Field case · Oil analysis
Medium-speed diesel: the wrong top-up oil showed up as magnesium, phosphorus and zinc
Quick answer
Four successive oil samples from a locomotive diesel engine showed magnesium, phosphorus and zinc appearing from the third sample, then silver and copper rising. The wrong oil had been added, and its additives were attacking silver-plated bearing parts.
What the case covers
- The data
- What it meant
- The action
- What to take from it
Takeaway. The first sign of the wrong top-up oil was a step in the additive elements. Catching it at the second sample after the change meant a flush, not a rebuild.
Read the full case, with the data and the numbers