Search Results

The current trend within the automotive industry is aimed towards reducing the cost of vehicle ownership. A major area of focus is lengthening recommended vehicle service intervals. Automotive technology has now advanced to the point where, for many of today's vehicles, the first mechanical “tune-up” is not required until the vehicle has reached 100,000 miles. On the other hand, engine oil servicing is still recommended at intervals in the range of 3,000 to 7,500 miles in the North American market. Extension of oil change interval recommendations beyond 15,000 miles is now being discussed within the international automotive industry. This paper documents the development and testing of new synthetic engine oil technology under extended service intervals of up to 25,000 miles or three years.

This paper describes the engine test and extended oil drain field performance of new synthetic engine oil technology developed for use in North American low-emission heavy-duty diesel engines. The resulting formulation utilizes an advanced additive system specifically tailored for synthetic base stocks which exceeds current industry and engine builder targets in critical performance tests. Use of synthetic base stocks allows the formulation of engine oils with a unique combination of performance characteristics, which include meeting SAE 5W-40 viscosity requirements for cold starting benefits while maintaining low volatility loss at high temperature for oil consumption control. In addition to meeting API CG-4, CF-4, CF-2, CF, SH and EC requirements, this technology has also demonstrated exceptional performance in extended-length diesel and gasoline engine tests. Furthermore, it has also performed very well in extended service interval field tests.

Unique performance advantages for polyalphaolefin (PAO) based synthetic engine oils have been documented since the mid-70's (1). The superior performance of these lubricants led the industry to develop improved mineral-based lubricants, including those produced by isomerization of waxes. Recently, an extensive research project was initiated to further enhance the performance advantages of PAO-based synthetic engine oils compared to highly refined mineral oils. A new generation of synthetic lubricant was developed delivering significantly improved performance in all areas. Although the development took place before the introduction of the API “SH” engine oil category, this new synthetic engine oil technology far exceeds API “SH” requirements as well as the API “CD” diesel performance specification. This paper discusses the standard and extended-length (U.

A light viscosity engine oil formulation has been developed based on an extension of the synthesized hydrocarbon fluid (SHF) lubricant technology presented in a recent SAE paper by B. J. Miller, et. al. Utilization of these base materials has enabled the formulation of a product, designated XRN 1669, which provides a significant improvement in both fuel economy and oil consumption control. A combined improvement in these two performance areas has not been attainable in the past with conventional mineral oils. In addition to fuel and oil economy, other critical areas of performance are investigated, including engine cleanliness, wear protection and cold starting capability, as well as ONRI and exhaust emission effects. The superior performance of XRN 1669 compared to premium quality multiviscosity mineral oil products is documented in extensive laboratory, engine and field tests.