Management Board

Unconfirmed Minutes from the last Management Board meeting, held on 6th May 2009, are now available to CEC Group members on the CEC Web Site.

SG-T-048 – Oxidation Stability Artificial Ageing

It has been noted that some members now wish to keep Procedure A, as well as Procedure B in the test.
The Board wants assurances from the Group Chairman that CEC’s quality requirements are being met for both versions of the test. If the Group cannot meet these for Procedure A because it is no longer popular then it should be removed from the test method. It is also understood that only one OEM has requested that Procedure A be retained, but a similar test to Procedure A may be available from GFC.

SG-F-098 – DW10

The claim for bad reference fuel is still being pursued and is not yet resolved. The Group meets again on 10th June 2009.
Current issues include determining if the 4 hours soak is effecting severity, deciding whether or not to include the zero hours measured power into the method, deciding whether to run the test to determine the effect of re-using injectors and to finalise the 2009 Round Robin.

SG-L-101 – OM501 LA Bore Polishing and Piston Cleanliness Test

If the results of the next reference test using the high reference oil are within the defined acceptance bands then the Board will consider the test to be approved and accept it as a CEC test under the designation CEC L-101-09.  
The Secretariat will inform ACEA about the change to the year of the method in their Specifications.
A licence to use the test method will be available at a cost of Euro 69,000.  The small remaining balance of test development funds cannot be returned to the original sponsors because this development started on a voluntary basis outside of CEC.  These funds will be retained within CEC.

TDG-L-100 – Turbo Deposits Test

ACEA has re-affirmed that this test is still required for both Heavy Duty and Light Duty applications within ACEA.  
ACEA Heavy Duty Group has been asked to provide more background detail about why the test is still required, when it was previously understood that technology advancements had removed the problem.  ACEA has also been asked to advise whether this test, when developed, is intended to be part of the ACEA specifications.  CEC is awaiting proposals of suitable reference oils for testing and advice as to whether different chemistries are required to cover both heavy and light duty applications. ATC expressed some concerns about the future funding of this test, how much might be needed to complete the test development and whether enough funds would be made available by current sponsors.

Analysis of CEC Reference Fluids

Important information follows about analysis of CEC Reference Fluids.
Analysis of fresh CEC reference fluids is not permitted unless the Group needs this analysis to be carried out, for example to check that an additive treat rate is correct.  On the occasions when this is required the blender or additive company must carry out the analysis, or agree that it can be analysed elsewhere.  The Reference Oils Manual has a clause on confidentiality which should be extended to cover this aspect and a similar clause will be added into the existing Reference Fuels Manual as well.

Japanese to Adopt a CEC Test in a JASO Standard

We are pleased to announce that JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association) and PAJ (Petroleum Association of Japan) have advised CEC that they are planning to use CEC L-78-99 – Direct Injection Diesel Engine Ring Sticking & Piston Cleanliness Test (VW 1.9L Turbocharged Intercooled DI Diesel Engine) in the JASO M355 Japanese diesel oil standard.

CEC Quality

Issues discussed at the recent Board Meeting include how to handle non-CEC parameters in CEC tests so that ACEA can determine safety limits within their specifications, statistical support to CEC tests, the CEC Quality Index system for engine tests and an update on the CEC Test Monitoring System for Reference Tests. The Board will look at a proposal to merge the Test Monitoring Site with the main CEC Web Site to improve user access and more accurate maintenance of records.

Potential New Developments

Concerns have been expressed that no engine has yet been proposed for a sludge test to replace the M111.  The Board was informed that an Industry meeting is taking place on 4th June 2009 when this will be discussed, along with the migration of the current DV4 test to a new engine and the OM646 proposed biodiesel test.  More information is likely to be available for the next CEC Board Meeting in July 2009.

New Look CEC Web Site

Announcing the newly designed and upgraded CEC Web Site, available from 22nd May 2009!
Improved facilities for users and, quicker links to information.  Remember, if the new design doesn’t appear on your screen it means that your computer is storing an old copy.  Press ‘Control’ and ‘F5’ on your keyboard in order to remove the cache of old versions in your computer.  Please let us know what you think of the new Site!

CEC Help Desk

Suggestions?  Questions?  Remember…… support is available from Lyn, Barry and Monique.  See the CEC Web Site for details:  http://www.cectests.org