The study reported no measurale adverse effects after 12 years on canola based FAME. Some engines from the diesel and RME groups were pulled down and inspected for wear with no significant differences.
Oil change intervals appear not to be based on soot. The study states that oil change intervals were 7500/10000 km for IDI light passenger/light utility vehicles, 20000 km for commonrail vehicles, and it seems 20000 km typically for HVs. (though they must have let some go to 35000-38000 km as that is how high the graphs go. Average soot content when oil was analysed varies between 0.3 and 2%.
On your soot, it is irrefutable that soot increases viscosity, as has been proven in our own and other studies which have added soot to clean engine oil. However, this can be offset by issues like fuel dilution (in the BD case), and viscosity decrease in the oil during use/aging - however this is supposed to be rare. We have "artificially aged" RX Super in the lab (without adding soot) and had the viscosity decrease. This is reported to be due to breakdown in the some of the components/additives in the oil.



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