A focus on lower viscosity engine oils

A focus on lower viscosity engine oils

Fuel expenses can make up 30 to 40% of a heavy-duty fleet’s overall operating costs. This means that any reductions in fuel consumption can be extremely important, with even small decreases in cost having an impact on a company’s bottom line.

Owners face a continual task of cutting costs, so running their fleets in a cost-effective and sustainable way is crucial—while this affects their general business management, maintaining compliance with industry emission regulations is also increasingly important. This can be achieved by switching to low viscosity engine oils which can help to reduce overall fuel consumption.

Lower viscosity engine oils reduce viscous drag on moving parts, enabling the oil to flow more efficiently through the engine, and in turn reducing any parasitic losses that hinder fuel economy. These oils can also decrease the warm up time of engines, which offers improved protection for fleets operating in colder climates.

Technical advances toward low viscosity solutions

The drive to improve fuel economy has been taking place for some time and to do this, the industry has been moving towards lower viscosity solutions, demonstrated by launch of the API FA-4 oil category in December 2016. The category was formulated to get the best out of the latest, more fuel efficient, low-emissions diesel engines. Lower viscosity FA-4 oils minimize frictional losses between moving components of the engine and reduce pumping and cranking losses, resulting in less viscous drag and improved fuel economy. This enables engines to run more efficiently and use less fuel, while still offering improved levels of wear protection by delivering oil more efficiently to moving parts within the engine.

Consultation

The decision to change engine oil viscosity grade cannot be taken lightly, but through careful planning and the use of a high-performance engine oil that does not compromise engine protection, it can lead to excellent returns. In this situation, it’s crucial to consult your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to confirm whether your warranty will be affected. OEMs also will have tested their engine models in various environments and with different engine oils, in addition to their ability to chart which viscosities are appropriate for a range of ambient temperatures.

Seek lubricant expertise

Changing your engine oil viscosity grade can be a cost-effective and immediate way to reduce fuel consumption. Lubrication only makes up a small amount of most fleets’ total maintenance budget, while expert lubricant manufacturers spend millions of dollars testing their lubricants in different conditions for multiple engine types, meaning their recommendations and advice on oil and lubrication can be invaluable for owners and operators.

At Petro-Canada Lubricants, we go offer support such as training, lube surveys, technical expertise and oil analysis. Our team of Technical Service Advisors provide guidance and expertise that can help fleets maximize uptime and keep their vehicles on the road, all supporting the ultimate goal of efficiency and reliability. This team sees many different applications of heavy-duty engine oils and gain insights to current trends along with industry challenges which enhance support to provide reliability to many diverse fleet operations.

Reductions in fuel consumption can make a significant difference to a fleet’s bottom line. If fleet owners switch to low viscosity oils versus conventional 15W-40 viscosity grades, they can improve fuel economy while ensuring their engines remain protected in even the most extreme climates.

This article was contributed by Ron LeBlanc Sr., senior technical advisor for Petro-Canada Lubricants.

You May Also Like

Reducing refrigeration emissions through diesel particulate filters

Rypos says active DPFs come with an initial cost, but will bring your fleet savings in the long run, while combating climate change.

Refrigerated-emissions

Transport refrigeration units (TRUs) play an important role in the cold chain industry. However, their diesel emissions can contribute to climate change and public health risks. With an increasing focus on sustainability, deploying diesel particulate filter (DPF) technology can mitigate the environmental impact of diesel engines and help fleet operations managers meet company environmental, social and governance goals.

Thermo King brings BlueSeal air curtains to North America

Feedback from European customers for BlueSeal air curtains cites a lack of obstruction while maintaining an effective barrier.

thermo-King-BlueSeal-air-curtains
Apollo Tires adds to EU lineup

The EnduMile LHT, the company’s most durable and fuel-efficient trailer tire, is now available in a 385/55 R22.5 format.

Apollo-Tire-new-EU-sizes
CMA, Double Coin unveil new tires for airport applications

The tires are designed to allow maximum endurance in the airport ground support environment.

Double-Coin-CMA-airport-ground-tires
Optronics adds new blackout stop, turn and tail lamps

The Thinline surface-mount lamps broaden the FMVSS/CMVSS 108-compliant family of smoke-lens, LED stop, turn, tail, backup and clearance lamps.

Optronics-blackout-items

Other Posts

Premier Manufacturing marks 100 years in business

Now a part of High Bar Brands, the Oregon-based manufacturer has produced trailer safety components for over a century.

Premier-Manufacturing-100-years-founder-Dewey-Weiss
FlowBelow introduces AeroFender device for drag reduction, fuel efficiency improvement

Independent testing found that FlowBelow’s new AeroFender saved 1.49 gallons of fuel for every 1,000 miles driven.

FlowBelow-AeroFender-detail
Link redesigns LB20 ramps

Link’s LB20 ramps are 25 pounds lighter, feature spring-assist lift mechanisms, stow at an 8-inch vertical depth and are easier to install.

Link-manufacturing-new-LB20-ramps-logo
PACCAR Parts names Weller as 2023 Supplier of the Year

Throughout 2023, Weller contributed to PACCAR Parts overall network performance by exceeding 17% y/y growth.

PACCAR-Parts-Logo