Method for determining oil viscosity

Abstract

A method for determining oil viscosity includes measuring an oil viscosity parameter value while an oil pump pumps oil through an engine lubrication system. Thereafter, the oil viscosity parameter value is compared to a stored look-up table of oil viscosity parameter values versus oil viscosity values and the viscosity of the oil contained within the vehicle lubrication system is interpolated from the table. The look-up table is generated by installing the pump in a test system and then, measuring the oil viscosity parameter value as the pump pumps oils of known viscosities. For increased accuracy, the look-up table is generated for several temperatures within the range of normal engine operating temperatures and several pump speeds within the range of normal operating pump speeds.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.