Online Articles & Information

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API Engine Oil Guide (English) Click to download a PDF. This handy reference explains API service marks, SAE viscosity grades, and API service categories. Also available in Spanish and Chinese.

API Guidelines for SAE Viscosity-Grade Engine Testing Click to download a PDF.

ACEA European Oils Sequences Guide
Click to download a PDF. This document details the European Automobile Manufacturers Association 2007 European Oil Sequences for Service-fill Oils for Gasoline engines, Light Duty Diesel engines, Gasoline & Diesel engines with after treatment devices and Heavy Duty Diesel engines.

"How Do You Choose the Right Type of Oil for Your Car?"Click here to link to an article on the SAE website that provides a brief history of the SAE Viscosity Standard, J300, which defines grades of engine oil.

ILSAC GF-5 Standard for Passenger Car Engine Oils - NEW! The final Approved Specification has been published. Click here to download a PDF. This document details the latest minimum performance standards for gasoline-fueled passenger car engine oils set by the International Standardization and Approval Committee. See www.GF-5.com for the latest developments and implications of GF-5. Click here to download the GF-4 Standard.

Lubrication and Oil Analysis Dictionary www.noria.com/dictionary
An online dictionary of over 650 terms related to oil and lubrication at Noria.com.

Lubrication Industry Terms www.infineum.com/information/terms
Helpful glossary of oil and lubrication industry terms and acronyms at Infineum.com.

Oil Tech Talk Click here for a British viewpoint on engine oil properties and performance.

"Synthetic vs. Conventional Motor Oil: Which is Best for Your Needs and Environment's?"Click here for an article on GreenEffects.com discussing the pros and cons of synthetic vs. mineral-based oils on your pocket book and the environment.

Wheels: Straight Talk on Engine Oil
Click the article titles to link to one of a five part series that appeared in 2006 issues of Wheels, a product of the Dayton Daily News:
Engine Oil: SAE Rating, Part 1 of 5
Engine Oil: Service Classification—North American, European and Japanese Ratings, Part 2 of 5
Engine Oil: Additives, Part 3 of 5
Engine Oil: Synthetics, Part 4 of 5—Includes a synopsis of base stock definitions.
Engine Oil: Oil Change Intervals, Part 5 of 5

Wikipedia - Motor Oil wiki/Motor_Oil

Professional Organizations

ACEA European Automobile Manufacturers Association www.acea.be
AACEA is the acronym for Association des Constructeurs Europeens d’Automobiles which was founded in 1991 and represents the interests of the fourteen European car, truck and bus manufacturers at EU level.

ASTM International www.astm.org
Founded in 1898, a not-for-profit organization that provides a global forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International provides standards that are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems, and commercial transactions around the globe.

American Petroleum Institute (API) www.api.org The The primary trade association representing the oil and natural gas industry in the United States. API provides a forum for all segments of the oil and natural gas industry to pursue public policy objectives and advance the interests of the industry. Click here for information about the API quality marks for engine oil. The API Engine Oil Publications page offers several free downloadable PDFs of various guidelines, including an explanation of engine oil base stocks in the Appendix E--API Base Oil Interchangeability Guidelines for Passenger Car Motor Oils and Diesel Engine Oils (May 2009).

International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) - GF-5 www.gf-5.com
In 1993, the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) met with the Japanese Automobile Maufacturers Association (JAMA) to discuss ways to develop a more universal standard for rapidly changing gasoline-fueled automobile and light-duty truck engines. The result was a new association, the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC). ILSAC developed an oil rating that consolidates the SAE viscosity rating and the API quality rating. The API Certification Mark "Starburst" displayed on the front of the oil container is an indication that the oil is suitable for use in almost any gasoline-fueled (GF) engine. The original GF-1 rating was established in 1996. It was updated to GF-2 in 1997, GF-3 in 2000 and GF-4 in 2004. A new GF-5 was approved in December 2009.

Independent Lubrication Manufacturers Association (ILMA) www.ilma.org
Established in 1948, ILMA represents independent lubricant companies that produce over 25% of all lubricants and 80% or more of the metalworking fluids and other specialty industrial lubricants sold in North America.

Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) www.jama.org
Aa Tokyo-based trade association representing 14 Japanese car, truck, bus and motorcycle manufacturers. JAMA maintains offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) www.sae.org The Society of Automotive Engineers is a non-profit organization committed to providing a resource for technical information and expertise used in designing, building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space.