Evaluation of Lube Oil Characteristics from Heavy-Duty Truck Failures: A Case Study

Abstract

Several oils are available, but 15w-40 engine oil, frequently used in diesel and specific gasoline engines, is salient in reducing friction, heat, and wear between mechanical components. This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics of 15w-40 lubricating oil and the reliability of heavy-duty trucks. Samples of both unused and used oils were collected for analysis using standard techniques. The result indicated that fresh oil's total acid and base numbers were 11.8 mg KOH/g and 8.4 mg KOH/g, respectively. The total acid number for TS1 was lower than that of fresh oil by 21.2%, while the total acid number of TS2, TS3, TS4 and TS5 was higher than that of fresh oil by 30.5%, 47.5%, 9.9%, and 55.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the total base number of fresh lube oil was lower than that of TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, and TS5 by 57.1%, 120%, 82.1%, 73.8%, and 51.2%. Also, the density of fresh oil was higher than that of the rest of the oil samples. The observation was caused by the increased oil temperature during the trucks' operation. The mean time between failures of components of the heavy-duty trucks was 150 hours, and the availability of the trucks was 92%. The degradation of the oil only significantly affects the availability of trucks.