There are a number of factors, all of which can have an effect on productivity, efficiency and longevity of the vehicle, it’s all about using the right tool for the job. Engine oil specification is one of the choices a truck operator needs to consider carefully.
As the drivelines of trucks become more sophisticated, the lubricants which keep the wheels turning efficiently have to match that complexity in their formulation. The lubricant manufacturer designs a product which will not only protect driveline components, but will also aid their efficiency and longevity.
From the range of oils supplied by Ampol, the Mobil Delvac Modern 15W-40 has become the most popular engine oil for trucks. It has been designed to suit a wide variety of fleet vehicles from all truck manufacturers. It meets all of the latest API specifications for this kind of lubricant and can be used in most truck engines up to and including those meeting Euro 6 engines which are already on the market.
The formulation has met the approval standards of the major engine manufacturers to push oil drain intervals out to 60,000km, if needed. Although it could be pushed out even further, the general practice in the industry is to drain at around the 40,000km mark when considering the conditions like heat and heavy loading which can sometimes degrade the oil.
An alternative is a synthetic option, the Mobil Delvac XHP ESP 10W-40, a product with which longer drain intervals become an option. This strategy is one often favoured by operators using European trucks, designed to operate with longer drain intervals, at the Euro 5 exhaust emissions level.
Within the classification of synthetics used in engine oil there are two categories, group 3 and group 4, with group 4 being the higher performer. The Mobil Delvac 1 product uses the group 4 base synthetic, with good resistance to breakdown of the lubricant’s structure over the life of the oil.
As the trucking industry continues to look for ever more fuel efficient operation, products like those using the synthetic formulations offer a lower viscosity within the engine, meaning less fuel is needed to move around the components within the engine.
These lower viscosity oils are a 5W-30 formulation and can come into their own when an operator is looking for lower fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions. With these lower viscosity oils the formulation has to be more robust, able to resist the natural breakdown, over time, of any oil in a working engine. Inevitably the base oil will be a synthetic.
It is a fine balance for the lubricant manufacturers like Ampol, to ensure the product is good enough to protect all of the engine components, while at the same time being viscous enough to produce less drag on the driveline.
Going down this lower fuel consumption route can also start a discussion about differential oils, with a similar aim of reducing driveline drag, while still protecting the componentry. Customers are using Mobil Delvac 1 gear oil rated at 71W-90 and also at 80W-140, and some are able to considerably increase, or even double, drain intervals over their previous regime, without compromising performance or longevity.
This much improved performance of lubricants can often be backed up by regular oil analysis, which is capable of identifying any potential problems, while also giving the operator a better idea of exactly how far a particular lubricant can be pushed in a specific freight task.
