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Old 09-03-2017, 12:02 PM   #53
C lectric
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City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,414
Oil tests are a good idea.
Like Ski, I used to extend my 200 hr Cummins interval to about 300 hr by using those tests. But I would not have without knowing what the oil was like. Not just the blackening but all the other additives.

THose tests can tell you if acid level is too high, if fuel dilution is a problem, if water is building up which may mean the engine is not run quite hard or long enough enough to drive off condensation and so on.

Acid level is no longer the problem it used to be , at least here, with the ULSD but still not to be ignored.

If you have enough oil in the system, the filters are expensive enough and the actual process of the change is more than just a few minutes then those tests can pay for themselves.

Appearance is not all it's cracked up to be as the clarity could mask a symptom.
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