Automotive Engine Friction and Fuel Efficiency-Viscous Versus Non-Viscous Effects
780984
02/01/1978
- Event
- Content
- The influences on fuel efficiency of viscosity difference and friction modification by colloid friction modifiers in motor oil were examined separately and in combination in a series of automobile track tests using EPA test procedures. The results of this work demonstrated the following:
- 1.In this test program, simply reducing the viscosity of multi-grade engine oils did not produce consistent, statistically significant fuel economy benefits.
- 2.The incorporation of a colloid friction modifier in reduced viscosity multigrade oils produced consistent and statistically significant improvements in fuel economy over those same reduced viscosity multigrade oils without colloid friction modification.
- 3.Whereas reduced viscosity multigrade oils did not show significant benefits over a commercial type SAE 10W-40 proposal S-1 oil, those same reduced viscosity multigrade oils containing colloid friction modifier demonstrated consistent and statistically significant improvements in fuel economy over that commercial oil.
- 4.Incorporation of colloid friction modifier in a single grade (SAE 30) oil produced consistent and statistically significant improvements in fuel economy over the commercial type SAE 10W-40 oil.
Statistically valid improvements in fuel efficiency due to the presence of colloid friction modifier can be observed in this data in the general range of five to ten percent. - 1.
- Pages
- 21
- Citation
- Ghirla, P., and Smith, R., "Automotive Engine Friction and Fuel Efficiency-Viscous Versus Non-Viscous Effects," SAE Technical Paper 780984, 1978, https://doi.org/10.4271/780984.