Degradation oil and additives behavior in spark ignition engine vehicles

Abstract

The life span of a combustion engine is affected by the quality of lubricant additives and the vehicle's maintenance interval, which is executed according to the mileage traveled. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the health of the oil and the behavior of the lubricant additives, in order to anticipate or modify the change periods in the national market. A sample of five vehicles of a well-known and popular brand in Ecuador was used for the tests.  The methodology used for this project was a descriptive experimental study and observation, based on the analysis of the used oil, five individual tests were carried out to measure the physical-chemical properties and determine the concentration of lubricant particles. The viscosity results showed a reduction of up to 22% within the assigned maintenance interval, which means that the oil is at the limit of its degradation condition. On the other hand, the additive content showed a reduction of more than 40%. This result indicates a proper functioning of the lubricant, since the observed reduction responds to the high sulfur content in the fuel. This result indicates a proper functioning of the lubricant since the observed reduction responds to the high sulfur content in the fuel.