstone Laboratories is a pretty popular standard for testing across many car communities. It's $28/sample
Blackstone Laboratories – Oil Analysis – Learn What's Going On In Your Engine

 

[Sybaritic]

Thanks guys! I have a local oil analysing facility I've been using for years. Will report back on findings!

 

[djerickd]

Well??

 

[Sybaritic]

Thanks for asking....the oil was still considered very good with lots of life left from the report. This gives me proof that we no longer have to change the oil after the first 1,000 miles as some car nerds might (or what I would have liked to do if it wasn't that much work to change, i.e. if our cars used a spin-on oil filter at an easy-to-access spot like say on a 2006-2011 Honda Civic, and no covers to remove).

I will post the report tomorrow

 

[djerickd]

Oh good! I got my Mahle/kia filter today waiting to see if I should change at 3000 or 6000 and with non-synthetic for my 1st.

 

[G-24627]

You’re totally safe waiting to 6K. I did a second oil analysis where I drove 6K and again, lots of life (but I used Mobil 1 synthetic).