CC:
So what’s new with engine oil? Well, chances are you’ve noticed in the past two or three years, you’ve seen two new designations, in particular, API SP and also ILSAC GF-6. So why did they introduce these new standards? Well, when the original GF-5 and the original API standards were introduced, it was about 15, 20 years ago. Direct injection was only found on maybe a few select luxury vehicles from Europe. But as engines have changed and turbocharging has found their way onto a lot more vehicles along with direct fuel injection, they had to change the formulations. When they change the formulations, well, you start to get into oil volatility. And the new standards for these oils, well, they have lower volatility, the Noack number.
The Noack number basically measures how much oil evaporates under a certain temperature in a lab setting on basically a hot plate. When this happens, well, that leftover oil, that’s the carbon deposits. That is the stuff that will eventually stick to the back of an intake valve or other places inside the engine and maybe cause sludge. If you control the oil volatility by improving the oil standards, well, then you’re going to be able to control that volatility and control carbon deposits. But there’s another aspect of it. This is a high pressure fuel pump. This right here, it rides on the camshaft. A lot of pressure here, typically more than a valve on an engine. If the oil does not have the correct additive package, well, wear between these two can cause drivability issues.
Because the follower wears out, the camshaft wears out, and the stroke of the pump, it’s reduced, so you start to get these lean codes. And if it’s not remedied, it’s going to eventually ruin the vehicle and the engine. So if you do not have the correct oil inside the sump of the vehicle, well, you’re going to impact the turbocharger and the direct injection. So make sure you’re looking at these new oil certifications because both of these are backdate compatible with previous ones, so you’re getting better protection on an older vehicle as you would with a newer vehicle. So just keep that in mind, oil volatility, the Noack number, and these new standards, and you’ll understand why oil is important. I’m Andrew Markel. Thank you very much.
