ASTM D7468-11 - 1.10.2011
 
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 generation, valve train wear, and deposit formation in a turbocharged, aftercooled four-stroke-cycle diesel engine equipped with exhaust gas recirculation hardware.

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 D4485.

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 needs to be considered when extrapolating test results.

 
1. Scope

1.1 The test method covers a heavy-duty diesel engine test procedure conducted under high soot conditions to evaluate oil performance with regard to valve train wear, top ring wear, sludge deposits, and oil filter plugging in an EGR environment. This test method is commonly referred to as the Cummins ISM Test.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.2.1 ExceptionThe only exception is where there is no direct SI equivalent such as screw threads, national pipe threads/diameters, tubing sizes, or where there is a sole source of supply equipment specification.

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

D613-25a

Standard Test Method for Cetane Number of Diesel Fuel Oil (Includes all amendments and changes 11/6/2025).

D5453-25

Standard Test Method for Determination of Total Sulfur in Light Hydrocarbons, Spark Ignition Engine Fuel, Diesel Engine Fuel, and Engine Oil by Ultraviolet Fluorescence

D2622-26

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

D2709-22

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

D4175-24e2

Standard Terminology Relating to Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants (Includes all amendments and changes 6/9/2026).

D4052-22

Standard Test Method for Density, Relative Density, and API Gravity of Liquids by Digital Density Meter

D5967-21

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

ASTM Deposit Rating Manual 20

D86-23ae2

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

D93-26

Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester

D97-17b(2022)

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

D130-26

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

D235-22

Standard Specification for Mineral Spirits (Petroleum Spirits) (Hydrocarbon Dry Cleaning Solvent)

D287-22

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

D445-24

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).

D664-24

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

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)

D4739-26

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

D4737-21

Standard Test Method for Calculated Cetane Index by Four Variable Equation

D4485-24

Standard Specification for Performance of Active API Service Category Engine Oils

D4294-24

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

E178-21

Standard Practice for Dealing With Outlying Observations

E29-22

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

Code of Federal Regulations

D2500-23

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

D2274-14(2019)

Standard Test Method for Oxidation Stability of Distillate Fuel Oil (Accelerated Method)

D1319-25

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

D976-21e1

Standard Test Method for Calculated Cetane Index of Distillate Fuels (Includes all amendments and changes 2/23/2023).