THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE TO ENGINE OIL CHANGES

This article discusses how far diesel engine oil needs to be drained at fixed time intervals, despite recent advances on in-vehicle computers and oil-analysis laboratories. Manufacturers' advice has become more sophisticated, linking drain-interval recommendations to duty cycle severity, determined by km per year and average fuel consumption. The Telligent servicing system on the Mercedes-Benz Actros lorry takes this one stage further, by capturing data from the engine's electronic management system and using it to refine estimates of when oil needs changing. However, oil analysis is still required on certain occasions, for example to find out whether it is time to remove the sump plug. Oil analysis at least tests the oil itself. The number of UK lorry and bus operators, recognising the potential of oil sample ('condition monitoring'), has been rising rapidly during the last six or seven years, as wholly or partly synthetic oils have appeared. At present, the demand for oil analysis is more likely to come from operators, unprompted by oil suppliers. The article describes various laboratory tests that are now being conducted to assess oil quality. It summarises tests of physical oil properties and spectrochemical analysis at three laboratories, each following its normal test procedure.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00203122
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Road Transport Engineeers

  1 Cromwell Place
  London SW1 25F,   England 
• Authors:
  • WILCOX, D
• Publication Date: 2000-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-6
• Serial:
  • TRANSPORT ENGINEER
  • Publisher: Institute of Road Transport Engineeers
  • ISSN: 0020-3122

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical analysis; Control; Diesel engines; Digital computers; Drainage; Electronics; Forecasting; Fuel consumption; Headways; Life cycle analysis; Manufactures; Oils; Organizations; Quality control; Tests; Vehicle compartments; Vehicle interiors
• Uncontrolled Terms: Quality
• ITRD Terms: 7163: Chemical analysis; 3874: Control; 1314: Diesel engine; 8673: Digital computer; 2937: Drainage; 6965: Electronics; 132: Forecast; 232: Fuel consumption; 685: Headway; 1377: Interior (veh); 5950: Life cycle; 3647: Manufacture; 4961: Oil; 9057: Organization (association); 9063: Quality; 6255: Test
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00793073
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: May 31 2000 12:00AM