Onan MDKBH Series, Service Manual

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3-1
3. Operation
FUEL
WARNING
Diesel fuel is combustible and can
cause severe personal injury or death. Do not
smoke near fuel tanks or fuel-burning equip-
ment or in areas sharing ventilation with such
equipment. Keep flames, sparks, pilot flames,
electrical arcs and switches and all other
sources of ignition well away. Keep a multi-
class ABC fire extinguisher handy.
High quality Grade 2-D diesel fuel is necessary for
good performance and long engine life. Diesel fuels
specified by EN 590 or ASTM D975 are recom-
mended. Use Grade 1-D diesel fuel if the fuel tank is
exposed to temperatures below 40 ° F (5 ° C).
The Cetane number should not be less than 45 and
sulfur content not more than 0.5 percent (by weight).
Where fuel is exposed to cold ambient tempera-
tures, use fuel that has a cloud point (temperature at
which wax crystals begin to form) at least 10 ° F
(6 ° C) degrees below the lowest expected fuel tem-
perature.
Fuel lubricity should pass a minimum load level of
3100 grams as measured by ASTM D6078 or maxi-
mum scar diameter of 0.45 mm as measured by
ASTM D6079 or ISO 12156-1.
ENGINE OIL
Use API (American Petroleum Institute) Service
Category CI-4 engine oil or better. Also look for the
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) viscosity
grade. Referring to Figure 3-1, choose the viscosity
grade appropriate for the ambient temperatures ex-
pected until the next scheduled oil change. Multi-
grade oils such as SAE 15W-40 are recommended
for year-round use.
FIGURE 3-1. OIL VISCOSITY GRADE VS. AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE
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