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Why You Should Invest in an Oil Analysis

What is Oil Analysis? There’s nothing you enjoy more than an afternoon of off-roading. For one, the adrenaline rush is incomparable. But it’s also your chance to get away and have some time to yourself. Do yourself a quick favor though before planning your next adventure. Think about the last time you performed maintenance on your vehicle. Was it years ago? If that’s the case, it’s time to consider purchasing an oil analysis kit. You may be wondering, “What in the world is an oil analysis kit?” We’re so glad you asked. An oil analysis consists of taking a sampling of used oil and analyzing it to determine the effectiveness of the lubricant, wear metals, and level of dirt in...

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Why Oil Analysis is Worth Your Time

More and more folks today are reaping the benefits of oil analysis. But is it really essential to the ongoing maintenance of your equipment? In this blog post, we will explain why oil analysis is worthwhile on multiple fronts. How to Test Your Oil The majority of labs require at least three ounces of oil to conduct a complete analysis. Once you have the sample, it’s in your hands whether you hire or use a DIY testing kit. Keep in mind that the test usually involves the following: Measuring the viscosity of the sample Performing a spectral testing to measure contaminants “Flashing” a sample to determine fuel contamination Measuring for contaminants using a centrifuge As aforementioned, you can choose either...

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Debunking the Most Common Myths About Oil Analysis

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, oil analysis is a great way to quickly and affordably determine the health of your equipment. It can help prevent production delays and breakdowns of expensive machines by getting to the root causes of what’s wrong. That said, there are a number of myths revolving around oil analysis. We will debunk some of the more common ones in this post. If you change your oil regularly, there’s no need for an oil analysis - This is far and away the biggest misconception. How do you really know the condition of that new oil? Is it actually in a significantly better condition that the current oil? Not to mention, is the oil ISO 446 standard?...

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The History of Oil Analysis

You may not think so, but there’s quite the history behind oil analysis. In fact, it was first used after World War II by the U.S. railroad industry to monitor the health of trains. Thanks to oil analysis, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad’s research lab was able to successfully detect diesel engine problems in 1946. The development of the spectrograph turned out to be a key factor in their findings. At the time, this instrument replaced several wet chemical methods for detecting and measuring iron, copper, and other chemical elements. Keep reading to learn more about oil analysis and how you can benefit from an oil analysis test kit. In 1955, oil analysis reached the point to where the...

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Welcome to Our Blog!

Whether you’re a previous customer or just found our website for the first time, we want to welcome you to UnderMyHood! The purpose of this initial blog post is to inform you about oil analysis, what it entails, its benefits, and what we can do to help. What is Oil Analysis? Without getting too complex, oil analysis involves the sampling of used oil that’s taken and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the lubricant, wear metals, and level of dirt in the oil. Why exactly is it useful? Well, the analysis provides information on whether the proper oil is being used for the conditions in which the vehicle is being used. Who Uses Oil Analysis? Oil analysis plays a critical...

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