If you regularly use the drip method every 3,000 miles (saving the results), you can track changes in the condition of both the oil and the engine itself. Both methods allow you to quickly find out the condition of your oil and engine at home. And to do such a drip test you will need about half an hour (but more accurate results appear after 24 hours) and a blank sheet of A4 paper (will cost nothing) or a few packaged one-drop test kits designed for field-testing oil, which will cost $15-$20 ($20 for a six-sample kit, and a refill is $15). These can be identified by paper chromatography. Most changes in chemical composition lead to physical changes. The test will take two to four days and the results will show a lot of useful information about internal wear and contamination, changes in chemical composition and physical properties.
The cost of an oil test kit ranges from $25 to $50.
How much does it cost to have engine oil analyzed?
How much can it cost to analyze the engine oil?.