By using the first-order small parameter perturbation method, a form of the Reynolds equation has been derived for non-Newtonian lubricants based on the Bair & Winer's visco-plastic model. The Newton-Raphson iteration method has been adopted to obtain full numerical solutions for the line contact EHL. The changes of the slide/roll ratio, limiting shear stress and viscosity, which mainly reflect the non-Newtonian behavior of lubricants, have been widely investigated. The effects on the line contact EHL are discussed. Furthermore, the partial thermal EHL solutions have been presented for the temperature and shear stress distributions as well as the coefficients of friction on the surfaces. The results of theoretical analyses compare well with the experimental data.Presented at the 45th Annual Meeting In Denver, Colorado May 7–10, 1990