lubricheck The digital 'blood tester' for your car

Someone on the 6.5 forum posted a link to it. I've never run across it before.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/17/nearly-two-years-later-we-get-our-hands-on-lubrichecks-blood/

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

2 Know About: Lubricheck Engine Oil Analyzer - Try it and become a believer

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

My buddy has one of those and I've used it, it seems to work well.

-J

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Nifty gadget, and not expensive, $40.00. Maybe gets rid of the scheduled every 6 month oil change ... ?

Having just spent $90 on 2 gallons of oil, a filter and 5 quarts of transmission fluid for my wife's Land Cruiser I'm in the mood to buy one.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Wowza ... that's a bunch.

What else should be noted is the lab result gives you a hint of what is wearing down and you don't need to do it every few miles. You do it once a year at best and they recommend what the OCI is. Also you can do different tests in case you like say a new brand of oil and see if it works.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

What test is it actually running? Is it looking only for particulates?

Those of us , mainly dieselheads that like oil with an extra dose of zinc and/or AMSOIL fans may find erroneous readings as their website states.

For forty dollars it has to have limits. Find out what they are. I do not suspect a simple device like this can measure soot levels that are all important in the old indirect injection diesels though.

Look up the oil blotter test. It is an old test but does give you some important information. Also litmus strips may tell you when the oil is getting acid easily enough. Especially for cars where the vast majority of driving is on very short trips.

The litmus strips may also be good testing for your coolant as well using a meter at the same time to evaluate it.

How does the Lubricheck work?

The Lubricheck uses a patent pending technology that measures the capacitive and resistive properties of oil. Oil degrades due to mechanical friction, high temperature, high pressure, moisture, oxidation, and absorption of contaminants. These changes cause a change in capacitive and resistive properties. The Lubricheck compares the sample being tested with stored values of fresh oil and displays the results by lighting 1 of 10 LEDs.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

e

So fundamentally you can do the same test with a meter. Just need a constant fixed separator of the probes. A meter that also has a capacitance function.

Possibly the simple blotter test is even better. Using cheap litmus paper strips with it as well may be still further advanced over this tester.

Neither tests will give us soot levels I believe and they are important on these old diesels.

measures the capacitive and resistive properties of oil.
compares the sample being tested with stored values of fresh oil

This generic comparison is its weakness. I dont know how new dino compares with new fully syn.
its unlikely that its a test you would use for a very expensive motor.
Would be interesting to see data of how resistance & capacitance varies with soot level, other contaminants & oil breakdown.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Find the old engine oil blotter test. I always thought it was pretty good. Basically you read the spread of the drop of oil on the blotter and there is a wide range of things to observe.

I suspect it is useful on diesel engine base oils as well. It certainly is on the gas engines base oils.

No More Guesswork Mercedes-Benz sensor tells when to change oil | News & Analysis content from WardsAuto

I think it was back on 98.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow