Passenger Car Motor Oil Requirements - Doug's Tip of the Month

In today's high-performance automotive landscape, engine oils are under increasing pressure to meet the demands of modern engines. As engines operate at higher temperatures with less oil, lubricants must evolve to maintain peak performance. With challenges like low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) and the need for advanced detergent additives, engine oils must withstand several factors that degrade their quality over time. These include contamination from water and fuel, oxidation, shearing forces, combustion byproducts, and corrosion. To address these issues, highly refined base oils combined with cutting-edge additives such as anti-wear agents, antioxidants, and friction modifiers are essential in extending both engine life and oil durability.

Engine Demands for Oil

• Engine Oil durability and performance are put to the test.
  • Engine oils need to perform even though engines are operating at higher-temperature conditions combined while using of a lower quantity of engine oil.
  • With low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) being a contributing fact, lubricant suppliers have had to reformulate their oils using a different detergent additive.
  • Factors that Engine Oil will need to overcome and still perform are the five reasons that cause oil to degrade and needs a change out include:
    1. Contamination from water and fuel
    2. Oxidation
    3. Contamination from combustion byproducts
    4. Forces place on oil during normal operations called Shearing
    5. Corrosion can occur when corrosive prevention additives are used up or depleted
• Highly refined base oils with the latest technologies in additives such as anti-wear, antioxidants, antifoam and friction modifiers assist with both equipment and oil life and protection.

Oil Change Intervals

• OEM recommendation should be first and foremost consideration for choosing oil and oil change intervals.
  • Most OEM’s have equipped newer vehicles with Oil Change reminders.
  • It is often recommended oil and change intervals be based on year as well as mileage on the vehicle.
  • Oils undergo extensive testing by OEM’s and external testing facilities to help them determine how long an oil should last and how often to change it.

• During normal operations engine oils are exposed to both chemical and physical changes. They need to reduce friction and wear, provide cooling, remove particulates from wear and contaminants. Many internal components of the engine require the engine oil to act as hydraulic fluid. These changes coupled with contaminants dictate that oil will need to be replaced.
• With quality highly refined base oils and additives oil change intervals continue to be extended.
• As new technologies for additives are developed along with synthetic base oils change intervals with continue to be extended.

Synthetic vs Conventional and GF-6

• GF-6 is the current Passenger Car Motor Oil specification.
• Oil Viscosity
  • The growing performance demands placed on today’s passenger car engine oils have led to the use of lower-viscosity lubricants needed to meet more demanding fuel economy requirements. But these lower-viscosity engine oils also raise concerns about the potential for increasing engine wear.
  • Viscosity ranges from 0W8 up to 10W30 for currently developed engines.
  • Even lighter viscosity grades may come with next spec GF-7.
• The proposed development of the new coming specification GF-7, new test specifications will also need to be developed as requested by API. New passenger car engine oils will need to meet current and even harsher future demands of internal combustion engines.
• Synthetics vs Conventional
  • Full synthetic oils may allow for even longer oil change intervals versus Synthetic Blends or conventional oil. Oil manufacturer labeling and OEM owner manual will help determine the oil change interval.
  • As of late there still are no set standards regarding Synthetic Blends, so quality oil from a reputable manufacturer is recommended.

Quality oils in all viscosity ranges meeting GF-6 specifications are offered here at Dennis K Burke, including Fleetline, Kendall, Petro-Canada, and Total to meet your needs.