Volvo D12, Operator'S Manual

Page: 73 / 214

Oil System 69
Oil Consumption
Check the oil level daily with the engine
stopped. If the engine has just been stopped
and it is warm, wait approximately 20 min-
utes to allow the oil to drain back to the oil
pan before checking. Add oil as necessary.
NOTE! Do not overfill. Oil may be blown
out through the crankcase breather tube if
the level is too high.
All diesel engines are designed to use some
oil, so it is normal to add oil periodically.
An engine used in heavy duty operation will
use more oil than one in normal operation.
Owners often ask what is considered
“normal” oil consumption. This is all de-
pendent on the operation of the engine. Just
as one engine in a heavy operation may get
only 5 mpg fuel consumption and another
gets over 8 mpg, the oil consumption will
vary in different applications.
To determine “normal” oil consumption, it
is therefore important to establish what is
normal for your engine in your application.
Establish a record of oil usage and compare
with other vehicles in your fleet. There are
two methods that are frequently used:
•
Miles per quart of oil. Simple way to
establish a history of the consumption.
Useful as a comparison to others only
when vehicle and engine is compared
to an identical vehicle and engine un-
der identical operating conditions.
•
Amount of fuel used per amount of
fuel used (oil consumption relative to
fuel consumption). Better way to re-
late the oil usage to the actual work of
the engine. Also only useful in com-
parison when compared under
identical conditions.