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In order to detect degradation of engine oil lubricant, bench testing along with a number of diesel-powered Ford trucks were instruments and tested. The purpose of the bench testing was primarily to determine performance aspects such as repeatability, hysteresis effects and so on. Vehicle testing was conducted by designing and installing a separate oil reservoir along with a circulation system which was mounted in the vicinity of the oil pan. An innovative oil sensor was directly installed on the reservoir which can measure five (5) independent oil parameters (viscosity, density, permittivity, conductance, temperature). In addition, the concept is capable of detecting the oil level continuously during normal engine operation. The sensing system consists of an ultrasonic transducer for the oil level detection as well as a Tuning Fork mechanical resonator for the oil condition measurement.

For modern oil management systems in vehicles we developed an innovative combi-sensor. The sensor component is capable of measuring 6 independent oil parameters (viscosity, density, permittivity, conductance, level, temperature) continously during normal engine operation. It comprises an ultrasonic transducer for the oil level detection as well as a Tuning Fork mechanical resonator for the oil condition measurement. Both elements have been realized as small multi-chip modules, which are combined within a mechanical flange. All data is transmitted to an external ECU by a 1-wire digital interface protocol. In addition to the measurement and signal preconditioning software that is already implemented on the system, an AUTOSAR-conform software module will be provided for the customer. This software evaluates the incoming signals from the sensor and calculates the current oil quality, considering additional information from the engine.

For oil condition analyses in vehicles a micro sensor, now ready for series production, has been developed which is capable to measure the dynamic viscosity, specific density, permittivity, conductance, and temperature of the oil. For that purpose the resonant curve of a Tuning Fork Quartz Resonator is converted into the equivalent electrical impedance by means of an integrated ASIC and transmitted onto a microcontroller via a digital interface. The current oil condition (i. e. content of fuel, soot, water) is calculated by a multi-parametric analysis and transferred to the ECU of the vehicle. The received data is used substantially to prolong frequencies of oil changes and prevent vehicle downtime caused by wear.