Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1123345
well maintained and are attempting to mitigate more engine wear with realistic expectations, a high-mileage engine oil might be the right choice for you. Just don't think that a high-mileage oil will be a "silver bullet" for mechanical wear in your engine. What Is Considered High Mileage? ere are no defi nitive guidelines on what should be considered high mileage. With the technology available today, standard road vehicles can last up to 300,000 miles or even 400,000 miles. It is commonly understood that highway miles are less taxing on an engine than city miles, and research seems to support this. Highway miles have fewer starts and stops. e engine can also reach a steady temperature and operate at peak effi ciency for a long period of time. City driving is just the opposite. So, an engine with 80,000 miles may have as much wear as an engine with 150,000 miles. It all depends on how the vehicle has been driven and maintained. Some people might consider switching to a high-mileage oil at 200,000 miles, while others may want to change to a high-mileage oil at 80,000 miles. For the average driver, anything over 100,000 miles could safely be considered a high-mileage vehicle. Diff erences in High-Mileage Oils Since most additive packages appear to be quite similar, it can be diffi cult to distinguish any real diff erences between many engine oils. Even with high-mileage oils, the additives don't seem to vary much at all. e concentration of additives most likely is the primary distinction. Motor oil formulations are treated as trade secrets, so obtaining specifi c additive amounts and quantities can be nearly impossible. Safety data sheets typically only identify a range of additive percentages, and all the additives may not even be included if they are inert. W hen it comes to the diff erence between high-mileage and "normal" engine oils, marketing plays a big factor, as certain addi- tives on the market come with all sorts of claims. Most of these additives are intended to minimize the asperities on metal surfaces by fi lling those microscopic valleys and creating smoother mechanical surfaces. Several studies have shown promise with this approach, but more research is still needed to determine the best way to stabilize these nanoparticles in oil suspensions. One Size Does Not Fit All As is often the case with lubricants, there is no "one size fi ts all" approach. ere likely are some formulation diff erences between high-mileage oils and their traditional counterparts. Is this diff er- ence signifi cant enough to warrant the increased price? Many would answer no. Generally, for a vehicle's engine to last long enough to reach an old age or high mileage, it must be well maintained. e best advice is to continue performing oil changes at the prescribed interval. Do your research on any motor oil you are considering, check which types of seals your engine has and use the best fi lter you can. After all, your fi lter will have as much, if not more, of an impact on your engine and oil as the oil itself. Finally, remember that every oil formulation will have its own additive package, with each claiming to be better than the others, but they all have the ultimate goal of providing a lubricant to help ensure a long life for your engine. ML References Li, Xiang, et al. (2018). "Eff ect of nanoparticles as lubricant addi- tives on friction and wear behavior of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coating." Jurnal Tribologi. Retrieved from https://jurnaltribologi. mytribos.org/v16/JT-16-15-29.pdf Laad, Dr. and Jatti, Vijaykumar. (2016). "Titanium Oxide Nanopar- ticles as Additives in Engine Oil." Journal of King Saud University - Engineering Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/293641270_Titanium_oxide_Nanoparticles_as_ Addi- tives_in_Engine_oil Gulzar, M., et al. (2016). "Tribological performance of nanoparticles as lubricating oil additives." Journal of Nanoparticles Research. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11051-016-3537-4 About the Author Jeremie Edwards is an associate technical consultant for Noria Corporation. He is certifi ed by the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML) as a Level II Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT II) and as a Level III Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA III). Contact Jeremie at jedwards@noria.com to learn how Noria can help you determine the best lubricants for your equipment. ML www . machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2019 | 41