Oil Analyzers Inc. Extends Analysis Tools Into Consumer Passenger Car Market

Ed Newman, AMSOIL Inc.

AMSOIL Inc. of Superior, Wis., has always been a strong proponent of oil analysis.

AMSOIL brought oil analysis processes and technology into the passenger car market with its introduction in the early 1980s of a Trigard System that included by-pass oil filtration and routine oil analysis. At that time, analysis work was subcontracted to leading oil analysis labs. The data was interpreted by trained technical staff at AMSOIL.

In 1997, Oil Analyzers Inc. was founded to provide improved analysis services for the customers AMSOIL serves.

“No other lab fully satisfied our needs with regard to the unique service requirements of synthetic lubricants and extended drain intervals,” said oil analyst Dan Horn. “What sets OAI apart from its competitors is its background and understanding of synthetic lubrication because of its close ties with AMSOIL Inc., the manufacturer of synthetic consumer and industrial lubricating products.”

According to Horn, Oil Analyzers Inc. takes an interest in developing working relationships with its customers. It doesn’t matter whether they are individual automotive consumers who submit one or two samples per year, or commercial fleet and industrial consumers submitting hundreds of samples per year.

Oil Analyzers performs oil analysis on automotive, diesel and industrial equipment. The lab performs other analytical services beyond used oil analysis, including 4-ball Wear, NOACK Volatility, Falex Pin and Vee Block, IR Scan, Foam Testing, Demulsibility Testing, Cold Crank and others. The lab is expanding to provide Timken EP, High Temperature Shear, Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test (RPVOT) along with grease tests such as Roll Stability, Low Temp Torque, Water Washout, Wheel Bearing Leak, Penetration and Dropping Point.

“When a customer uses OAI services, and a critical situation is discovered, we’ll call, fax or e-mail the results immediately. We then like to discuss the results and the application with the customer to determine a recommended course of action. That’s our job. We have a staff of experienced laboratory and technical personnel who can analyze most situations and come up with a good course of action,” said Horn.

OAI has helped many independent Class 8 operators (highway truck fleets), as well as automotive consumers, regardless of whether they were at home or on the road. The OAI staff communicates analytical findings and recommendations, ranging from soot overloads to coolant leaks. “We’ve saved a few engines for our customers,” Horn acknowledged.

If you know how to interpret the results, they can be a reliable indicator of what is going on inside an engine. Trending and baselining are important factors in interpreting results. That’s why companies that have performed analysis for many years have an advantage. They’ve had an enormous amount of time to establish baselines.

Many people are surprised to learn how much business is devoted to the passenger car market, yet this is important. The average age of a car on the road today is eight years. Given depreciation, car owners want to operate their vehicles as long as possible to get full value from their investment. Oil analysis helps reduce costly engine and transmission repairs.

If a person catches a glycol leak early, he won’t have a catastrophic failure. If a glycol leak is neglected, in time, the motorist will experience major engine failure. AMSOIL focuses heavily on consumer education, which includes teaching the importance of good air and oil filtration, and the use of analytical tools to evaluate both the service life of one’s motor oil and the condition of the engine. The creation of Oil Analyzers Inc. has become a valuable extension of the company’s original vision.

Contact Information
Oil Analyzers Inc.
2206 Winter Street
Superior, WI 54880
Ph: 715-395-0222

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