Friday, March 21, 2008

Diesel Engine Oil - Switching to CJ-4 For 2007


To meet 2007 EPA standards low emission engines must use CJ-4 engine oil formulated especially for diesel engines using exhaust aftertreatment systems. New EPA standards are a 50% reduction in oxides of Nitrogen and 90% reduction in particulate matter. CJ-4 is a low ash diesel engine oil that can be used in older engines but comes at a higher price. The warranty becomes invalid if regular CL-4 oil is used in '07 diesel engines but the 10 to 30% increase in price is significant when it comes to a fleet operation.

You could stock both oils but there is a risk of operators who normally add oil to there assigned unit could inadvertently grab the wrong oil and mix the two. Mind you one litre of the wrong oil would not be detrimental to the life of the 2007 diesel engines but over time it would make a difference. The possibility of an engine oil test after a failure could happen.


Our fleet operation only stocks the CJ-4 so there is no confusion and zero risk to jeopardizing the integrity of the DPF [Diesel Particulate Filter]. The DPF has a regenerating cycle when a difference in input and output exhaust gases in the DPF [muffler] are picked up by the engine ECM [electronic control module]. The DPF literally cooks out the carbon build up and it gets kicked out the exhaust pipe which creates extremely high temperatures.


EPA standards are here to stay, with vehicle emission standards being on top of the heap when it comes to environmental concerns. Our School Bus Fleet will be receiving a Hybrid International School Bus next September. This will be an interesting technology to experience and another brand new learning curve to grasp.

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