Fuels & Lubricants Magazine

particular importance when purchasing service-fill lubricants
for vehicles that are out of warranty and no longer
serviced by a main dealer.
However, this necessary, rapid evolution of engine oil
means that selecting the correct lubricant for a particular
car is not only more complex, but has never been more
vital, as incorrect use can lead to significant damage.
PHOTOs: LUBRIZOL
API & ACEA Classifications
API and ACEA oil classifications exist to help trade users
and consumers make an informed choice about the correct
lubricant and its performance. However, it is easy to
understand how confusion may arise as the latest ACEA
2016 oil sequences include eight separate lubricant
categories for passenger cars and light duty engines and
API has nine!
These specifications are the minimum standard for oil
performance and tightly defined, even down to the grade
of the base oil.
ACEA & API are There to Help
To guide purchasers, both API and ACEA have very
clear product marking systems and both are usually applied
on the oil packaging.
Products labelled as ‘equivalent oil’ or ‘blended to
ACEA or API’ specifications might be serviceable products,
but they are not certified by API unless they carry
either their ‘starburst’ certification mark or the service
symbol ‘donut’.
ACEA doesn’t currently operate a lubricant certification
system, but encourages manufacturers to register
their lubricants and self certify them as compliant with
the specifications and ACEA’s CEC tests.
Independent non-franchised dealers, garages and
technical service centres can get it wrong, either by accident
or through poor practice. It is often impractical and
costly to stock bulk containers for a multitude of different
oils to service vehicles aged from three to 30 years;
each with different lubricant needs.
A poorly operating workshop might therefore choose
to compromise and stock just two oils such as an ACEA
C3 for vehicles fitted with after-treatment systems and
an ACEA A3/B4 for those without.
Ultimately, using the correct lubricant is a question of
education and information. The backbone is the API and
ACEA lubricant classifications, which define industry
standards and ensure that the correct maintenance
regime and lubricants can be selected accurately. For
their part, brands and manufacturers are simplifying the
lubricant/vehicle matching process with online selection
guides (some even matching to vehicle registrations).
Clearly, from a consumer perspective, there is a reliance
on the expertise of the service technician. Ignoring
or failing to appreciate the importance of using the right
oil for the right engine can be very costly, involving replacement
after-treatment systems, key engine components
or even entire engines.
ACEA and API are there to help and when lubricants
claiming both performance levels are used you can be
sure to benefit from the best of both worlds.