Tax Credits for Fuel Efficient Diesels

Consumers who purchase select new diesel cars, light trucks and SUVs are eligible for up to $3,400 in tax credits based on the vehicle's weight, fuel efficiency rating and emissions level, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. The credit is available from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010.

Proper Lubricant Storage

Proper storage environment and handling practices extend lubricant shelf life.

The environment in which lubricants are stored greatly affects their shelf life. Because lubricants are not always stored under ideal conditions, it is difficult to identify a specific shelf life, and recommended shelf lives cited by manufacturers often differ considerably.

A number of factors affect a lubricant's shelf life:

Product Design
Some formulation chemistries and additives are more aggressive than others. The nature of the chemistry can affect lubricant shelf life.

Storage Temperature
High heat (above 100 degrees F) and extreme cold (below 0 degrees F) can affect lubricant stability. Ideal storage temperatures are between 45 and 80 degrees F.

Water
Water can promote microbial growth, as well as react with additives to form insoluble materials. The presence of water is often the result of improper handling procedures or condensation. Water condensation can occur when storage temperatures fluctuate over a wide temperature range.

Read the rest of the article: http://www.upmpg.com/lubricationnews/lubricationnews_2006_mar-jan.htm

Eleven Licensed Oils Fail API Testing

The results of the American Petroleum Institute's 2004 engine oil aftermarket audit program, which tests the quality of API-licensed motor oils found in the retail market, reveal that 11 of 611 motor oil samples were "nonconforming." Nonconforming oils either had incorrect additive treat levels, failed the cold cranking limit, were not the correct viscosity grade or were otherwise deficient. Two of the 11 nonconforming oils were found to have "significant nonconformances" that could cause engine damage.

Twenty-eight percent of API's 529 licensees had at least one product sampled for the 2004 audit, with 20 percent of the samples obtained from bulk oil sites, 38 percent from quick lubes, 27 percent from auto repair shops and the balance from service stations, car dealers and truck facilities. Passenger car motor oils comprised 79 percent of the samples, while the rest were heavy-duty motor oils. Samples included 10W-30 (30%), 15W-40 (19%), 5W-30 (17%) and 5W-20 (6%) viscosity grades, and 18 percent of the samples were obtained outside the United States and Canada.

In order to remain licensed, the nonconforming oils had to undergo additional third-party physical and chemical testing. One oil passed the additional requirements and retained its license, while another also met the additional requirements and had its license briefly reinstated before being caught committing the same offense.

According to Kevin Ferrick of the API, "API did not require the removal of any of the oils of the nonconforming licensee from the marketplace while the additional testing was under way, during the enforcement action or later."

Determine the Cause of Piston Failure

Piston failure can usually be attributed to its operating environment.

Engine failure may arise for a number of reasons. Finding the reason for the problem is essential in order to prevent future breakdowns. According to Bill Mirth, North American heavy-duty sales manager with the FP Diesel brand of Federal-Mogul Corp., if a piston is found to be at fault, it is critical to find out what caused the piston to fail.

"It's important to understand that very few pistons actually fail," says Mirth. "In truth, they are damaged by a faulty operating environment. These conditions commonly include lack of lubrication, abnormal combustion, the presence of debris within the engine, clearance issues that lead to physical contact between the piston and another part and operational issues such as over-reving (sic) or overloading the engine or improper shutdown."

The life of a piston is directly related to its environment. "As a result, virtually all situations resulting in damage to a piston can be traced to an issue unrelated to the construction and quality of the piston itself," says Mirth. "In other words, the worst thing a technician can do is simply assume the piston was at fault and ignore the actual cause of the damage. In that case, he's just throwing parts at the problem, which invariably leads to additional issues."

Jay Wagner, heavy-duty brand manager with Clevite Engine Parts, cites fueling problems as another cause of piston failure. "If the engine injection system is delivering the wrong amount of fuel, at the wrong time or for the wrong duration and with a poor spray pattern, this can result in excessive heat, erosion or a washing of the cylinder walls with fuel, "explains Wagner.

In order to prevent heat build-up that can lead to piston damage, it is important the correct level of lubrication reaches the piston at the skirt and piston pin. Wagner advises technicians to examine piston oilers. "Many of these are very delicate in relationship to other parts of the engine and are bumped easily, resulting in either a broken of improperly directed oiler," he says.

Contamination wreaks havoc on pistons, too. Water contamination causes erosion and fuel and lubricant dilution. "Contamination can be water, fuel, particulates from the air intake or foreign objects," says Wagner. "Particulates can wear the ring lands, resulting in increased oil consumption. Foreign matter can be anything including nuts, bolts, valve train or turbocharger parts, and much of the time foreign matter in the combustion chamber is the result of another component failing."

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http://www.upmpg.com/lubricationnews/lubricationnews_sep-dec_2005.htm

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