Experimental Validation of the Potentials of a Super High Performance Diesel Engine Oil in the Laboratory and Establishing Reliability of Performance in Field Evaluation

The concept of long drain super high performance diesel engine oil [SHPDO] though European in origin has emerged as a trend of relevance in the Indian context. This is not only due to the demands of commercial fleets for extended drain periods but also because of close similarities between Indian and European diesel engine designs. This has necessitated the development of an SHPDO with minimum performance conforming to CCMC D5 DB 228 3 and additional features to address the requirements of typical Indian operating conditions. This paper describes the selection of a superior SHPDO formulation using laboratory bench and performance engine tests, followed by field trials. Safe drain period of ∼ 40 000 kms has been established by statistical analysis of the field data generated in services typical of city and sub-urban operations. The paper finally concludes that the performance potentials envisaged through specially designed laboratory screening tests is realised in actual on-road service.