Question 1

ACEA Car Engine Oil Specification Explained

Accepted Answer

ACEA Spec is a very common sight, in fact you'll find one on almost all engine oil, but what does it all mean?

ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) have a system of rating oils, which you will find on the container of almost every oil on the market. These are the current specifications,previously oils were given separate petrol and diesel ratings, but from November 2004 onwards, those have been combined (A still refers to Petrol and B to Diesel engines). ACEA's Mission Statement is defined as:

Define and advocate the common interests, policies and positions of the European automobile industry;
Engage in dialogue with the European institutions and other stakeholders in order to advance understanding of industry-related issues, and to contribute to effective policy and legislation at both European and global levels;
Act as a portal for expert knowledge on vehicle-related regulation;
Communicate the role and importance of the industry, using reliable data and information;
Monitor activities that affect the automobile industry, cooperating with the other stakeholders involved; and Undertake strategic reflection on the increasingly global challenges of mobility, sustainability and competitiveness.

ACEA Specifications - Standard Petrol and Diesel Engines ACEA A1/B1

Category for Fuel Economy engine oils with especially low High Temperature High Shear viscosity. HTHS of 2.6 to 3.5 mPas applies to XW-20, 2.9 to 3. 5 mPas for all others. Correspo

Question 2

Engine, Gear Oil & Grease Viscosity / Grade Classifications Explained

Accepted Answer

We explain the mechanics behind the different grade classifications of car / motorcycle oils & greases.

Viscosity Classifications INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANT CASSIFICATIONS

ISO (International Standards Organisation) viscosity classification. The ISO viscosity classification uses mm2/s (cSt) units and relates to viscosity at 40oC. It consists of a series of 18 viscosity brackets between 1.98 mm2/s and 1650 mm2/s, each of which is defined by a number. The numbers indicate to the nearest whole number, the mid points of their corresponding brackets. For example, ISO viscosity grade 32 relates to the viscosity bracket 28.8 to 35.2 mm2/s, the mid point of which is 32.0 mm2/s. This is illustrated in the table below, which shows the ISO viscosity grade numbers, the mid-points of each bracket, and the viscosity limits

This system is now used to classify all industrial lubricating oils where viscosity is an important criterion in the selection of the oil. Cutting oil and some other specialized products are more important in relation to grade selection.

Kinematic Viscosity at 40°C (mm 2⁄s) ISO Viscosity Grade (ISO VG) Minimum Maximum Mid-Point 2 1.98 2.42 2.20 3 2.88 3.52 3.20 5 4.14 5.06 4.60 7 6.12 7.48 6.80 10 9.0 11.0 10.0 15 13.5 16.5 15.0 22 19.8 24.2 22.0 32 28.8 35.2 32.0 46 41.4 50.6 46.0 68 61.2 74.8 68 100 90.0 110 100 150 135 165 150 220 198 242 220 320 288 352 320 460 414 506 460 680 612 748 680 1000 900 1100 1000 1500 1350 1650 1500 GREASE CLASSIFICATIONS

NLGI Grease Consist

Question 3

Recommend me an oil

Accepted Answer

If you would like to find out what oil to use for your Modified car or motorbike, please contact us By Chat or using the form below for our expert oil recommendation. For standard road cars and motorbikes, you can see our recommended range of oil service packs, lubricants and parts by entering your vehicle details on our product finder page.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/frmRecommendAnOil.aspx

Question 4

10w-60 Car Engine Oils Explained

Accepted Answer

Why do you often advise against using a 10w-60 oil?

Well the short version is, we don't… as long as your vehicles engine is specifically designed to take this high viscosity oil or you've heavily modified in a manner that 10w-60 becomes a viable option. We are often asked "Why do you advise against the use of 10w-60 oils?"

We are often asked "Why do you advise against the use of 10w-60 car engine oils?". Let's get one thing clear, we supply 10w-60 and recommend it where it is appropriate for the engine (several BMW M-Series/Alpinas, some Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, Ferraris and not a lot else) or the application but conversely I caution against it's misuse!

I have debated this many times on many car forums and I know there are some that do not agree with me, however I have never had a reasonable technical explanation why 10w-60 is in fact suitable for the cars that it is often used in. Many people think that using a 10w-60 is necessary in almost any modified car, especially ones with turbos, and that is a very old-fashioned approach to lubricating a performance car. Many years ago, a thick mineral oil was necessary to cope with higher engine temperatures in powerful engines, now it's often better to up the quality rather than viscosity. Top end ester based synthetic oils of the correct viscosity are the preferable way of lubricating performance engines, not extremely thick mineral oils.

Explaining this is difficult so there may be questions but I'll try my best to expla

Question 5

Technical Information

Accepted Answer

Motor Oil Technical Information Opie Oils Technical Articles for Oils, Fluids & More

Within the automotive industry there is a lot of myths and confusion about certain elements of lubrication, fluids and oil. In order to cover, in detail, some of the most common things that are discussed by Opie Oils Technical Experts we have produced this collection of Technical Articles, each with PDF Downloads, some that Opie have produced and some sourced by experts within the trade that have given consent for us to share.

You can see the full list of Technical articles here:

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/t-technical-info.aspx

Question 6

API Car Engine Oil Specification Explained

Accepted Answer

API Spec is a very common sight, in fact you'll find one on almost all engine oil, but what does it all mean?

API (American Petroleum Institute) specifications are often seen on oil containers and they show the minimum standard of oil that can be used in an engine. You can't really use the API specifications to measure the quality of an oil as many of the top end ester based oils meet API SL rather than the latest API SM specification American Petroleum Institute (API) Engine Oil Specifications

S = Service - Petrol Engine Performance
C = Commercial - Diesel Engine Performance

Petrol Engine Specification SG

Introduced 1989 has much more active dispersant to combat black sludge

SH

Introduced 1993 has same engine tests as SG, but includes phosphorus limit 0.12%, together with control of foam, volatility and shear stability

SJ

Introduced 1996 has the same engine tests as SG/SH, but phosphorus limit 0.10% together with variation on volatility limit.

SL

Introduced 2001, all new engine tests reflective of modern engine designs meeting current emissions standard

SM

Introduced November 2004, improved oxidation resistance, deposit protection and wear protection, also better low temperature performance over the life of the oil compared to previous category

Diesel Engine Specification CD

Introduced 1955, international standard for turbo diesel engine oils for many years, uses single cylinder test engine only.

CE

Introduced 1984, improved control of oil con

Frequently Read Articles

Browse All Categories

No categories configured.