Motor oil condition evaluation based on on-board diagnostic system

The condition of the motor oil in civilian cars is difficult to monitor; hence, we propose a method to evaluate the degree of degradation of motor oil using an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system. Three civilian cars and four motor oils (containing mineral oils and synthetic oils) were subjected to five groups of road tests under urban traffic and high-way conditions. The operation information, oil service time, mileage, engine operation time, idle time of the engine, and number of start-ups of the engine were obtained using the proposed OBD system. Physiochemical properties and changes in the components of motor oils during road tests were analyzed in laboratory. The theoretical model of the comprehensive indicators of driving parameters and oil properties were established. The proposed method was successfully applied to different cars, motor oils, and operating conditions in road tests. All the theoretical models had high accuracy and precision. Herein, we provide a method to monitor the oil condition with real-time driving parameters and provide a reference for end users to change their motor oil reasonably.