| Characteristic |
Causes |
Effects |
| |
|
|
| Viscosity - High |
Contamination (wrong fluid)
Oxidation
High operating temperature
|
Reduced oil flow and oil
filter by-pass
Overheating
Increased cost
|
| Viscosity - Low |
Wrong fluid
Dilution
Additive shear
|
Insufficient lubrication
Metal-to-metal contact
Overheating
|
Water/Coolant
Contamination |
Coolant leak
Poor storage practices
Defective seals
Low operating temperature
Start-up/shutdown
|
High viscosity
Corrosion/acid formation
Reduced additive effectiveness
Poor lubrication
|
| Fuel Dilution |
Extended idling
Faulty injectors
Incomplete combustion
Stop-and-go driving
Incorrect air-to-fuel ratio
|
Increased wear
Decreased oil pressure
Reduced engine life
Higher operating costs
|
| Solids |
Wear debris
Oxidation products
Fuel soot
Extended oil drain
Environmental debris
|
Poor lubrication
Increased wear
Filter plugging
Reduced oil flow
Deposits/lacquer
|
| Total Base Number (TBN) - Low |
Overheating
Extended drain interval
Improper lubricant
High sulfur fuel (off-highway engines)
|
Oil degradation
Additive depletion
Increased viscosity
|
| Total Acid Number (TAN) - High |
Overheating
Extended drain
Improper lubricant
|
Oil degradation
Corrosion of metal
Acidic increase in oil
|
| Particle Count |
Water contamination
Oil oxidation
Worn seals
Ineffective filtration
|
Increased wear
System failure
Equipment failure
Plugging/leakage
|
