We provide all Engine Oil API Classifications for a variety of Gas and Diesel Vehicles in different packaging from 1L Pack to 208L Drums.
Engine Oil Viscosity Classification (SAE)
SAE, Society of Automotive Engineers, has created a classification for the viscosity of engine oils that helps determine the thickness of the oil. SAE distinguishes 14 viscosity classes – 6 winter marked with a number before the letter W (0W, 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W, 25W) and 8 summer classes with a number after the letter W (W8, W12, W16, W20, W30, W40, W50, W60).
Winter grades of oils are determined based on the maximum viscosity that the oil achieves at a given negative temperature, limiting pumpability temperature and minimum viscosity at 100 degrees C.
Summer classes, in turn, according to the minimum and maximum viscosity at 100 degrees C. and minimum viscosity at 150 degrees C.
Engine Oil Quality Classification (API)
API, American Petroleum Institute, has created a quality classification of engine oils. The basic division concerns here gasoline engines (oils marked with the letter „S”) and diesel („C”).
Always followed by a letter, which here means belonging to the type of a given engine, followed by a second letter denoting the proper standard of this operating fluid. Importantly, the further letter is in the alphabet, the higher and newer the oil standard, and thus its class is better, e.g. SN> SL, SL> SG, CI> CS, etc.
In addition, in the case of oils for diesel engines, there are also sub-standards occurring after a combination of letters and specified in numbers, e.g. CF-2, CH-4, CJ-4.
When purchasing oil for your car’s engine, you can always use oil with a higher standard and better parameters than those for which the engine was designed, but only with „neighboring” standards (e.g. SN oil instead of SM).
Topping up with a lower standard oil (weaker parameters) can lead to faster wear or even damage to the power unit. A similar effect can be obtained when adding oils meeting the new standards to older units, e.g. SN oil instead of SG.
Quality Grades of Oils for Gasoline Engines
- SG – mainly for cars produced before 1993; they guarantee good parameters in terms of abrasion resistance, durability, and protection against pollution.
- SH – standard introduced in 1993, mainly for cars manufactured before 1996; values close to the SG standard.
- SJ – introduced in 1996; for cars manufactured before 2001; requires lower phosphorus content and less evaporation compared to the SH class.
- SL – introduced in 2001; for cars with engines manufactured before 2004; greater limits for sludge when operating at high temperatures than in the SJ standard.
- SM – introduced in 2004; better oxidation resistance parameters; prevents the build-up of impurities; greater lubrication performance at low temperatures.
- SN – introduced in 2010; better protection for turbochargers and pistons at high temperatures; less sedimentation and fuel economy.
Oil Quality Grades for Diesel Engines
- CC – for light diesel engines; prevents the accumulation of dirt generated during high-temperature operation.
- CD – for heavily operated four-stroke diesel engines; with additives to prevent abrasion and accumulation of deposits.
- CD-II – for two-stroke diesel engines.
- CE – for lower-class engines that work under heavy loads.
- CF-4 – better standard than CE in terms of piston wear and pollution.
- CF-2 – for two-stroke diesel engines instead of CD-II oils.
- CF – replacement of the CD standard for engines using poor fuel quality.
- CG-4 – for units with low emissions instead of CD class.
- CE and CF-4; the class meets the emission requirements of 1994
- CH-4 – to American diesel engines that emit a small amount of toxic exhaust; compliant with exhaust gas emission requirements from 1998; replacement for the CD class,
- CE, CF-4 and CG-4; introduced in 1998.
- CI-4 – introduced in 1998 to units generating small amounts of exhaust gas (especially for engines with EGR exhaust gas recirculation); complies with the requirements of exhaust emissions from 2004; replacement for CD, CE, CF-4, CG-4, and CH-4 classes; introduced in 2002.
- CJ-4 – for diesel engines with increased exhaust purity with a particulate filter, DPF or EGR system; in place of class CI-4; introduced in 2006.