S·O·S
FLUID
ANALYSIS
Your machine's fluids tell a story. S·O·S laboratory testing of oil, coolant, and fuel detects wear patterns and contamination before they become failures — giving you time to act, not react.
THE BLOOD TEST
FOR YOUR MACHINE.
S·O·S (Scheduled Oil Sampling) is Caterpillar's fluid analysis program — a laboratory service that tests oil, coolant, and fuel samples from your equipment to identify internal wear, contamination, and fluid degradation at the earliest possible stage.
Think of it as preventive medicine for your machines. A single oil sample can reveal wear metal concentrations that indicate bearing deterioration, piston ring wear, or gear damage — often hundreds of operating hours before any visible symptoms appear. Coolant analysis catches corrosion and additive depletion. Fuel analysis identifies water contamination and microbial growth.
The cost of a fluid sample is a fraction of the cost of a single unplanned repair. For mining, construction, and oil & gas operations in Wyoming where machines run hard and downtime is expensive, S·O·S is one of the highest-ROI maintenance investments you can make.
HOW IT
WORKS.
Take Samples
Collect oil, coolant, or fuel samples from your machine using a Cat S·O·S sampling kit. Kits are available at any Wyoming Machinery location or through your field technician. Consistent sampling points and intervals produce the most accurate trend data.
Ship to Cat Lab
Drop off samples at any of our branches or use the prepaid mailer included in your kit. Samples are sent to a Caterpillar-certified laboratory staffed by trained fluid analysts with access to machine-specific wear benchmarks.
Get Results in 24–48 Hours
Results are typically available within 24 to 48 hours of the lab receiving your sample. You'll get a detailed report with wear metal analysis, contamination levels, fluid condition scores, and clear action recommendations.
Act on Recommendations
Each report includes severity ratings and recommended actions — from "continue operating" to "schedule immediate service." Our service team can coordinate repairs directly from your S·O·S results, ensuring the right parts and technician are ready.
WHAT WE
TEST.
Oil Analysis
- Wear metals (iron, copper, chromium, lead, tin, aluminum)
- Contaminants (silicon, sodium, potassium)
- Viscosity and viscosity index
- Oxidation and nitration levels
- Total base number (TBN)
- Fuel dilution
- Water content
- Particle count
Coolant Analysis
- pH level and reserve alkalinity
- Glycol concentration
- Dissolved metals (corrosion indicators)
- Contamination (oil, fuel, combustion gases)
- Supplemental coolant additive (SCA) levels
- Conductivity
Fuel Analysis
- Water and sediment content
- Viscosity
- Sulfur content
- Cetane number
- Cloud point and pour point
- Microbial contamination
- Particulate levels
THE VALUE OF
KNOWING.
Catch Problems Early
Elevated wear metals or contamination often show up in fluid analysis hundreds of hours before a component fails. Early detection means a planned repair instead of a catastrophic breakdown.
Extend Component Life
Trending fluid data helps you optimize oil change intervals, catch coolant degradation, and identify contamination sources — all of which directly extend the life of engines, transmissions, and hydraulic systems.
Reduce Catastrophic Failures
Undetected problems in oil, coolant, or fuel are the leading cause of premature component failure. S·O·S testing systematically eliminates the guesswork from machine health monitoring.
Data-Driven Maintenance
Every sample adds to your machine's fluid history. Over time, this trend data reveals patterns that let you make maintenance decisions based on actual condition — not just hours or calendar intervals.
START
TESTING.
Whether you want to set up a regular sampling program or test a single machine, we'll get you started with sampling kits and a schedule that fits your operation.
Start S·O·S Testing
Tell us about your equipment and we'll set up your sampling program.