Transmission Oil Sampling Procedure

Transmission Oil Sampling Procedure

  1. You don’t need to run the transmission before sampling.
  2. If you’re changing the oil, let some oil drain before filling the bottle. Try not to get either the first or the last oil out of the transmission.
  3. If you’re using a pump, thread the pump tubing down the dipstick and pull a sample into the bottle. The length of the pump tubing should equal the length of the dipstick. The tubing can be cleaned with kerosene.
  4. We need 3 oz to complete all our tests. But even if you only have 1 oz, we can still do most of our four tests. If you have questions, call us at 260/744-2380.
  5. Complete the oil sample information slip.
    • The Unit ID is what you’ll call this transmission (F150 transmission, etc.).
    • Most people do not add make-up oil to their transmission in between oil changes. You can probably leave this field blank. If your transmission leaks oil, please note that on the information slip.
    • We do not run a TBN on transmission oil (that’s only for engine oil), but we can run a Total Acid Number test (TAN) to see how acidic the oil has become. The cost is an extra $10.
  6. Wrap the gray material around the oil sample and put both in the plastic bag. Put that in the black mailer. Put that and the form into the white envelope and drop it into a mailbox.

Some post offices mistake oil samples for hazardous material. Oil is not hazardous. Blackstone Laboratories’ oil sample kit meets all postal requirements. To see a letter you can give the post office to help reassure them that it’s okay to send, please click here.

dipstick