Oil Analysis came back... doesn't look good

[AC_Schnitzel]

Story of the car:

• Purchased in April 2018
• 88 325 super eta w/ 103k original miles (generally clean car)
• Saw that service records indicate wrong spec oil being used (5w-30)
• Car sat since April before I took sample in September

Sampling cold is a likely explanation for the mild fuel dilution, but fuel is really the least of your concerns. Wear is on the high side, with aluminum (pistons), iron (cylinders/shafts), copper and lead (bearings) testing well over the universal averages. Those averages show typical M20B27 wear after ~2,100 miles of oil use. The viscosity is a bit low, but we doubt that explains the wear. As a precaution, listen for unusual noise (e.g. tick, knock). Hopefully metals are only high due to a lack of maintenance, as opposed to a mechanical problem.

As a precaution, they recommended to check back in ~1k miles of driving.

What do you guys think?

[TobyB]

I have yet to see a car offered with 'unoriginal' miles.

I think the sitting may factor in, especially if you sampled from the drain plug.

Get some nice, high- zddp oil, DRIVE that thing a bunch, change the oil, drive it some more,
THEN try it, sampling hot.

whut I'd do before I worried too much more,

t

[AC_Schnitzel]

I have yet to see a car offered with 'unoriginal' miles.

I think the sitting may factor in, especially if you sampled from the drain plug.

Get some nice, high- zddp oil, DRIVE that thing a bunch, change the oil, drive it some more,
THEN try it, sampling hot.

whut I'd do before I worried too much more,

t

I guess swap would be unoriginal lol.

Will take that advice and do another oil change before sampling again.

Thanks!

[pandaboo911]

Might not be relevant but I had an analysis done and it came back with very high lead / copper. Turned out the PO used an oil additive containing lead and copper. Next oil change yielded no bearing wear.

It’s less likely aluminum and iron can be a false positive though so run a short interval.

[AndrewBird]

This post talks more specifically about 24v motors, but will flush any engine well.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=3770987&postcount=7&p=3770987&postcount=7

[e30davie]

Its a 30yr old engine, what do you expect? who cares about miles at this stage, 30 years is 30 years. Unless you personally have had it rebuilt, who knows what life its been through. Could have been thrashed within an inch of its life with no oil between 1996 and 1998.

What are you going to do about it? rebuild it tomorrow based on an oil analysis? I suggest you change the oil, and then drive your car to the bottle shop and buy beer. Come home and drink the beer and forget about the oil analysis.

....and keep listening out for knocks ;)