Engine Oil Analysis
When you have a large fleet of over the road trucks that are the backbone of your business, the last thing you need is for any of them to be down for a blown engine that could have been prevented. Dirt and contamination are a diesel engine's worst enemies. They are responsible for more downtime than any other cause, at the same time if you have a routine engine oil analysis performed on the used oil from an oil change, you can find out a lot about the condition of the engine. No matter what brand of oil and filter you use for your fleet an engine oil analysis is still likely to find contaminants in the oil. Most of these come from outside the engine via the air intake system or when a station attendant or the driver adds oil to the engine without cleaning around the filler neck before adding oil. Depending on the time of year you may even find water in your oil from the moisture that can form inside of a hot engine as it cools. Once these contaminants work their way into the oil they can act like sandpaper on bearings and cylinder walls. Over a period of time even though the oil is being changed on a regular basis these particles cause damage.
At first the damage is miniscule and is not likely to even be noticeable, over time however, if the damage is allowed to continue it will get out of hand and can damage or destroy your valuable engines. An engine oil analysis will also determine if there are excessive amounts of metal in the oil. When the laboratory is performing a full spectrum engine oil analysis for you, they are going to examine the oil sample you have provided very carefully. They will be looking for dirt particles, water and a variety of metals. You engine is constructed from several different metals that are used to create the cylinders, shafts, bearings and rings, each of these may be made from a different metal which can make it easier for you to decide where the damage is occurring. If your first engine oil analysis picks up a trace of metals this can be an indication of a problem that is just beginning.
By continuing to keep an eye on the oil that is removed from the engine during its routine maintenance you can monitor the progress of any damage that is occurring. An analysis is a lot like and early warning system and can give you plenty of time to arrange for a different truck to take over the route while you are repairing or rebuilding the engine that is going bad.
If you want to keep a close eye on the engines in your fleet with an engine oil analysis, there is only one fully independent testing company that you should trust your lifeblood to and that is Analysts Inc. The specialists here are trained in using full spectrum testing equipment to check a tremendous variety of lubricants, machine and engine oil for contamination and metal particles. The information they provide can help you keep your fleet on the road for many thousands of trouble free miles.
