POWERTRAIN
June 2018 | VehicleServicePros.com 35
Beyond the hardware
It’s not just the maintaining of hardware that
impacts vehicle uptime; how well the fl eet
is supported in specifi c application or under
specifi c operating conditions also matters.
Oft entimes, that support stems from learning
through various programs, service solutions
and telematics information, tuning fl eets in to
what’s happening with their
operations.
It is common practice to
off er engines with recommended
oil drain intervals.
Yet, some fl eet operations
may be effi cient enough to
extend those intervals — it
just takes some testing to
determine that an extension
would not harm the engine
or impact its performance.
To address this issue,
there are programs available
to provide evaluation
of current vehicle
performance, such as
the Cummins OilGuard
program. In this program,
the fleet provides oil
samples at specifi ed vehicle
mileages, which are
then extensively tested to
validate whether or not
their operations allow
for an extension. Fleets
granted extended oil drain
intervals benefi t from fewer
interruptions to their operations,
with less time and
money spent in the shop.
Vehicles spec’d with 2015
and 2016 ISX15 engines
as well as the 2017 and
2018 X15 Effi ciency and
X15 Performance engines
can currently utilize this
program.
Customer support goes
even further with the
introduction of telematics.
In today’s world of connected
vehicles, seconds aft er
a fault code is generated,
a fl eet will learn what’s
going on in the fi eld. But,
the amount of information
learned through telematics
can be overwhelming,
making it diffi cult for the
fleet to make decisions
about what actions they
need to take next.
That’s where products
like Cummins Connected
Advisor come in. Programs
like this can provide fl eets
with a prioritized list of
service issues for engines,
including estimated times
to react. Fleets can address
critical issues immediately,
and have the ability to proactively schedule
service for noncritical issues.
Continued optimization
While a lot can be done today to ease maintenance
requirements, further powertrain integration
will drive even more improvements
for fl eet maintenance operations. Th e more we
learn, the more opportunities we can fi nd to
align engine, aft ertreatment and transmission
maintenance intervals or consolidate insights
through telematics.
Th e quest to deliver the best uptime is not
over, but continued experience and integration
work will only bring us closer.
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