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Extending Drain Intervals for your Cat® Equipment
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Extending your oil drain intervals can help you lower overall fluid consumption, which can lead to significant savings in the long run. But you want to make sure you do it in a way that’s safe and healthy for your equipment. Here’s a step-by-step guide for testing how often to change out oils.
Your equipment's Operation and Maintenance Manual (OMM) provides recommended drain intervals based on thorough lab and field testing. However, those hours may vary depending on your specific applications and operating conditions. See more about the method for testing out extended intervals in this video:
1. Set a New Oil Drain Target
Before you begin, check your OMM for the proper safety procedures, and always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when working on your machine.
To start, choose a new oil drain target. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 1.5 to 2 times your current interval. For example, if you currently change your oil every 250 hours, your new target might be 500 hours. However, it’s important to work up to that goal gradually.
Increase your oil change intervals by 100 hours at a time. So if you’re at 250 hours now, aim for 350 hours for your next interval.
2. Perform Regular Fluid Analysis
After each 100-hour increase, take a fluid sample and send it to the S•O•SSM lab for analysis. The results will give you a clear picture of how your machine is performing, and the reports are easy to understand. They’ll even include recommendations you can act on.
If the results are normal, increase the interval by another 100 hours and repeat the process. But if anything out of the ordinary shows up in your fluid analysis, stop extending the intervals immediately. You’ll need to identify and resolve the issue before continuing.
3. Reach Your Target and Verify
Once you successfully reach your 500-hour target with normal fluid sample results, you’re almost there. Continue sampling every 100 hours for the next two full oil drain cycles. This will help verify that you’ve landed on a safe and appropriate service interval.
4. Use Quality Fluids and Filters
The key to successfully extending oil drains is to use high-quality Cat fluids and filters and maintain a regular fluid analysis schedule. Cat fluids and filters are specifically designed and tested for your machine. They work together to reduce wear and protect critical components from damage.
The S•O•S fluid analysis program is also a crucial part of this process. It helps you detect hidden issues, like contamination or wear, before they become bigger problems.
For more information and support on extending drain intervals, reach out to your authorized Cat dealer. And always check your OMM for specific maintenance steps and safety procedures.
