ASTM D6838-04 - 1.5.2004
 
Significance and Use

This test method was developed to assess the performance of an engine oil to control engine wear and deposits under heavy duty operating conditions selected to accelerate soot production, valve train wear, and deposit formation in a turbocharged, aftercooled four-stroke-cycle diesel engine.

This test method may be used for engine oil specification acceptance when all details of this test method are in compliance. Applicable engine oil service categories are included in Specification D 4485.

The test method was correlated with field service data, determined from side-by-side comparisons of two or more oils in on-highway service. These data are contained in a research report.6 These same field service oils were used to develop the operating conditions of this test method.

The design of the engine used in this test method is representative of many, but not all, modern diesel engines. This factor, along with the accelerated operating conditions should be considered when extrapolating test results.

 
1. Scope

1.1 This test method is commonly referred to as the Cummins M11 High Soot Test (HST). The test method defines a heavy-duty diesel engine test procedure conducted under high soot conditions to evaluate oil performance with regard to valve train wear, sludge deposits, and oil filter plugging.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parenthesis are for information only.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. See Annex A1 for general safety precautions.

 
2. Referenced Documents

D4739-26

Standard Test Method for Base Number Determination by Potentiometric Hydrochloric Acid Titration

D5844-98

Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Automotive Engine Oils for Inhibition of Rusting (Sequence IID) (Withdrawn 2003)

D5967-21

Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Diesel Engine Oils in T-8 Diesel Engine

E29-22

Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications

D6557-26

Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Rust Preventive Characteristics of Automotive Engine Oils

D2709-22

Standard Test Method for Water and Sediment in Middle Distillate Fuels by Centrifuge

D2896-26

Standard Test Method for Base Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Perchloric Acid Titration

D4485-24

Standard Specification for Performance of Active API Service Category Engine Oils

D4737-21

Standard Test Method for Calculated Cetane Index by Four Variable Equation

D97-17b(2022)

Standard Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products (Includes all amendments and changes 11/29/2022).

D129-18

Standard Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products (General High Pressure Decomposition Device Method) (Withdrawn 2023)

D130-26

Standard Test Method for Corrosiveness to Copper from Petroleum Products by Copper Strip Test

D287-22

Standard Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products (Hydrometer/Method)

D445-26

Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (and Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity)

D482-25

Standard Test Method for Ash from Petroleum Products

D524-15(2025)e1

Standard Test Method for Ramsbottom Carbon Residue of Petroleum Products (Includes all amendments and changes 8/11/2025).

D5185-26

Standard Test Method for Multielement Determination of Used and Unused Lubricating Oils and Base Oils by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)

D613-26

Standard Test Method for Cetane Number of Diesel Fuel Oil

D664-24

Standard Test Method for Acid Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Titration

D1319-25

Standard Test Method for Hydrocarbon Types in Liquid Petroleum Products by Fluorescent Indicator Adsorption

D2500-23

Standard Test Method for Cloud Point of Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels

D86-23ae2

Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels at Atmospheric Pressure (Includes all amendments and changes 11/4/2024).

D92-24

Standard Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup Tester

D2622-26

Standard Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

D5302-01a

Test Method for Evaluation of Automotive Engine Oils for Inhibition of Deposit Formation and Wear in a Spark-Ignition Internal Combustion Engine Fueled with Gasoline and Operated Under Low-Temperature, Light-Duty Conditions (Withdrawn 2003)

E344-26a

Terminology Relating to Thermometry and Hydrometry (Includes all amendments and changes 4/21/2026).