Patent ID: 6390240
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: F01M,F16N

Abstract:
A method for lubricating an internal combustion engine, comprising the following steps:in the cold state of the engine, a first oil of low viscosity is fed by means of an oil pump from a first oil tank to various lubricating points, is collected in an oil sump and is returned to the first oil tank, during the supplying of the lubricating points with the first oil from the first oil tank, a second oil of higher viscosity is kept ready in a second oil tank, after the warming up of the engine to a predetermined switching temperature, the oil circuit is switched over by a first temperature-controlled switching device in such a way that the second oil is fed from the second oil tank to the lubricating points, it being mixed with the residue of the first oil remaining in the engine to form an oil mixture, is collected in the oil sump and is returned to the second oil tank, so that after a transitional time, the oil in the second oil tank is replaced by the oil mixture and then the oil mixture is fed to the lubricating points, after the engine has been shut down and has cooled down below a limit temperature, the oil mixture in the second oil tank is fractionated into the first oil and the second oil, once fractionation has taken place, a connecting line between the second oil tank and the first oil tank is opened by means of a second switching device and the first oil located in the second oil tank is returned via the said connecting line into the first oil tank, the second oil remaining in the second oil tank.