Hi everyone,
I got the results of my TCH transaxle used fluid analysis. According to the results, my transaxle appears to be wearing normally. I was expecting the silicate levels to be a little high, which the results showed. According to Prius owners, this is likely due to residual sand particles left over from the casting process, which is why I wanted to change the fluid in the first place.
ORIGINAL REPORT IN PDF FORM:
http://www.hybridview.com/shared/unsorted/E57460.pdf
I especially wanted to see results for the following elements to give me an idea of how my transaxle is holding up:
COPPER: The motor windings are made of copper, so I wouldn't want this level to be high (I want the copper to stay in the wires, not the fluid!) My levels were fine.
IRON: High levels of iron would indicate that the gears are wearing down. My levels were fine.
WATER: If water was found, it would mean I have a bad seal somewhere. You do NOT want any water in the fluid.
ACIDITY: You want this to be low so it doesn't eat away at the internals. My levels were good.
I'm going to do a little more research on the other minerals that were found. Overall, this was a very interesting report. I may have my oil checked out next to see how the engine is wearing.
THE PROCESS:
I paid 25$ to have this done by Blackstone labs
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ (plus another $10 to have the additives analyzed). On their website, you just request a free testing kit and they send it to you in a small tube. You mail it back with a check (or credit card info) and they email you the results. Pretty easy, though I had to convince the post office that the sample was not technically "hazardous cargo". Shipping was about $2 and it took a little over a week to get my results.
Linear Mode
