A customer called me today and said that he had a problem. He explained to me that a car that he had done a an engine oil and oil filter change on, came back with a blown motor. He blamed the damage to the engine on the oil that I had sold him. I won't mention the brand. I'll just say that it was a 10W-30 Synthetic Blend Motor Oil. The engine threw a rod 1,503 miles after the last oil change.
I immediately went to the shop and took a sample from the blown motor and from the tank in which the virgin engine oil is being stored. The samples were sent overnight to a laboratory to have the oil tested. We should find out in a couple of days what caused the engine failure.
I spoke with the company that blended the oil and I was told that it's impossible for an engine failure to occur after only 1,503 miles after and oil change unless there was a pre-existing problem in the engine. I was told that the engine had to be torn apart and the internal parts carefully inspected. I passed on this information to my customer, but he refuses to do it. He says he would be wasting his time. He really believes that the damage to the engine was caused by the engine oil that I sold him.
I was told by a lubricants guru to contact Ford to see if there are any documented problems with the engines in the 2000 Lincoln LS. I will post my results as soon as I get them.
ReplyDeleteThis is the reply I got from an expert in tribology.
ReplyDelete"These might be the same oils but I doubt it. At the very least they might have topped of the crankcase with some "off the shelf" oil bought at a parts store. The New oil has 231 ppm B. 892 P. 2275 Ca.
Used oil has 134 ppm B. 764 P. 2191 Ca. There are % +- of additives. 50% less B is outside the spec. Footprints of oil don't lie.
Fe, Al, are hi. Si is dirt and it is high also. If Fe and Cr are high it indicates cylinder area wear which is Fe and Cr which is chrome from the rings. This report shows high Fe and Al. Might be from the cams if it is overhead cam engine. Aluminum can be from heads, aluminum blocks, pistons, accessory drive covers. This engine looks like a cam failed or timing gears which might have caused piston interference with the cylinder head? I don't know what failed so I am guessing here."