Elevated wear materials in oil analysis

[atraudes]

Hey all! I did my second oil analysis with my last oil change, and got another warning from the lab about elevated wear materials. They don't indicate that it's any cause for hyperventilation, but I'm curious if anyone else here has done an analysis like this and what their wear metals looked like.

Also I'm wondering if anybody has any ideas as to what could be causing this. My understanding is the usual culprit is low oil pressure caused by worn bearings that allow more oil to slip past them. However, I don't have a way to confirm this, so I'm searching for other possibilities that I can look into.

Would getting the valves adjusted help? I've heard that misadjusted valves can allow oil to drain back causing the next start to be a dry one, though I would think the drainback valve on the oil filter would prevent this.

The only outstanding issues/oddities I have are a rattle on startup occasionally (never more than a second which I hear is natural and expected), and the idle is sometimes rough while driving. I think the rough idle is due to a leaky fuel damper or cam/crankshaft sensor going bad. I'll be hooking up an oil pressure gauge soon to see if the rough idle coincides with low pressure by chance, and also to confirm the pressure is within spec.

Any thoughts or insight are welcome! If there's something I can do to extend the engine's life, it'd certainly be worth knowing about

[Pathy415]

Atraudes,

Have you tried using a thicker oil like a 5w40 or 10w30? I know Shell has an oil called Rotella T6 that is well respected by many and has helped with low oil pressure as well as leaks etc. I might be switching to that oil in the future but I'm currently running Castrol GTX high mileage. I know Lucas makes an oil stabilizer thats supposed to help dry starts and consumption.

Have you checked out ob is the Oil guy forum? http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub ... um_summary

They have plenty of guys there that live a breath oil and may be able to help you with your issues. As far as the rough idle have you tried cleaning the MAF sensor?

[atraudes]

I've read that using thicker oils will raise oil pressure but also lower oil flow, which turns out to be counterproductive. Thanks to your recommendations, though, I think I'm going to try a different oil next time, based on what I found in this thread. I'm thinking Castrol GTX 5W30 since it averaged out at 0 for lead. I know there's no guarantee, but it's worth a go.

Upon further reading, I also found that the Techron in Chevron gas may be linked to elevated lead. This correlation was of course heavily debated and reliant on firsthand accounts, but since I use Chevron exclusively, I may switch to another non-additive gas for the remainder of this oil and see if there's any change.

I may post a question at BITOG as well. That site always has top-notch info so it's a good idea!

I did try cleaning the MAF sensor and have even replaced it. There's a full write-up of what I've tried posted as a question on the Mechanics StackExchange site. I'm really looking forward to getting that straightened out this summer

[atraudes]

Based on this thread, our engines look to be happier with heavier oils. Good call Now I'm thinking the 10W-30 Castrol.

Looks like I'm only 600 miles into this fresh oil, so I won't have an update soon I will be trying not-Chevron gas till the next change, so at least I'll be able to see the results of that.

Ok, I'm done reading about oils for today. My eyes are starting to cross...

[attofarad]

I never did a UOA, but I was running Castrol Syntec 0W30 in my wife's 2001 QX4. Mainly for the convenience of sharing oil with my Passat. The Syntec 0W30 is about the heaviest 30 you will find -- sits just below the border of 30 and 40. Last change, I went to Maxlife -- been having some slight oil leaks on her engine (206k miles), probably rear main seal, and I am hoping that the Maxlife will stop that. Not enough miles yet to know.

[Pathy415]

Yeah I'm thinking about running a more robust oil on my next change, maybe Rotella T6 or a 0w40(I think castrol edge?) or even a combination (cocktail) of some sort

I did manage to fix the leak from the oil cooler to cut one avenue of oil loss