of the lube oil. Soot that collects in the crankcase fully goes away when the lube oil is changed out of the engine. Additives can be added to the oil to cause the soot to stay on top of the engine lube oil. These substances getting into the lube oil can accelerate the effects of crankcase dilution. Effects Fuel oil in the crankcase lube oil can cause the oil to chemically degrade. This means that the oil loses viscosity and is less effective when lubricating. The loss of viscosity of the lube oil causes the oil to not fully connect and lubricate the moving parts of the engine. This lack of lubrication can cause the engine to have an increased amount of wear over time. Reducing Crankcase dilution There are many ways to reduce the amount of crankcase dilution that occurs in an engine. One of the ways is to counteract the loss of viscosity by using a heavier oil. The viscosity that they recommended was 500-575 sec. Another thing that can reduce the effects of crankcase dilution is changing the piston compression rings when they become worn. This would reduce the amount of blow-by gases and overall reducing the effects. Another thing that can be done is to change the car's oil regularly to avoid the wear on your engine from crankcase dilution. Detecting Crankcase dilution Detecting crankcase dilution can help reduce the effects that it will have on your engine. There are many ways to detect crankcase dilution. One of the ways is to check the flash point of the oil and compare it to the brand of lube oil. The way to test the flash point of the oil is to manually take a sample and use a testing kit. When the fuel leaks into the lube oil the chemical makeup is different than the normal lube oil. Another way to test for crankcase dilution is to use a SAW to test the concentration of fuel oil in the crankcase oil. SAW stands for surface acoustic wave. Biodiesel and crankcase dilution Biodiesel is vegetable oil or animal fats that are mixed with lipids to produce alcohol that can be burned. The alcohol that is produced is the biodiesel. Engines that run on biodiesel have the same problem as regular fuel engines. The biodiesel fuel finds its way into the crankcase of the engine and mixes with the