NASHVILLE. A free oil analysis program that individually tailors oil drain intervals to a fleet’s operating characteristics has been introduced by Cummins for its 2017 X15 Series heavy-duty engines. Using both actual engine performance data and oil analysis, Cummins OilGuard can safely extend those intervals out to 80,000 miles, according to Mark Ulrich, director of customer support.
Cummins will supply owners of 2017 X15 engines with free sample kits and mailers along with oil sampling instructions. Using analysis results and operating data, the company will set optimized oil drain intervals that can go out as far as 80,000 mi. as long as fleets use approved CK-4 or FA-4 lubricants, according to Ulrich. Currently offered for 2017 and newer X15 engines, Cummins said it is considering extending the free program to other engines in the near future.
For customers that don’t participate in the analysis program, Cummins also announced that it will extend oil drain intervals on 2017 and newer X15s to 60,000 mi. if fleets use either CK-4 or FA-4 Valvoline Premium Blue products. The 10,000-mi. extension was the result of a Cummins development partnership with Valvoline, Ulrich said at a press briefing.
Having initially launched it Connected Diagnostics telematics service for remote engine monitoring in 2014, Cummins announced a significant upgrade that takes it beyond fault code alerts. Renamed Connected Advisor, it uses real-time analysis of that data by Cummins technical staff to create and communicate response plans for fleet managers, according to Chad Pruitt, exec. Dir. of Cummins Care.
The new service will help fleet determine which faults require immediate attention and which can wait, providing fleet managers with probable causes for those fault codes and an estimated time-to-failure.
Cummins also announced new over-the-air Connected Software Updates that provide remote installation of new engine calibrations. Eliminating shop visits for re-calibration, the new service allows fleets to choose which vehicles get the updates, downloading them in the background while the truck is on the road. Installation on engine restart takes as little as five minutes, and the old calibration is stored on the vehicle in case it needs to reinstalled, Pruitt said.
A new mobile app and a Bluetooth adapter to wirelessly download engine data was also introduced by Cummins at the annual Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting. The free Guidanz app allows fleets to quick access to engine fault codes on a iOS or Android handheld device when combined with a new inline Bluetooth adapter that plugs into the J1939 harness. It also offers the option of emailing that diagnostic data to the fleet or its service provider.
A second Guidanz app for certified Cummins service providers extends diagnostics to report full fault code data. Designed specifically for service shops, it also provides repair time estimates, identifies the most likely repair parts and enables a work order to be started before the vehicle even enters the service bay.
