Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/634029
February 2016 | Overdrive | 37 A new engine oil category being introduced at yearend promises better fuel economy and longer change intervals. The new oil, designated PC-11 (Proposed Category 11) by the Diesel Engine Oil Advisory Panel, will be mar- keted in two subcategories as early as December. One will be for new 2017 emissions-compliant engines, the other for all previous engines. "Testing already has confirmed that the new oils will deliver fuel economy boosts from 2 to 4 percent, depend- ing on the engine and application," says Dan Arcy, global OEM technical manager for Shell Lubricants and chairman of the American Petroleum Institute committee developing the PC-11 category. The biggest single performance improvement the new oils will offer involves oxidation control, says Shawn Whitacre, senior staff engineer of engine oil technology for Chevron Lubricants. Oxidation control helps the oil withstand high temperatures without breaking down, which could create opportunities for longer change intervals. The last round of emissions reg- ulations, which culminated in 2010, focused on nitrogen oxides and par- ticulate matter. The more stringent standards set for next year target car- bon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. "Add a whole host of engine design changes that will enter the market in 2017, and the need for a more modern engine oil becomes obvious," Whitacre says. The two things that most affect change intervals for heavy-duty engine oil are total base number depletion and the oxidation number. "There used to be a third consideration – soot levels in the engine," he says. "That is becoming less important as diesel exhaust emissions systems have improved." Pre-2010 engines required frequent drains because they produced more soot due to increased exhaust gas recircula- tion. But soot control has been addressed by improvements in CJ-4 oils and the PC-11 expected to improve fuel economy BY JACK ROBERTS One PC-11 subcategory will be suitable for all pre-2017 engines. The next oil