A Refresher for Diesel Fleet Owners to Get a Better Understanding of FA-4

The launch of API FA-4 heavy-duty engine oils in conjunction with API CK-4 lubricants created confusion in some peoples' minds. The introduction of these two classed of diesel oil was a step forward.

"FA-4 oil specifications were released back in 2016 and have been produced to enhance fuel efficiency. However, slower OEM adoption rates and engine protection concerns have kept some fleets from moving forward with adopting the new oil category."

So began a story by Cristina Commendatore that appeared in the October issue of Fleet Owner magazine, How fleets can determine if FA-4 engine oil is right for them.

When API released FA-4 oil specs in 2016, there was a measure of confusion, as often happens with new lubricant categories. Four years down the highway, and it's apparent that there's either confusion or a lack of confidence regarding the issue of engine protection in these lower viscosity oils. Some fleets are still debating whether to make the switch.

The backward compatible CK-4 spec replaced CJ-4 as the most current for apps in which a CJ-4 oil is recommended. The benefits include better shear stability, oxidation resistance and aeration control. The thinner FA-4 oils offer improved fuel economy. They were designed to help meet more stringent demand to meet environmental aims.

Hence, the use of the letter F in the spec. F stands for Fuel economy. The A indicates that this is the first generation of oil specific to this objective.

Commendatore focuses on the misperception that FA-4 and CK-4 oils have different qualification standards. That is, some people think that FA-4 was more concerned with fuel economy at the expense of engine protection. This is not the case at all. FA-4 oils are absolutely required to pass the same engine protection tests.  

She asks: So, how can fleets determine whether the new FA-4 category is right for them? 

The answer is this: Fleets with model year equipment from 2014 and newer, or Detroit Diesel engines as far back as 2010, are the recommended candidates.

Engine manufacturers and lube makers only work when they work together. Oil and water may not mix, but oil formulators and engine builders absolutely must. 

The rest of the article details some of the issues created during this period in which government has applied pressure to also reduce emissions. For fleet owners, another challenge is that many truck fleets have both older and newer vehicles. This means inventorying two different oils and making sure the correct oil gets in the correct trucks during oil changes. 

If you're a fleet owner or do fleet maintenance, read the rest of this article here.

Photo by Brian Wangenheim from Unsplash  

To Increase Your Diesel's Sustainability, Choose Blue Flame

Photo by Taylor on Unsplash

This past week Fleet Equipment published a thoughtful article by David Sickels about sustainability and efficiency. A lot of us tend to cringe when we touch this topic because sometimes it feels like the demands being put on the industry end up. costing us more money. We all want clean air, and a future for our grandchildren. We don't want the changes to be so economically unrealistic that they put us out of business.

The sustainability premise is that resources are finite. They should therefore be used conservatively with a long-term view in mind regarding consequences of the manner in which they are used.

The reality is that the history of diesel technology has taken the industry an incredibly long way toward this end. The article in Fleet Equipment outlines ways in which we can get the most out of these advances that have been implemented by engine manufacturers. It is titled "How To Increase Diesel Truck Sustainability, Efficiency Via Lubricants."

Sickels notes that most fleets are not yet ready to leap into the future of electric trucks, but these are steps we can take in the interim. 

1. Start with used oil analysis

We wrote in October about things things you can learn from oil analysis. Sickles takes this a step further, noting that some of what we learn from oil analysis can help us improve sustainable practices. By periodically analyzing the condition of our lubes, the data gives us a basis for leaving fleets on the road for longer periods of time between maintenance intervals. "It not only gives you a snapshot of the health of the oil, but also of the health of the hardware."

The author goes on to say that if you are able to use a lighter oil without compromising engine protection, you can improve by at least 1% one fuel economy with this viscosity change alone. (Check your owner's manual.) This latter leads directly into the second point.

2. Switch to synthetic lubricants

According to the Sickels, "Oil companies tend to agree that as long as the fleet is following OEM guidelines, swapping to synthetic lubricants will likely bring about fuel economy savings versus using alternative products."

The article suggests that if you're uncertain about viscosity selection, you can work with your oil company to ensure you have the right fluids protecting your equipment. 

Here at the Blue Flame blog, we have an orange button on the right that says ASK JAKE in the event you are uncertain about the correct fluids for your truck. Champion Oil has been a major player in the development and manufacture of semi-synthetic and full synthetic motor oils for 65 years.   

3. Check whether CK-4 or FA-4 oils can be used

Evidently many fleets are not taking advantage of the fuel economy benefits of CK-4 or FA-4 oils. There are trucks coming off the assembly line with FA-4 fluid and the owner or fleet manager switches to CK-4 at the first oil change. 

Since there's no one solution for everyone, it does get complicated. Decisions can be made based on insecurity or misinformation. That is why we address this in September in our article "Still Confused About Diesel Engine Oil Specs?"

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There's no question that things have become increasingly complicated in our modern age. Fortunately you don't have to go it alone. Whether it's Jake at Champion or your current lubricant supplier, build a relationship with someone you trust for answers when you need them. 

Trade magazines exist for this purpose as well, keeping you informed of new regulations that can impact your livelihood. That's what we're also trying to do here at the Blue Flame where our passion is all things diesel. 

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READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
"How To Increase Diesel Truck Sustainability, Efficiency Via Lubricants."  

Here's Help for Fleet Owners to Get a Better Understanding of FA-4

"FA-4 oil specifications were released back in 2016 and have been produced to enhance fuel efficiency. However, slower OEM adoption rates and engine protection concerns have kept some fleets from moving forward with adopting the new oil category."

So begins a story by Cristina Commendatore that appeared in the October issue of Fleet Owner magazine, How fleets can determine if FA-4 engine oil is right for them.

When API released FA-4 oil specs in 2016, there was a measure of confusion, as often happens with new lubricant categories. Four years down the highway, and it's apparent that there's either confusion or a lack of confidence regarding the issue of engine protection in these lower viscosity oils. Some fleets are still debating whether to make the switch.

The backward compatible CK-4 spec replaced CJ-4 as the most current for apps in which a CJ-4 oil is recommended. The benefits include better shear stability, oxidation resistance and aeration control. The thinner FA-4 oils offer improved fuel economy. They were designed to help meet more stringent demand to meet environmental aims.

Hence, the use of the letter F in the spec. F stands for Fuel economy. The A indicates that this is the first generation of oil specific to this objective.

Commendatore focuses on the misperception that FA-4 and CK-4 oils have different qualification standards. That is, some people think that FA-4 was more concerned with fuel economy at the expense of engine protection. This is not the case at all. FA-4 oils are absolutely required to pass the same engine protection tests.  

She asks: So, how can fleets determine whether the new FA-4 category is right for them? 

The answer is this: Fleets with model year equipment from 2014 and newer, or Detroit Diesel engines as far back as 2010, are the recommended candidates.

Engine manufacturers and lube makers only work when they work together. Oil and water may not mix, but oil formulators and engine builders absolutely must. 

The rest of the article details some of the issues created during this period in which government has applied pressure to also reduce emissions. For fleet owners, another challenge is that many truck fleets have both older and newer vehicles. This means inventorying two different oils and making sure the correct oil gets in the correct trucks during oil changes. 

If you're a fleet owner or do fleet maintenance, read the rest of this article here.

Photo by Brian Wangenheim from Unsplash  

Thin Is In: Heavy Duty Oils Getting Lighter

It seems like forever that 15W-40 oils were "the choice" for heavy duty diesel engines. Or at least for centuries. No, I s'pose that would be decades. 

All this has been changing though, and in ways we couldn't imagine at one time. 

I do remember when I first noticed passenger car oils getting thinner. When I saw the first 0W-30 I thought it interesting. Even more interesting, though, was when I looked at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) registry for upcoming oils, there were actually 16 companies with a 0W oil registered, even though they were not yet in production. 

I later saw an article in Lubes N Greases (LNG) about SAE 0W-16 and 0W-12 and 0W-8 oils that were coming and more recently the 0W-0 oils being tried in Japan. 

This week, George Gill wrote an LNG feature on thinning oil viscosities in the diesel market. The story is titled Heavy-duty Shifts to Lighter Oils. In recent years, 15W-40 diesel oils began yielding market share to lower viscosity SAE 10W-30 oils. 

Part of the reason is the fuel economy benefit that lighter oils offer. For over-the-road truckers, the cost of fuel alone is 30 to 40% of a trucking firm's overall costs. (I bet you didn't know that.) Another reason, according to the article, has to do with the new engine architecture with its tighter clearances, thus requiring thinner lubes that can flow more readily to engine components.

There's a third reason for the thinner oils. In colder temps these lower viscosity oils will decrease warm up times and provide better protection in colder climates.

You may be wondering, though, "Is my engine still protected?" The answer to that is that this has been going on for years now with millions of miles of data to support this move to lighter oils. 

CK-4 and FA-4 
The article turns to address the newer API categories of CK-4 and FA-4. CK-4 was designed to have backward compatibility built into it. This has resulted in wider acceptance of the new designation. FA-4 oils are not so versatile. FA-4 oils in modern contemporary engines, however, do offer a 1% fuel economy improvement, the article states.

Despite the benefits outlined for thinner oils, 15W-40 remains the category leader for heavy duty diesel engines, but 10W-30 is the fastest growing segment during these past 10 years.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:
https://www.lubesngreases.com/lubereport-americas/heavy-duty-shifts-to-lighter-oils/

RELATED LINK
CK-4, FA-4? Still Confused About Diesel Engine Oil Specs? 

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash

CK-4, FA-4? Still Confused About Diesel Engine Oil Specs?

CK-4, FA-4? Are you still having diesel engine oil confusion? Consider this post simply as a tutorial about the differences between the current diesel engine oil standards known as American Petroleum Institute’s (API) CK-4 and FA-4. These service categories came out a few years ago as an improvement over the previous API Diesel Engine Oil Standards by providing enhanced protection against oil oxidation, engine wear, particulate filter blocking, piston deposits, and degradation of low- and high-temperature properties.

API CK-4 describes oils for use in high-speed, four-stroke diesel engines designed to meet 2017 model-year on-highway and Tier-4 non-road exhaust-emission standards as well as for previous model-year diesel engines. That is, they are backward compatible.

These oils are formulated for use in all applications with diesel fuels ranging in sulfur content up to 500 parts per million (ppm). However, the use of these 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 Plus, CI-4, and CH-4, and can effectively lubricate engines calling for those service categories. When using CK-4 oil with higher than 15 ppm sulfur fuel, consult your original engine manufacturer (OEM) for service interval recommendations. Most diesel OEMs are recommending you use API CK-4 oils as a replacement going forward.

The API FA-4 standard designates certain lower viscosity oils specifically formulated for use in select high-speed, four-stroke diesel engines designed to meet 2017 model-year on-highway greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards. Diesel OEMs are recommending this new oil spec for most late model-year engines. These oils are neither interchangeable nor backward compatible with API CK-4, CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4 or CH-4 oils. Therefore, you should follow the OEM’s advice when they recommend API FA-4 oils.

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