New API and ILSAC Classifications

Question: What new classifications have occurred in motor oils?

MITASU OIL expert help: American Petroleum Institute (API) and International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) together with the leading Japanese and American automakers will introduce a new SAE SN classification (according to API) and ILSAC GF-5 (according to ILSAC) from the end of 2010 to the beginning of 2011.

Question: Why is the new classification introduced?

MITASU OIL expert help: The requirements to modern cars increase year by year, and the current classifications do not reflect the new requirements to motor oil values. The international and national standards also change, in particular, ecological standards, requirements to produced vehicle engines, values of fuel saving, etc. All this is a part of the worldwide program of hazardous emissions reduction and improvement of modern vehicles’ ecological and operational characteristics. That is why, motor oils of previous classes are replaced constantly with more improved compositions reflected in the classification renewal as well.

Question: Why is the new classification better than the old one?

MITASU OIL expert help: The main differences of ILSAC GF-5 from the previous ILSAC GF-4 standard are as follows:

– considerable improvement of fuel saving value
– long-term holding of motor elements cleanness and maximum protection from lacquer deposits and sludge as of today
– considerable decrease of exhaust emissions quantity (the best ecological standard for standard fuel)
– possibility of using biofuel (it is known that the requirements to oil anti-corrosiveness increase several times when using biofuel, ILSAC GF-5 solves a potential problem of rust occurrence and engine wear better than any other standard)
– oil of this classification can be applied for all available engines, it is also a standard for models being developed

 

Question: Was the biggest part of engine problems solved at the account of additives? Why is the new standard better than the old one?

MITASU OIL expert help: It is right that the set of high-quality additives produced by leading world manufacturers can solve many problems both of the engine and fuel of poor quality or aggressive mode of car operation. It is known that modern additives are developed subject to the requirements to providing stable operation of the engine during the whole service life of the car. But motor oil manufacturers cannot forecast the car operation mode for its whole service life; that is why, at aggressive operation of the engine additives can serve out their service life and then the engine continues operating almost on the base oil. The new ILSAC GF-5 classification, already at the base oil stage, lets canceling many negative moments of the car operation. In combination with special additives this can increase considerably the life of oil change, save fuel and decrease the harm to the environment when using the car.

Question: How can I learn that the new product corresponds to the declared characteristics and is confirmed by API?

MITASU OIL expert help: The manufacturer, after carrying out all independent examinations and tests, is permitted to put a correspondent mark and correspondent letter symbols on its package. In particular, MITASU JAPAN SM 5W-30 completely synthetic motor oil has the corresponding designation API and ILSAC. The special symbols, so called Starburst and Donut, are put on the package. You can also visit the site of American Petroleum Institute http://eolcs.api.org/ and check yourself the validity of the products declared quality.

Question: When will the products certified under new ILSAC GF-5 / API SN classification appear in Russia?

MITASU OIL expert help: All over the world, the fist products bearing ILSAC GF-5 / API SN symbol will appear at the end of 2010. The first countries where the products are certified under this classification are Japan, USA, Canada, Singapore, Korea and Australia. Today, the Russian dealers of MITASU OIL CORPORATION, Japan have the possibility to get acquainted with the assortment of ILSAC GF-5 / API SN motor oils at the same prices as synthetic motor oils of the previous API SM classification.