Some Relationships Between the Viscometric Properties of Motor Oils and Performance in European Engines

Piston ring wear, bearing wear and fuel consumption have been measured in European engines run under fully warmed-up conditions at steady speed and load. The engines were lubricated with motor oils which were formulated from a range of types and concentrations of VI improvers and base oil blends. The viscosities, viscosity/temperature relationships and viscosity/shear-rate characteristics of these formulations varied widely. The results for all the oils tested showed a poor correlation with their low shear-rate viscosities measured at 210°F or 150°C but a good correlation with their viscosities measured at shear rates of 10⁵ to 10⁶ sec^-1.