A gerotor pump assembly, and a system and method for operating a gerotor pump assembly, result in a lubrication strategy for operating in a loss-of-prime mode. An inner drive gear may be rotated in a first direction and in a second opposite direction about an axis of rotation. The inner drive gear has a number of projections extending outwardly therefrom. An outer driven gear surrounds the inner drive gear and defines a number of recessions along an inner surface configured to engage with the projections of the inner drive gear. The outer driven gear and the inner drive gear further define at least one dynamically-changing fluid cavity therebetween. The inner drive gear and the outer driven gear define an oil transfer volume clearance between a projection and a recession in a fully engaged position. Oil is maintained within the oil transfer volume clearance as the inner drive gear is rotated.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing variable oil pump degradation. In one example, a method may include cranking an engine with a motor and monitoring the motor current draw from a battery during cranking. The method may indicate degradation of a variable oil pump coupled to the engine by comparing the motor current draw with a baseline current level.

A lubrication system includes a progressive distributor and at least one pressure sensor. The progressive distributor includes a housing block having a lubricant inlet, a plurality of lubricant outlets, a plurality of piston bores fluidically connected to the lubricant inlet, each of the plurality of piston bores having a first outlet bore and a second outlet bore, and a metering piston in each of the plurality of piston bores. Each of the metering pistons is displaceable in a respective one of the plurality of outlet bores to uncover either the first outlet bore or the second outlet bore. The pressure sensor is disposed at an inlet of the progressive distributor upstream of the metering pistons with respect to a lubricant flow direction and configured to determine a lubricant pressure.

A pressure relief valve includes a valve housing having an inlet end with an inlet opening having a valve seat surface surrounding the inlet opening. The valve housing defines an outlet end with a plurality of outlet holes and a valve chamber disposed between the valve seat and the outlet end. One of the plurality of outlet holes has a smaller cross section than the other outlet holes. The valve chamber includes a plurality of radially protruding grooves extending radially beyond a base diameter. One of the plurality of radially protruding grooves has a groove cross section that is smaller than a groove cross section of the remaining grooves, which along with the smaller outlet hole cause a lateral pressure imbalance on the valve member so that the valve member tends to remain in contact with a side of the valve seat while permitting relief flow.

A pressure relief valve includes a valve housing having an inlet end with an inlet opening having a valve seat surface surrounding the inlet opening. The valve housing defines an outlet end with a plurality of outlet holes and a valve chamber disposed between the valve seat and the outlet end. One of the plurality of outlet holes has a smaller cross section than the other outlet holes. The valve chamber includes a plurality of radially protruding grooves extending radially beyond a base diameter. One of the plurality of radially protruding grooves has a groove cross section that is smaller than a groove cross section of the remaining grooves, which along with the smaller outlet hole cause a lateral pressure imbalance on the valve member so that the valve member tends to remain in contact with a side of the valve seat while permitting relief flow.

A filtration monitoring system is an electronic system control module installed on an internal combustion engine or within a vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine. The filtration monitoring system monitors the health and status of the filtration systems present on the engine. The filtration monitoring system tracks filter loading patterns and predicts remaining service life of the filters by running smart algorithms based on sensor feedback (e.g., pressure sensor feedback, fluid quality characteristic sensor feedback, etc.). In some arrangements, the described filtration monitoring systems provide feedback as to whether a genuine (i.e., authorized, OEM approved, etc.) or unauthorized filter cartridge is installed in a given filtration system. The filtration monitoring system may be retrofit into an existing internal combustion engine or vehicle that does not already have a filtration monitoring system.

A filtration monitoring system is an electronic system control module installed on an internal combustion engine or within a vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine. The filtration monitoring system monitors the health and status of the filtration systems present on the engine. The filtration monitoring system tracks filter loading patterns and predicts remaining service life of the filters by running smart algorithms based on sensor feedback (e.g., pressure sensor feedback, fluid quality characteristic sensor feedback, etc.). In some arrangements, the described filtration monitoring systems provide feedback as to whether a genuine (i.e., authorized, OEM approved, etc.) or unauthorized filter cartridge is installed in a given filtration system. The filtration monitoring system may be retrofit into an existing internal combustion engine or vehicle that does not already have a filtration monitoring system.

A lubrication system includes a lubrication tank, a gearbox driven pump, an electrically driven pump located in parallel with the gearbox driven pump, and a first control valve for selectively connecting the electrically driven pump or the gearbox driven pump with the lubrication tank.

A lubrication system for an engine including a scavenge pump configured to provide lubricant to the engine during a normal condition, an auxiliary pump configured to provide lubricant to the engine during an abnormal condition, a pressure sensor disposed at an outlet of the auxiliary pump for detecting a pressure created by the auxiliary pump, and a restriction device disposed in a conduit fluidly connecting the scavenge pump to the outlet of the auxiliary pump and configured to increase a first pressure produced by the auxiliary pump at the pressure sensor, wherein the first pressure is greater than a second pressure created by the scavenge pump at the pressure sensor.

A lubrication system for a transmission includes a flow-metering device and a controller. The controller is operatively associated with the flow-metering device to cause the flow-metering device to intermittently issue lubricant from the flow-metering device into a transmission based on an operating parameter of the transmission.