Engine oil analysis=bad news

[JCL]

I am confused as to whether the engine is making noises consistent with failure, or you are simply concluding all of this based on a single oil sample. If the engine is in fact noisy, piston slap and bearing noise, etc, or you have other symptoms consistent with the Blackstone suggestions, then go to your dealer, get them to use a boroscope to have a look at it, and go from there. You have a CPO warranty, so that isn't really a problem. Certified means that it has a warranty more than that the condition is certified, IMO.

If you have no physical symptoms, I would file the oil sample away under the 'unnecessary anxiety file' and not think about it again until after your next oil change.

Do you know that the oil was never changed in 38,000 km and 5 years? Or are you assuming that from the Blackstone comments? Ask to see the dealer work order. If there is oil and filter on that work order, I would safely assume that the oil was changed. The dealer can also look up the key and see what work was done apart from the CPO work order. It is more conclusive that Blackstone's comments.

What was the TBN? That may provide more information on elapsed time.

Ask Blackstone what they are using as the 'typical' numbers for each sampled metal. I suspect they aren't using numbers from a significant population of BMW engines, but rather universal numbers from their database. If so, you have to decide how relevant those numbers are.

Suggestion of a coolant leak? So was there coolant in the sample or not? If there was simply moisture, you should think more about condensation from short trips, than a coolant leak. Blackstone are not likely familiar with the BMW engine and how condensation collects in the engine during multiple cold starts and short trips, without sufficient warm up to burn off the condensation.

If you do another sample, you could validate the results by using another lab. Send it to Blackstone as well if you like. You could go to the SOS lab on 170th at 109th in Edmonton (pick up a sample bottle and drop it off at the parts counter there - the lab itself is at 15810 114th Ave). If you are in Fort Mac, there is a branch of the same equipment dealer there. They have a very large lab, and don't just do samples on 797s and D11s.

Oil labs don't fix engines. They sell sampling services. What was the first thing that the oil lab told you to do? More samples. It is the standard response when you get a sample, that you should do more of them, more often. There is some logic to the more sample idea, in that if you have four or five or more samples you can trend the results. One sample, unfortunately, tells you very little. You may very well have problems inside your engine. Don't conclude that based on this one sample however.

If you want to scan and post the sample results, some of us can provide comments on them.