New lube oil standards will give gas engine trucks better protection and fuel efficiency

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Starting in May of this year there are some new lube oil standards coming down the turnpike for spark-ignited gasoline engines.

The new oils are said to offer greater engine protection and fuel efficiency for today’s cars and trucks.

Two of the new standards, ILSAC GF-6A and GF-6B, are the latest in a line of more stringent performance specifications put forward by the International Lubricant Standardization Advisory Committee (ILSAC). A third standard, AP SP, is API’s latest engine oil performance standard.

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API SP includes all of the ILSAC requirements while at the same time provides performance requirements for oils that do not fall under ILSAC-member recommendations.

API developed these new performance standards in response to a request from automakers to introduce more robust engine oils that would be capable of meeting the needs of current and future gasoline engines.

API service SP Resource conserving SAE 0W-20

Starting May 1, 2020, licensed oils that meet the ILSAC GF-6A standard will be allowed to display the API Certification Mark “Starburst” and may be used where oils meeting GF-5 or earlier gasoline engine oil standards had been recommended.

Oils that meet ILSAC GF-6B will be allowed to display a new mark, the API Certification Mark “Shield,” and may be used where SAE 0W-16 oils meeting API SN had been recommended. API is introducing this new “Shield” at the request of automakers to prevent confusion and ensure that 0W-16 oils are used only in applications where they are recommended.