Understanding Lube Oil Characteristics in Heavy-Duty Trucks

When trucks break down, the oil inside can tell us why. Let’s look at what oil does in big trucks and how it changes over time.

What Is Lube Oil?

Lube oil helps truck parts move well. It:

• Makes parts slide better
• Keeps parts cool
• Stops rust
• Makes a thin layer to stop parts from touching
• Keeps dirt away

The oil we are looking at is called 15w-40. It works in both diesel and gas engines.

The Study

Some people checked oil from heavy trucks. They looked at:

• Fresh oil (never used)
• Used oil (after trucks drove 3500 km)
• Used oil (after trucks drove 6000 km)

They wanted to see how oil changes when used in trucks.

What They Found

Fresh vs. Used Oil

The study found many things about the oil:

Oil Type	Total Acid Number	Total Base Number	Density (g/ml)	Flash Point (°C)
Fresh Oil	11.8 mg KOH/g	8.4 mg KOH/g	0.896	198.4
TS1 Oil	9.3 mg KOH/g	13.2 mg KOH/g	0.648	224.8
TS2 Oil	15.4 mg KOH/g	18.5 mg KOH/g	0.836	218.2
TS3 Oil	17.4 mg KOH/g	15.3 mg KOH/g	0.770	246.3
TS4 Oil	13.8 mg KOH/g	14.6 mg KOH/g	0.826	228.7
TS5 Oil	18.4 mg KOH/g	12.7 mg KOH/g	0.762	235.1

Key Findings

1. Total Acid Number:
   • TS1 oil had 21.2% less acid than fresh oil
   • TS2, TS3, TS4, and TS5 had more acid than fresh oil
2. Total Base Number:
   • All used oils had higher base numbers than fresh oil
   • This means used oils can fight acids better
3. Density:
   • Fresh oil was more dense than used oils
   • This happens because oil gets hot in the truck
4. Viscosity:
   • Fresh oil was thicker
   • Used oil got thinner as it got hot

How This Affects Trucks

The study also looked at how oil affects truck problems:

• Trucks had 92% availability (they worked most of the time)
• The mean time between failures was 150 hours
• Problems with oil did affect how often trucks could be used

What Happens When Oil Gets Old

When oil stays in a truck too long:

1. It gets thinner
2. It can’t protect parts as well
3. Parts can rub and break
4. The truck can stop working

For heavy-duty towing trucks, good oil is very important. These trucks pull big loads and need strong engines.

Types of Truck Problems from Bad Oil

When oil doesn’t work well, trucks can have these problems:

• Bearing failure – The round parts that help things spin can break
• Piston ring sticking – Parts in the engine get stuck
• Using too much oil – The truck needs more oil than normal

Dump trucks need good oil because they carry heavy loads and work hard. Bad oil can make their engines fail.

Oil Tests That Matter

To check if oil is still good, we can look at:

1. PH level – How acidic or basic it is
2. Viscosity – How thick it is
3. Flash point – When it can catch fire
4. Base number – How well it fights acids
5. Acid number – How much acid has built up

Keeping Trucks Running Well

To make trucks last longer:

• Check oil often
• Change oil when needed
• Use the right kind of oil
• Watch for signs of oil problems

For mobile crane trucks that lift heavy things, good oil helps the engine have power when needed.

What We Learned

The study shows us:

• Used oil changes in many ways
• Some changes are good (like fighting acids better)
• Some changes are bad (like getting too thin)
• Oil affects how well trucks work and how long they last

Bold Fact: The study found trucks were working 92% of the time even with some oil problems.

Why This Matters

Understanding oil helps:

• Truck owners save money
• Trucks last longer
• Fewer breakdowns happen
• Work gets done on time

Next time you see a big truck on the road, think about the oil inside helping all the parts work well!