DIESEL EMISSIONS
oils with greater than 15 ppm sulfur fuel may impact exhaust aftertreatment system durability and/or oil drain intervals.
CK-4 oils exceed the performance criteria of API CJ-4, CI-4 with CI-4 Plus, CI-4, and CH-4, and can effectively lubricate engines calling for those API service categories. When using CK-4 oil with higher than 15 ppm sulfur fuel, consult the engine manufacturer for service interval recommendations. Most truck manufacturers recommending API-licensed CJ-4 engine oils will likely recommend truck owners start using licensed API CK-4 oils as soon as they are available.
The API FA-4 standard designates certain lower viscosity oils specifically formulated for use in select high-speed, four-stroke- cycle diesel engines designed to meet 2017 model-year on-highway greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards. Some engine manufacturers might recommend FA-4 oils for their previous model-year vehicles, but it is more likely that manufacturers will recommend the oils starting with the 2017 model-year engines. These oils are neither interchangeable nor backward compatible with API CK-4, CJ-4, CI-4 with CI-4 Plus, CI-4 or CH-4 oils. Therefore, you should heed the engine manufacturer’s advice for API FA-4 oils.
API went on to express the following: “While not specifically backward compatible, FA-4 oils are expected to play an important role in some current and new diesel engines by protecting those engines and at the same time helping them meet more stringent emissions requirements.”
As truck engine manufacturers and oil producers continue to advance engine oil technology, there will be improvements on the emissions side of the engine. It is evident the engine manufacturers are working to try to reduce the ash that is generated in the diesel exhaust stream. This is important as it impacts the diesel oxidation catalyst along with the diesel particulate filter. By improving the engine oil formula along with adjusting the content of sulphur in the diesel fuel, diesel exhaust gasses can be improved to contain less particulates.
It is necessary for truck owners, fleet managers, and maintenance technicians to understand meets and or exceeds the standards put forth by the American Petroleum Institute. Some oils who achieve the CK-4 and FA-4 designations may exceed the specifications so it is important to read labels. These newer standards for oil will probably mean they are synthetic oils which means they are more refined than non synthetic oils.
The negative effects of not using the new diesel engine oils with the CK-4 or FA-4 designation are polluting the diesel oxidation
catalyst so it won’t be able to work properly, reduce the engine exhaust systems life by plugging the diesel particulate filter, and hinder performance and efficiency of the engine. Diesel particulate filters were originally designed to last a minimum of 150,000 miles. At the 150K mile mark up to 80% of the material trapped in the diesel particulate filter can be ash, not leaving much room for the soot which originally the filter was designed to collect. The diesel particulate filter will always contain a certain amount of ash but by not using the recommended engine oil or not changing to oil with improved technology, ash may build up quicker. Ash consists of various metallic compounds which originate from additives in lubricants, trace elements in fuel and engine corrosion/ wear products.
It is important for the service businesses who see plugged up diesel particulate filters and fouled diesel oxidation catalysts to have a conversation with the truck owner or service provider to ensure they are using the correct type of oil for their diesel engine. Premature filter plugging could be a cause of using engine oil that doesn’t meet the API’s latest standards. It is very easy for a less expensive oil to be used in an engine, like inferior coolants. For some truck owners, the price point does the selling, and the belief is all oil like all coolants are the same if the label reads for heavy duty engines. Educate your customers and make them aware of the necessity to use the proper diesel engine oil regardless of the cost. Even though diesel engines use gallons of oil unlike gas engines that measure their fill in quarts, the cost associated with frequent diesel emissions filter plugging far outweighs the cost of buying a quality oil which meets the latest API standards.
1. Klamman, Dieter, Lubricants and Related Products, Verlag Chemie, 1984, ISBN 0-89573-177-0
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