2012 6.7 Cummins 11,000 mile OCI Valvoline CK4

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Premium blue 15w/40 CK4

94Kw4h.jpg
 
Nice to see some CK-4 reports showing up, many thanks. I used the old Premium Blue (CJ-4) in my old Ford 460 a time or two. Looking at the CK-4 composition, I'd trust it in my gas engine.

The wear metals looks decent, I see nothing concerning. Aluminum is trending upward, but that's the beauty of oil analysis-- we're talking peanuts here (alum is still low in the grand scheme of things) but if it keeps trending upwards I'd start asking questions.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Are you adding any coolant? Is the overflow staying at a constant level?

Maybe add some UV dye in the coolant.


Haven't had to add any coolant. I need to check it again. I changed the coolant at 100,000 miles. My reports have pretty much always had higher aluminum and potassium than normal.
 
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Hmmmmmm ... Not sure what to think about the potassium then. Odd thing is that it's rising overall, slowly. As if a leak were perpetuating itself over time. I still somewhat suspect a coolant leak, although I admit I don't know the chemistry of the G-05; does it have K but not much Na? I think you can send in coolant for VCA; check with your service. Or maybe they have historical info on that coolant and won't need to spend the money.

If not a coolant leak, then what other things might be contributing to an escalation of K in the UOA? It's not the lube itself (see the VOA). Are you using additives?

Whatever it is, it's not hurting the engine; wear is fine. But if it continues to elevate, you're going to have to address it at some point.
 
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Hmmmmmm ... Not sure what to think about the potassium then. Odd thing is that it's rising overall, slowly. As if a leak were perpetuating itself over time. I still somewhat suspect a coolant leak, although I admit I don't know the chemistry of the G-05; does it have K but not much Na? I think you can send in coolant for VCA; check with your service. Or maybe they have historical info on that coolant and won't need to spend the money.

If not a coolant leak, then what other things might be contributing to an escalation of K in the UOA? It's not the lube itself (see the VOA). Are you using additives?

Whatever it is, it's not hurting the engine; wear is fine. But if it continues to elevate, you're going to have to address it at some point.




No additives. I'll probably do another uoa this oil change too.
 
I took the radiator cap off and watched it this morning at startup. To see if any bubbles were present on a cold startup. I didn't see any. I added about maybe 6 ounces of coolant to put it back at the minimum line, which is where I keep it at. First I've added since changing it out 40,000 miles ago. If it is leaking coolant it's got to be very very slow. Don't know what a slow leak like that would be off of the top of my head. I figure the little coolant that I added this morning might have been whatever air that may have been in the system came out after I changed the coolant.
 
Black stone reported 29 Potassium on one of my reports and said it could be just material from the EGR system and that it should wash out with time with time. I need to do another UOA on this next change and that should go down since it has been deleted since my last UOA.
 
Thanks for the UOA, looks like Valvoline CK4 is living up to the CK4 standard of less wear. More miles on this oil and lowest wear numbers of all the others. Nice
 
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