Sign In
Welcome! Sign In to personalize your Cat.com experience
If you already have an existing account with another Cat App, you can use the same account to sign in here
Register Now
One Account. All of Cat.
Your Caterpillar account is the single account you use to log in to select services and applications we offer. Shop for parts and machines online, manage your fleet, go mobile, and more.
Account Information
Site Settings
Security
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.
As fluid change intervals are extended with the introduction of more advanced Tier 4 equipment by OEMs, fluid analysis has become an even more important part of preventive maintenance.
S•O•SSM Fluid Analysis is a highly reliable equipment management service that protects the performance and built-in value of your equipment. By giving you a clear picture of what’s happening inside your equipment, fluid analysis can help increase productivity, reduce repair costs and scheduled down-time, and lower your overall operating costs. It’s a simple approach: through analysis of wear metals, oil condition, oil cleanliness and coolants, problems can be caught before they progress to a complete failure.
Fluid analysis involves taking a small fluid sample, testing its overall condition and looking for the presence of contaminants. The resulting reports can give you advanced warning on a wide range of possible issues from poor air filter performance to deteriorating components.
While one sample gives you a single snapshot of overall system health, you’ll get the greatest value by reviewing fluid analysis reports over time. After taking several samples, you may see patterns emerge, which can help you identify and fix issues.
Take a look at these five key things fluid testing can help you evaluate:
Each oil-washed system has a particular concentration of wear metals produced during normal operation. By evaluating wear inside the lubricated compartment, you can see if rates are normal or not. For example, high levels of iron and chrome can stem from problems with your engine’s cylinder liners and/or piston rings.
This robust analysis involving several tests can determine if anything harmful has entered the oil.
The wrong fluid in the wrong compartment can affect performance and lube protection, or even severely damage major components. To tell if it’s the right fluid, it’s important to take an accurate sample with the right labeling.
Today’s heavy-duty engines produce a lot of power from a small package, and cooling systems have to do more with less. It’s also not uncommon for some operations to extend drain intervals or recycle coolant to reduce disposal costs. With the introduction of Tier 4 Final engines, some machines have switched over to extended life or Organic Acid Technology (OAT) coolants that cannot be mixed with other types of coolants. It’s important to know the type of coolant you are working with.
It’s critically important to properly pull samples. Improper sampling can lead to the introduction of other contaminants and ruin the integrity of the analysis. Be sure to thoroughly review the instructions in your sampling kit. You can also watch this video demonstration from a Cat® preventive maintenance specialist on how to take a proper fluid sample.
If you have a My.Cat.Com account, you can also find S•O•S Fluid Analysis resources through My.Cat.Com tutorials.
Talk to your Cat dealer about S•O•S Fluid Analysis services. They can explain how fluid analysis can extend equipment life, reduce replacement costs and boost reliability and uptime.