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What are API classifications?
What are api classifications?
What are SAE viscosity grades?
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Motor Oils & Lubricants
What is an API (American Petroleum Institute) classification?
API – classifications for diesel engines
| CA | Low stress |
| CB | Moderate stress |
| CC | Small turbo Diesel engines |
| CD | Hoch aufgel. Diesel engines |
| CD-Plus | Hoch aufgel. Diesel engines (reinforced standard) |
| CE | SHPD-Diesel-engine oil Turbo Diesel engines (required for gasoline engines) |
| CF-4 | Specification for high-speed 4- and 6-cylinder diesel engines. Supplements the CE specification in terms of oil consumption and piston cleanliness |
| CG-4 | Specification for heavy-duty truck engines |
| CH-4 | Specification for highly claimed truck engines, meets Euro 3 |
| CI-4 | Introduced in 2002, CI-4 oils are designed for high-speed four-stroke diesel engines designed to meet 2004 emissions standards. These oils are specially formulated to ensure engine durability when using Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems and are suitable for diesel fuels with a sulfur content of up to 0.5%. They can be used in place of CD, CE, CF-4, CG-4 and CH-4 oils. |
| CJ-4 | For high-speed, four-stroke diesel engines meeting 2010 model year on-road and Tier 4 off-road emissions standards and older diesel engines. These oils are designed for diesel fuels with a sulfur content of up to 500 ppm (0.05%). However, use with fuels containing more than 15 ppm (0.0015%) sulfur may affect the durability of the exhaust aftertreatment system and the oil change interval. API CJ-4 oils exceed the performance criteria of API CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4 and CF-4 and can effectively lubricate engines in these categories. |
| CK-4 | These oils are designed for diesel fuels containing up to 500 ppm (0.05%) sulfur. However, fuels containing more than 15 ppm (0.0015%) sulfur may affect the durability of the exhaust aftertreatment system and the oil change interval. API CK-4 oils provide enhanced protection against oil oxidation, viscosity loss, oil aeration, catalyst poisoning, particulate filter blockage, engine wear, piston deposits, and temperature degradation and soot-related viscosity increase. They exceed the performance criteria of API CJ-4, CI-4 PLUS, CI-4 and CH-4. |
API – classifications for ottomotors
| SB | Low stress |
| SC | Motors construction year 1964 to 1971 |
| SD | Motors construction year 1968 to 1971 |
| SE | Engines built from 1972 onwards stop and go operation |
| SF | Engines built from 1981 onwards for extended oil changes |
| SG | Improved oxidation stability and engine cleanliness / 1988 |
| SH | Meets higher demands in terms of evaporation loss, filterability, foaming behavior and flash point / 1993 |
| SJ | Improved cold start compatibility, extended oil changes |
| SL | Improved performance class, valid from 7/2001 |
| SM | Extremely high requirements in terms of oxidation stability, engine cleanliness, wear protection, aging behavior and low temperature performance. Valid from 2004. |
| SN | Introduced October 2010. Designed for improved high temperature piston protection, tighter sludge control and higher seal compatibility. The API SN RC and ILSAC GF-5 standards combine improved performance for better fuel economy, protection for turbochargers and compatibility with emission control systems. They also protect engines that run on fuels containing ethanol up to E85 (valid from 2011). Also suitable for older vehicles. |
| SP | Introduced in May 2020, it is said to provide low-speed pre-ignition protection (LSPI), timing chain wear protection, improved high-temperature deposit protection for pistons and turbochargers, and tighter sludge and paint control. API SP with Resource Conservation is equivalent to ILSAC GF-6A by combining API SP performance with improved fuel economy, emission control system protection, and protection of engines operating on ethanol-containing fuels up to E85. |
API classes for gear oils
| API class | MIL specification | Use/conditions of use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL1 | – | low-load manual transmission | |
| GL2 | – | Industrial/worm gears | |
| GL3 | – | normally loaded manual transmissions | |
| GL4 | MIL-L-2105 | Highly contaminated manual transmission, lightly loaded hypoid gears |
|
| GL5 | MIL-L-2105 B MIL-L-2105 C MIL-L-2105 D |
Highly contaminated hypoid transmissions, manual transmission when prescribed / approved | |
| MT-1 | MIL-PRF-2105E | unsynchronized manual transmission in American NKW |
What are SAE viscosity classes?
“Sae” is the abbreviation for “Society of Automotive Engineers”. This association of engineers from the American automotive industry represents an independent society responsible for standardization and classification in American automobile manufacturing. Among other things, the “SAE” also took over the vehicle motor and gear oils in viscosity classes worldwideThe SAE viscosity classes are only a measure of the viscous fluid of the lubricating oils and do not provide any statement about the quality and composition of the engine and gear oils.
Notes:
When it comes to automotive transmission oils, the SAE class is less often selected based on the climate zone or outside temperature, but rather based on the type of transmission, e.g. manual transmission, drive axle, external planetary axle, etc.
Therefore, the manufacturer’s instructions must be complied with.
Single oils are only designed for one SAE area. Multi-area oils include several SAE areas.
There are the following viscosity classes:
Single-grade engine oils
| Viscosity class | Area of application based on climate zone or season | Area of application related to approx. Outside temperature |
|---|---|---|
| SAE 0W | Winter oil | below -35°C |
| SAE 5W | Winter oil | below -30°C |
| SAE 10W | Winter oil | 0 to -20°C |
| SAE 15W | Winter oil | -15 to +20°C |
| SAE 20W-20 | Winter-summer oil, depending on the climate zone | -10 to +20°C |
| SAE 25 | Winter oil in mild climatic zones | 0 to +30°C |
| SAE 30 | Summer oil | 0 to +30°C |
| SAE 40 | Summer oil, used in southern countries | +15 to +40°C |
| SAE 50 | Summer oil, used in tropical countries | up +40°C |
Multi-grade engine oils
| Viscosity class | Area of application based on climate zone or season | Area of application related to approx. Outside temperature |
|---|---|---|
| SAE 0W/30 | All-season oil | up -30 to +30°C |
| SAE 0W/40 | All-season oil | upwards -30 to +40°C |
| SAE 5W-30 | All-season oil | below -20 to +20°C |
| SAE 5W-40/50 | All-season oil | below -20 to +40°C |
| SAE 10W-30 | All-season oil | -20 to +20°C |
| SAE 10W-40/50 | All-season oil | -20 to +40°C |
| SAE 15W-40/15W50 | All-season oil | -15 to +40°C |
| SAE 20W-50 | All-season oil | -10 to +40°C |
Motor vehicle oil: one-time transmission oils
| Viscosity class | Area of application based on climate zone or season |
|---|---|
| SAE 70W | Special oil for Nordic countries |
| SAE 75W | Winter oil |
| SAE 80W | Winter oil |
| SAE 90 | Summer oil |
| SAE 140 | Summer oil for special inserts |
Motor vehicle oil: multi-range transmission oils
| Viscosity class | Area of application based on climate zone or season |
|---|---|
| SAE 75W-90 | All-season oil |
| SAE 75W-140 | All-season oil |
| SAE 80W-90 | All-season oil |
| SAE 85W-140 | All -year oil/summer oil |
| SAE 20W-20 | Winter-summer oil, depending on the climate zone |
What is the ACEA classification?
ACEA is the abbreviation for Association des Constructeurs Europeens d’Automobiles (Association of European Automobile Manufacturers). This committee has developed new classifications for the use of motor oils in gasoline, passenger car diesel and commercial vehicle diesel engines.
(ACEA European Oil Sequences for Service Fill Oils).
| ACEA A3/B3 | HTHS viscosity of ≥ 3.5 mPas, less evaporation losses, high piston cleanliness and oxidation stability, expires in 2023 |
| ACEA A3/B4 | HTHS viscosity of ≥ 3.5 mPas, meets requirements for direct injection diesel engines |
| ACEA A5/B5 | HTHS viscosity of 2.9-3.5 mPas, other standards correspond to ACEA A3/B4 |
| ACEA A7/B7 | High SAPS with LSPI and low speed wear protection for turbocharged direct injection gasoline engines and turbocharger compressor deposit protection (TCCD) for modern direct injection diesel engines. |
| ACEA C1 | Low SAPS, sulfate ash content max. 0.5%, HTHS ≥ 2.9 mPas |
| ACEA C2 | Mid SAPS, sulfate ash content max. 0.8%, HTHS ≥ 2.9 mPas |
| ACEA C3 | Mid SAPS, sulfate ash content max. 0.8%, HTHS ≥ 3.5 mPas |
| ACEA C4 | Low SAPS, sulfate ash content max. 0.5%, HTHS ≥ 3.5 mPas |
| ACEA C5 | Mid SAPS, sulfate ash content max. 0.8%, HTHS ≥ 2.6 less than 2.9 mPas |
| ACEA C6 | Provides LSPI and low speed wear protection for supercharged direct injection gasoline engines as well as diesel turbocharger compressor deposit protection (TCCD) for low SAPS classes and is compatible with catalytic converter & GPF/DPF exhaust aftertreatment systems |
| ACEA E4 | Based on MB 228.5, long oil change intervals, suitable for EURO III engines |
| ACEA E6 | Recommended for EGR engines and SCR NOX engines with diesel particulate filters in combination with sulfur-free fuel, sulfate ash content ≤ 1%, expires in 2022 |
| ACEA E7 | Recommended for EGR engines and SCR NOX engines without diesel particulate filters, sulfate ash content ≤ 2% |
| ACEA E8 | Replaces ACEA E6, UHPD (Ultra High Performance Diesel), Low SAPS, for DPF, HTHS ≥ 3.5 mPas |
| ACEA E9 | Recommended for a variety of EGR engines and SCR NOX engines with/without diesel particulate filters in combination with sulfur-free fuel, sulfate ash content ≤ 1%, expires in 2022 |
| ACEA E11 | Replaces ACEA E9, SHPD (Super High Performance Diesel), Mid SAPS, for DPF, HTHS ≥ 3.5 mPas |