Preventing money going down the drain

摘要

Alan Bunting reports on the search for an onboard system that will save money by taking a lot of the guesswork out of when to change the oil. Neglecting to drain and refill engine oil is to risk premature wear and possible seizure. But from a purely engineering perspective, there are less obvious penalties in changing the oil prematurely. They are cost related, not only boosting lubricant expenditure but increasing vehicle downtime, as a not-yet-necessary maintenance procedure is carried out.