Knowledge Building: EUROPEAN OIL SPECIFICATIONS

Despite the constant barrage of information about motor oil specification (or possibly because of it), even a seasoned professional can be left scratching his head when faced with anything out of the strictly ordinary these days.

Even what might have previously passed as standard fare is no longer so standard. Remember when you didn’t even have to ask if a car took 10W40, because it was a cinch it did?

And while there is plenty of reason to talk about the move to GF-5 this October, as well as GM’s Dexos, there are other issues that continue to affect the products you stock and sell.

One chronic issue is the misconception surrounding motor oils appropriate for use in import vehicles, specifically European brands.

While the American Petroleum Institute (API), based in Washington, D.C., is the primary standards-setting organization for North America–in concert with ILSAC, of which the most outwardly visible sign is the “starburst” on energy-conserving oils and grades and the “GF” designation–the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, or ACEA (based on

The Fine Print

You will notice, or you should, that there are some subtle but important differences in the specifications noted on the label of these two motor oil bottles, both synthetic formulations from leading suppliers.

The label with brown background does meet the ACEA A5-02 standard, but does not display extensive European manufacturer standards (though Ford and GM standards are noted). The other, with the black background, does carry a list of European automaker approvals, though you may also note that it states that it exceeds GF-3 (not GF-4) standards.

The French acronym for its name) handles testing sequences in Europe.

A key difference, though, is that ACEA is not an independent body; it is an association of automakers. Still, it is the main standards-setting organization in Europe, although by its own admission, these standards are the minimum; automakers are free to enhance their requirements for their own needs, and they do just that.

However, the ACEA 2008 European Oil Sequences for Service-fill Oils comprise three sets (classes) of sequences: one for Gasoline and Light Duty Diesel engines; one specifically for Gasoline and Light Duty Diesel engines with after-treatment devices; and one for Heavy Duty Diesel engines.

A/B: Gasoline and Diesel Engine Oils A1/B1: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use at extended drain intervals in gasoline engines and car and light van diesel engines specifically designed to be capable of using low-friction, low-viscosity oils with a high temperature/high shear rate viscosity.

A3/B3: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use in high-performance gasoline engines and car and light van diesel engines and/or for extended drain intervals where specified by the engine manufacturer, and/or for year-round use of low-viscosity oils, and/or for severe operating conditions as defined by the engine manufacturer.

A3/B4: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use in high-performance gasoline and direct-injection diesel engines, but also suitable for applications described under A3/B3.

A5/B5: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use at extended drain intervals in high-performance gasoline engines and car and light van diesel engines designed to be capable of using low-friction, low-viscosity oils with a high temperature/high shear rate (HTHS) viscosity.

C: Catalyst Compatibility Oils

NOTE: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus, Sulphur; DPF = Diesel Particulate Filter; TWC = Three-way Catalyst; HTHS = High Temperature/High Shear rate viscosity.

C1: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use as catalyst-compatible oil in vehicles with DPF and TWC in high-performance car and light van diesel and gasoline engines requiring low-friction, low-viscosity, low SAPS oils with an HTHS viscosity. These oils will increase the DPF and TWC life and maintain the vehicle’s fuel economy.

C2: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use as catalyst-compatible oil in vehicles with DPF and TWC in high-performance car and light van diesel and gasoline engines designed to be capable of using low-friction, low-viscosity oils with a HTHS viscosity. These oils will increase the DPF and TWC life and maintain the vehicle’s fuel economy.

C3: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use as catalyst-compatible oil in vehicles with DPF and TWC in high-performance car and light van diesel and gasoline engines.

C4: Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use as catalyst-compatible oil in vehicles with DPF and TWC in high-performance car and light van diesel and gasoline engines requiring low SAPS oil. These oils will increase the DPF and TWC life.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer-specific specifications have been a much bigger part of the motor oil landscape in Europe than in North America; think of it, in some ways, like the ATF market. The difference is that the specifications are often only given in the small type, so you have to look carefully.

Since the early 1990s, many European original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) started to move away from API oil standards, judging their direction as incompatible with the needs of the motor oils required in their motors. As a result, many leading European motor manufacturers created and developed their own “OEM” oil standards.

In the last decade, extended oil change intervals and emissions imperatives have heightened the divergence.

Some of the most widely seen European manufacturer’s specifications in North America are:

• Audi/VW 502.00, 503.00, 503.01, 505.00, 505.01, 504/507, and 506.01

• BMW LL-01, LL-04

• Mercedes Benz 229.3, 229.50, 229.51 There are others, of course, such as those from General Motors, for the Vauxhall, Opel, and Saab brands; Ford’s “WSS” standards; Porsche; and the PSA Group of Peugeot and Citron–though, with the exception of Ford and Porsche, we don’t see too many of these in independent shops across Canada.

Aside from technical differences that are very real, recommending the use of motor oil that is not approved for use in that vehicle could leave a business open to a claim should a problem occur down the road.

Accordingly, great care should be taken to ensure that the right oil for the application is being recommended. Think of it like any other component used in a car: you should always make sure the part fits the application.