API CK-4 and FA-4 - the latest engine oil standards for commercial vehicles

 

On 1 December 2016, the American Petroleum Institute introduced new diesel engine oil standards for commercial vehicles. What are the new oils for and how much demand is there on the market?

It has been more than five years since the American Petroleum Institute began licensing "diesel" oils for the latest FA-4 and CK- 4 standards. However, products in this category are still far from widely available in the lubricant market. Moreover, in many countries around the world these oils are either not available or the offer is limited to expensive "originals" at authorised service centres servicing trucks. Aren’t the oils of FA-4 and CK-4 categories actually needed "on the ground" by highway, construction and other heavy-duty commercial vehicle operators?

Let's see how these standards are different and better than, say, the previous CJ-4?

First of all, FA-4 oils are not backward compatible with previous standards. In other words, they should not be used, say, in a 2011 model truck, even if the engine is designed to use API CJ-4 oils. The thing is that API FA-4 oils have lower viscosity at high temperatures and high shear loads (HTHS). Understandably, this is done for the sake of higher fuel efficiency, however, such oils can only be used in engines designed to use oils with reduced HTHS released in 2017 and later. With this in mind, FA-4 oils go under a special marking system to easily identify them and reduce the risk of misusing the product.

In defence of the decision to reduce HTHS in heavy-duty oils we would like to say that while many passenger car owners may be indifferent to fuel economy offered by the latest engine oils, in the trucking industry where the cost of fuel is one of the largest expenses for businesses, improved fuel efficiency by as little as 1% can translate into quite significant savings.

Unlike FA-4, CK-4 products are backward compatible with previous oil categories and can be used in older vehicles released 10-20 years ago. Thanks to its versatility CK-4 oils are much more widely available than the "fuel-saving" FA-4 and are in demand not only in regions that have stringent environmental standards, but also in places where the fleet of heavy machinery is quite diverse and the quality of engine fuel is not stable.

Common to the latest API FA-4 and CK-4 standards is the improved oxidation resistance and shear stability over the previous CJ-4 standard. The new oils will reveal their advantages to the full extent when used in conjunction with high quality fuel (Euro 5 and higher) and extended drain intervals. They can still be used under other conditions, although it must be noted that a lower fuel quality (higher sulphur content in fuel) inevitably leads to a reduction in drain intervals, which forfeits the advantages of the new oils.

Currently, Mitasu Oil Corporation, Japan has three API CK-4 products that meet modern OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) requirements: MJ-213. MITASU SUPER LL DIESEL Plus CK-4 10W-30, MJ-214. MITASU SUPER LA DIESEL Plus CK-4 10W-40 and MJ-215. MITASU SUPER LL DIESEL Plus CK-4 15W-40. These are synthetic oils that have been formulated with premium quality additive packages to provide exceptional performance and protection for heavy-duty diesel engines manufactured in Japan, the European Union and the USA, as well as to extend the service intervals of heavy commercial vehicles..

MITASU - Quality. Always.