Analysis of metal content in the lubricating oils used in truck diesel engines

The lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine (I.C.E.) performs several functions with a major contribution to the reliability of the system, which involves proper operation during the operating period. Changing the engine oil early or late could generate additional costs and/or damage the engine’s performance. Thus, it becomes necessary to periodically analyse the oil used in the engine. In this work, the authors propose to analyse the metal content of the used engine oil and, based on the results obtained, to issue maintenance strategies. Samples taken from a number of 43 DAF trucks equipped with the same type of engine, MX - 11 330 H2, EURO 6, which use the same assortment of 10W30 oil, were analysed.