Blogs

Lubricant Analysis

Introduction:

Lubricant analysis is a new service option available to RVers now. Many large vehicle fleet operators have taken advantage of this service and they have enjoyed more consistent maintenance costs and in many ways, lower maintenance costs. In addition they can take preventative and predictive action on an impending problem before the issue develops into a catastrophic and more expensive component failure.

We met with Tom Johnson and Barney Gerdts from JG Lubricant Services last fall after talking and corresponding back and forth for almost one year prior to that. Tom?s background included many years with Allison Transmission where he oversaw the development of Allison?s TransSynd® synthetic transmission fluid which is the lubricant shipped in every RV Allison Automatic transmission since the mid 2000?s. His depth of knowledge is world class and when he retired he refocused his knowledge and expertise into the RV, Marine and smaller Fleet business. He had seen the benefits of Lubricant analysis in his work and also in larger fleets.  

Since I make it my business to address RV Maintenance online and at Seminars, I wanted to undertake the analysis on my own coach and do some in depth study of the process before making any recommendations regarding it. By meeting with Tom and Barney I was able to get a better understanding of the people behind the analysis, the process itself and see the results firsthand. That has been my approach to our blossoming RV business. Try the products, check out the company and make knowledgeable recommendations to other RVers. 

To that end, we sampled my coach?s Engine oil, Transmission Fluid and Generator Oil. Let?s examine the background before going into more detail.

What are the Benefits?

The Benefits of Lubricant Analysis are:

Reduced Maintenance costs

Extended Oil Change Intervals

Extended Equipment Life

Identifying Minor Problems before they become Major Problems

Increased Resale Value

Minimize Warranty Risks

Reduce Equipment Downtime         

While I could detail each areas I refer you to the JG Lubricant website at www.jglubricantservices.com where each area is covered in depth. As Tom says: For a RVer It?s the S.M.A.R.T. thing to do!  S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for

Saves you Money

Makes Maintenance more effective

Allows extended drains with confidence

Results in increased equipment reliability

Takes the guesswork out of Maintenance.

What is the Process?

In order to complete Oil and Fluid analysis a sample is drawn from the appropriate fluid into a sterile container using a plastic tube attached to a small hand-sampling vacuum pump. This sample is sent to a lab where it is analyzed using sophisticated electronic and spectrographic equipment to medical laboratory standards and a detailed report is generated that included the sample results and recommendations for any issues that appear and the next steps to take. These results are returned to you within 24 to 48 hours of the lab reporting the results. 

The Test Kits include the sample container and packaging addressed to the lab into. There is some paperwork that needs to be completed regarding when the sample was taken, where it taken from (coach engine, generator, transmission etc. (Coolant analysis is also available)), mileage on the coach (or generator hours) how long in time and mileage since the last fluid and filter change and so on. The more accurate this information is the better the predictive part of the process will be in analyzing the lab results.

The RVer will need to acquire from JG Lubricant Services the small hand pumps (a one-time expense) for each type of fluid to be sampled and be careful to avoid contamination. Their website shows sampling videos together with detailed easy to follow directions. The kits are available in single and three sample packages and come in a plastic storage container for easy storage and to keep everything together.

Can I save some money?

The testing will save you money by safely extending your fluid change intervals and giving a better understanding of the condition of the component from which the fluid was drawn. Here is a way to save a little more: On our Rally Special Flyer available at Rallies where we present seminars and online under our Products Tab from our home page, scroll to the bottom and click to enlarge then print a copy, then use the code to save 10% off the sample kits.

For more information go to the JG Lubricants website to read more online.