So, here’s how it goes:
Technicians say to change your engine oil annually regardless of mileage.
Clients worry if it’s unnecessary after reading articles or blog posts.
Normally, there’s no proof of what happens if you don’t do it annually, WE HAVE PROOF! We look at your oil analysis numbers from SPEEDiagnostix.
Worried it’s a waste of money to change your oil annually? One client of ours decided against it.
It’s a prime example, and it cost this client over $150k in repairs! All because they let their rare Porsche supercar sit for long periods of time without changing the engine oil often enough. Not to mention how they drove it once it was started.
It’s likely that this was coupled with unfavorable driving characteristics, poor choice of engine oil, and confirmed poor choice of gasoline.
When an engine gets driven short distances and for short periods of time, it builds water in the engine oil, that water raises the TAN (Total Acid Number) in the oil turning it into a corrosive lubricant that has no film strength (lubricity).
When the engine oil just sits and then not given a chance to get up to operating temperature to boil the moisture off, this can easily happen.
Notice the de-lamination that occurred throughout the #8 Mezger Main Bearing. There’s metal throughout this whole engine and lubrication system!
Make note of how badly the #8 main came apart but then how good the other main bearings look. You never know when the grim reaper will strike.
As my good friend of mine says, “You can lead a human to knowledge, but you cannot make him think”.
PLEASE NOTE: This car was driven in and it didn’t have any strange engine noises. We were only performing a PPI (Pre-Purchase Inspection) for another client and found metal in the engine oil!
Such a shame! Take good care of your Porsches.
