EGR Diesel Engines And The Oils They Use... Part Two

By BRETT WINBERG & DEBORAH LOCKRIDGE (Heavy Duty Trucking)

This is our Part Two follow up on last weeks newsletter. Part One can be viewed here.

Most companies offer a number of different engine oils that meet the CI-4 API rating.
      "Some customers may want to invest more in engine oil with premium qualities such as fuel economy benefits and extended drains," says Bill Runkle, Valvoline technical director.

ChevronTexaco's Parson says fleets should be looking at the total cost of ownership for a lubricant. Oils that seem more expensive may actually reduce costs overall if you can extend service intervals, improve fuel mileage, improve reliability, and reduce downtime.
      "Fleets are desperately trying to cut their costs, but lubricants, even if you're using synthetics, are less than 2 percent of your operating budget," says CITGO's Benter. "For fleet managers who focus on trying to just look at how much they can save price per gallon, there's not much productivity there. Tires, fuel and general maintenance are your big maintenance costs. Lubricants are just almost off the radar."

Jim Abram, category manager, heavy-duty oils and commercial products at Petro-Canada, explains it this way: "Often people think of oils as commodities. But all engine oils are not the same. You can't choose oil on the basis of price alone. You have to look at its performance characteristics."

Most premium oils not only meet the CI-4 test result requirements, but also exceed them. In addition, they meet or exceed requirements of various engine maker specifications, such as the Mack EO-N PremiumPlus, Cummins CES 20078 and Volvo VDS-3 tests.
      "The OEM approvals are generally over and above standard CI-4 credentials," says Reginald Dias, director for commercial products for ConocoPhillips. "The additional performance will generally be met with advanced chemistry, better corrosion protection, better soot dispersancy, better oil consumption control, which overall leads to better performance and better protection for the engine."

CITGO calls these kinds of oils "CI-4 plus," says Betner. "It's an unofficial description, but there is something beyond CI-4," he says.

WHAT'S NEXT?
A committee at the API is already beginning work on Proposed Category 10, or PC-10. Due out in 2006, this will set the standards for oil used in 2007-model diesel engines, which will burn ultra-low-sulfur fuel and use exhaust after treatments. Some members of Congress are also pushing for more fuel-efficient diesel engines, as well.

"Engineers say the challenges to reach the next level of oil performance are daunting and could require a whole new batch of additive chemistry, which might not be compatible with engines other than the ones they are specifically designed to lubricate," says ExxonMobil's Harrington. "Such a scenario would certainly bring about confusion and additional cost for fleet owners because they'd have to stock two types of oil and make sure maintenance personnel correctly dispensed the right formulation."
But then, that's what they were saying a few years ago about CI-4. A lot can change in three years.

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