Why does using oil with incorrect viscosity contribute to low engine oil pressure in a diesel engine?
Low viscosity oil flows too easily and reduces pressure
Oil pressure is built up because the oil pump forces oil through tight bearing clearances that resist the flow; the resistance is what holds the pressure up.
Viscosity is the oil’s thickness, or resistance to flowing; the correct viscosity gives the right amount of resistance in those clearances.
If the oil viscosity is too low, the thin oil slips through the bearing clearances too easily, so it offers little resistance and leaks away faster than the pump can maintain pressure.
With this easy escape past the clearances, the system cannot sustain the normal pressure and the gauge reads low.
Hence, the answer is Low viscosity oil flows too easily and reduces pressure.
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