oil analysis for $11

[npauli]

I work for Cat and have a dealer close to my house (altorfer.com). I called their parts guy and asked for prices on a number of things that I could use (fluids, tools, etc.). Just trying to support the home team and save a trip to AutoZone, ya know? Most were out of my price range, but I was surprised how cheap their oil analysis was, so I gave it a try.

$11 + tax got me:

sample bottle
shipping container + postage
analysis results emailed about a week after I drew the sample
an email address to ask questions

analysis included wear metals, oil condition (sulfation, nitration, soot, 100C viscosity), fuel/water/glycol contamination, and a few words saying something like "it looks good".

I have no idea if all dealers offer the same, or if its just Altorfer (in the midwest). It looks like the same kit could be used for other drivetrain lubes, though I wouldn't expect the analyst on the other end to know a lot about the hardware used in our trucks.

Of course, I work for Cat (not the dealership, but close), so my ulterior motive is to create millions in new sales of oil analysis kits so that the stock goes up and I can retire earlier. Yeah, or maybe just save you a few bucks. Thought you might be interested.

[Plattman]

Thanks for the tip. I'm in Tremont, IL and go by Altorfers every time I go into Peoria. I'll be checking it out.

Chad