Obtaining a representative oil sample is one of the most important parts of a scheduled oil analysis program. If the sample does not represent the true condition of the lubricant and component at the time of sampling, the reliability of both the test result and its interpretation is affected – potentially adversely.
 Always run the engine for at least 10 minutes before drawing a sample.
Lubricants should be sampled while the machinery is running to ensure that wear products and lubricant contaminants are thoroughly mixed with the lubricant and that the heavier wear particles have not settled out.
Once a proper sampling point and method is chosen for a particular component, oil samples from that component should always be taken from the same point with the same method.
Always clean sampling valves before taking a sample.
Never let the sampling container become contaminated with nearby "sludge" or dirt.
The ONLY substance that should ever touch the inside of a sampling bottle, sampling tube, or other container used for a sampling procedure is the substance being tested - the oil!
When using a sampling valve, purge a few ounces of fluid though it before taking the sample to clean any build-up of sludge and settled contaminants that may have collected in the valve.
Areas where lubricant flow is restricted or where contaminants and wear products tend to settle or collect should be avoided as sampling points.
When labeling sample bottles, the cap should also be labeled. Mistakenly placing a cap from a bad sample onto a bottle containing a good sample cross-contaminates the sample and yields potentially false data.
Ask your oil analysis lab for further insight into a lubricant extension program.
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