The article shown below will detail for you 1 of 6 incredibly valuable oil analysis tests you can use to quickly establish the continued viability of your oil, without ever sending it off to a lab.

The crackle test is useful for determining whether water ingression from condensation problems is an issue. Most often, you will be most vulnerable to water build-up in your oil if you are a short trip driver and/or if your vehicle sits for long periods without being run.

Why is water in your oil a problem? Because water in your oil causes acid build-up, which causes corrosion. Corrosion leads to pitting, and pitting is BAD for your vehicle’s engine. Even a high TBN extended change interval synthetic oil like AMSOIL can eventually be overcome by water/acid build-up.So, it is important to know if you’re getting water build-up in your oil BEFORE the acid fighting additives in your oil are used up. THAT is why we do the crackle test.

Now, if there is fuel in your oil, this can cause confusion with the test results, so perform the blotter spot test (business card test) first to see if you have any fuel dilution. If so, fuel dilution is already a problem, so the crackle test is a moot point.

So, how do you do it? Simple. Find a hotplate of some kind. Set it to a temp between 250 and 300 degrees F . Lastly, put a little oil on the plate. Then, drop some oil on the plate.

If you place a small amount of oil on a 300 degree hotplate, the oil should boil quickly. You’ll either hear a crackling sound or you won’t. If the crackling doesn’t begin quickly, chances are there is no water in your oil.

A professionally performed oil analysis is more accurate in that it will tell you if you have too much water in your oil and how much water there is, but the the DIY crackle test detailed here is a good, free way to find water in your oil.

If you’re looking to determine what your best oil change intervals should be, the best method is via oil analysis. Of course, on many passenger car vehicles that only take 4-6 quarts of motor oil, the cost of the oil analysis is nearly as much as a complete oil change.

Of course, the end result is that most folks will chose not to ante up for a professional oil analysis – but they might be inclined to perform their own “oil analysis”, if only they knew how to go about doing it. It won’t give you results as accurate and precise as results from the professional lab testing, but it can give you a pretty decent understanding of how well your oil is holding up.

In the next few paragraphs you will discover the complete details for performing one of six DIY oil analysis tests which can be used to establish the condition of your oil and whether it’s ready for a change.

It would likely also be in your best interests to learn a bit more regarding lubricants and filters in general. The following sites may prove useful for this purpose.

- The Motor Oil Bible – Over 150 pages of motor oil information

- The Motor Oil Evaluator – motor oil comparison specifications

- A Motor Oil Forum for discussion of motor oils

The Blotter Spot Test

Using just this simple layman’s oil analysis test can shed light on a whole host of possible oil problems which could require an oil change: excessive particulates, condensation build-up, glycol contamination, fuel dilution, failure of dispersant additives, formation of sludge and oxidation products.

You want to place a drop of used oil on the surface of chromatography paper (good heavy white card stock works pretty well too) . It’s important to be certain the oil is still warm but not hot. Place your white paper/card someplace where it will be suspended parallel to the ground and so that the oil drop area will be touching nothing – on either side of the card. For instance, if you’re using stiff card stock or a stiff business card (which you really should be) you could lay two pencils down on a table (parallel to each other) and set the card with each end sitting on one of the pencils.

Be sure the drop is entirely dry before you attempt to consider the condition of the spot. Once all of the oil has been drawn into the pores of the paper you can begin evaluating the condition of your oil.

- A colorless circle or slight yellowish outer ring = “good” oil.

- A dense, dark deposit zone = Dispersant additive failure

- A black, pasty area = Anti-freeze in your motor oil

- Center of circle dark with distinct outer ring = Severe oxidation

- Center of circle dark with outer rings = Fuel in oil,Fuel dilution

Information for this test featured in: Fitch, J.C., “The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide”, Noria Corporation 2000

There is a point at which a vehicle owner realizes that not all types and brands of oil are created equally. It is at that point that the individual decides that there has to be a “perfect oil” out there for their vehicle and they begin the search to find it. So, it seems rather important to determine just HOW to find that “perfect oil”. This article and those that come after will be focused on that particular goal.

Extraordinary Engine Oil Paradise

Of course, many people make the assumption, as they pursue their “ultimate motor oil” that there is necessarily a “best oil” that will fit everyone’s needs. Some SUPER oil which will, undoubtedly, serve everyone perfectly. But, the extraordinary engine oil paradise that they are looking for is a legend at best. It simply doesn’t exist|cannot be found.

It really is not possible for a single oil to meet the needs of all applications. That’s probably obvious to most. But, it is also not possible for a single BRAND of motor oil to perfectly match the needs of every user. For instance, although a premium synthetic oil like AMSOIL, Redline or NEO may very well be of higher quality than most, that does NOT make any of them the ultimate choice for everyone.

You need to understand the needs of your application if you are ever to find the BEST motor oil to lubricate your engine (or other component). Then you need to take advantage of the valuable motor oil information that can be found around the net (being careful not to just blindly accept everything you read) and use that info to establish which oils fit your needs best.

If you don’t follow a similar research pattern, it is really not possible to make a truly educated decision with regards to proper oil selection for your application. And, thus, you will likely end up with a lubricant that is not meeting your needs in the best way possible.

The oil selections made (synthetic, blend or petroleum, 10w40 vs. 15w40, CJ-4 or CI-4) are likely of little consequence, no matter what anyone tells you, except in the sense that the choices made should be those that will best serve your engine’s needs. As long as they meet these needs, it really will not much matter what oil or brand you decide to use.

The best way to establish realistic oil change intervals is via oil analysis. Of course, on many passenger car vehicles that only take 4-6 quarts of motor oil, the cost of the oil analysis is nearly as much as a complete oil change.

Of course, the result is that the vast majority of vehicle owners choose not to pay for professional oil analysis services – but they might be willing to perform their own “oil analysis”, if they knew how to do it. It won’t give you detailed numbers as you’d get from a lab, but it can give you enough information to determine whether you should be changing your oil or not (as long as you don’t push things too far).

In the next few paragraphs you’ll find detailed instructions for one of six DIY oil analysis tests that you can use to determine how well your oil is holding up and whether it is time to drain it. In this way you can begin to set realistic oil change intervals for your vehicle.

It would likely also be in your best interests to learn a bit more about motor oil and filtration in general. Quite alot of information can be gleaned from the following sites.

- No More Oil Changes – tons of motor oil information

- The Motor Oil Evaluator –

- A Motor Oil Forum for discussion of motor oils

The Blotter Spot Test

This test reveals oxidation products, sludge formation, dispersancy failure, glycol contamination, water contamination, fuel dilution, and high levels of particles.

While your oil is WARM (not HOT), pull your dipstick and place a single drop of motor oil on a heavy, white, NON-glossy business card. Place your white paper/card someplace so that it will be suspended and parallel to the ground and in such a way that your oil spot won’t touch anything – on either side of the card. As an example, if using something relatively stiff you could set it across the top of a glass.

Make sure that the oil spot dries completely before you attempt to evaluate the appearance of the oil drop. At the point where the paper/card has completely drawn all the oils into itself you can begin evaluating the ability of your oil to continue without a change.

- A colorless spot or slight yellowish outer ring = “good” oil.

- A dense, dark deposit zone = Dispersant additive failure

- A black, pasty zone = Glycol (Anti-freeze) in your engine oil

- Center of circle dark with distinct outer ring = Severe oxidation

- A dark center with surrounding rings = Fuel in oil, Fuel dilution

Information for this business card test in: Fitch, J.C., “The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide”, Noria Corporation 2000