Classification and types of engine oil

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Engine oil is something no car can do without. This fluid is designed to lubricate the parts of internal combustion engines so that they can function. It would seem, what is the problem then? Take engine oil, pour it into the engine and enjoy the ride. The reality is much more complicated, as there are many different types of motor oil, and you need to know which one you need. Pay attention to the packaging - there you can find some symbols that do not mean anything to an uninitiated person. To understand this, you need to study this article. Here, the main types of motor oil, as well as their classifications, will be analyzed in detail. After studying this material, you can quite easily and without any problems choose the oil you need among dozens of options that will be offered to you in the store.

Mineral oils

The first classification that you should pay attention to is by type of production. This is the most basic classification that allows you to understand the basic properties of a particular product variant. So, first of all, we will talk about minerals.oils - if you describe them briefly and in general, then we can say that these are those that were obtained by refining oil. If you go into details, then much more can be said about the mineral product. Types of motor oil can be very diverse, but it is mineral oil that is considered the most suitable for use every day in standard urban conditions. It is derived from a base oil that is produced directly from crude oil. Certain chemical additives are then added to the basic version, which ensure that the finished product has certain characteristics. As mentioned earlier, this option is best suited for a standard driver who travels in urban areas or out of town, using the car almost daily. So if you are considering different types of motor oil and know that you prefer calm, balanced driving at medium speeds, then a mineral product is the perfect choice for you. But what other points are there in this classification?

Semi-synthetic motor oils

Of course, the types of motor oils are not limited to mineral options - you can also often see semi-synthetic products on store shelves. What does this mean? Is this oil worth it? Is it better than mineral, or worse? In fact, it’s simply impossible to say so - such an oil is neither better nor worse, it’s just different. It is created by mixing a natural and synthetic product (which will be discussed later). If aif you are a fan of high speeds and fast driving, then this option is better for you, since mineral oil, as you have already understood, is more suitable for driving at normal city speeds. However, the purpose of this type of oil is determined not only by speed indicators. The fact is that the semi-synthetic model is the most resistant to oxidation - accordingly, it is recommended to use such an oil in extreme temperature conditions. For the Russian reality, this option may turn out to be much more applicable than a natural mineral product, which definitely cannot stand the harsh Russian frosts. But these are not all types of motor oils in this classification - you still have to get acquainted with the synthetic version.

Synthetic motor oils

Many novice motorists believe that the types of motor oil are Mobil, Elf, and so on. However, these are just manufacturers, although you should also navigate them and know which products are best suited for the engine of your car. As for real types of oil, only one item remains in the classification by type of production - synthetic. Many argue that this particular type of oil is the best, but at the same time it is also the most expensive. The fact is that oil is not used at all in its creation - it is produced by a complex chemical synthesis process (hence the name) exclusively in laboratory conditions. During production, the product is addedexceptionally high-quality additives that provide the oil with only the best qualities. Most often, synthetic oils are significantly superior to mineral and semi-synthetic oils in a number of key ways, such as viscosity, engine protection, fuel consumption, and so on. Now you know what types of engine oil are, if we consider the classification by type of production. But there are other classifications that are also worth paying attention to.

SAE classification

It's time to take a look at what other types of motor oils are out there. The classification that will be considered now is called SAE. This is the abbreviated name of the organization that introduced this classification, which is typical for European countries. The full name of the organization is the Society of Automotive Engineers, so if you hear the name, you'll now know what it refers to. However, what is the essence of this classification? What types of oil is divided into according to it? The designation of such a product most often looks something like this: 15W or just 50. Naturally, if you are not aware of the details of this classification, then this designation will not tell you anything. That is why you should read this article. From here you will learn that the letter W in the name stands for Winter, that is, that this oil is intended for use in the winter. As for the number, it is used in winter, summer, and all-season products. Itindicates the viscosity class, that is, it allows you to navigate in what weather conditions you can use a particular option. So, now you have a general idea of this classification - it's time to consider exactly what types of motor and transmission oils are in accordance with it.

Winter Oil

The types of semi-synthetic motor oils that are best used in winter, as you already understood, are indicated by the letter W. This means that the oil is winter - and there are six viscosity grades in total in accordance with this classification. The countdown starts with 0W oil and ends with 25W oil. What does it mean? The lower the number before the W, the colder temperatures this product can withstand in winter. For example, oil marked 20W can be used at temperatures as low as minus ten degrees Celsius, while oil marked 5W can be used even at temperatures as low as minus fifty. Types of synthetic motor oils, as well as mineral oils, have exactly the same marking. It's just worth noting that mineral options rarely have a favorable winter label.

Summer oil

As for summer oil according to this classification, here the designation is built exactly according to the same principle - just the letter W is missing from the name, which may indicate that the oil is not suitable for use in the winter. Summerthere are five different classes of products, the designation of which starts with 20 and ends with 60. As with winter oils, the number of summer labels indicates temperature limits, only this time above zero. The higher the number, the higher the temperature at which the oil retains its viscous structure and thus its lubricating properties. However, these are not all types of motor oils for cars in this classification. What is left besides summer and winter products? It turns out that within this classification there is also a third type - all-weather. It is about them that we will discuss further.

Multigrade oil

If we talk about multigrade oils in the SAE classification, it should immediately be noted that here the designation is a little more complicated. However, once you understand the principle, you can quickly navigate the different classes. So, the simplest example of multigrade oil is 10W-50. What does this mean? The fact is that all-weather products combine the functionality of both winter and summer oils. And, accordingly, they also combine their markings - this means that the first part (before the hyphen) is winter characteristics, while the second (after the hyphen) is summer. Accordingly, the highest quality oil in terms of viscosity will be the one for which the difference between the first and second number of the designation will be the highest. This will mean that the oil retains its properties at low and high temperatures. Naturally, all-weather classesthere is much more oil than winter or summer. Almost all combinations of the first and second form a new class of all-weather product. That's all you need to know about how motor oils are divided according to this classification. Types, classification, designations - all these topics are extremely important for any motorist, so if you want your car's engine to work efficiently and for a long time, you need to figure out which oil to choose. And for this you need to learn another common classification.

API classification

If the previous classification focused on the viscosity of engine oil and the preservation of functions at various temperatures, this one focuses on general performance properties. It is here that you can find types of motor oils for diesel engines separately from gasoline ones. What does this abbreviation mean? As in the case of SAE, this is the abbreviation of the organization that introduced this classification. In this case, API is "American Petroleum Institute". Accordingly, we can conclude that the previous marking characterizes European oil, and this one characterizes American. However, in reality, everything is a little different - the fact is that these two classifications affect different aspects of products, so most often they are placed side by side on the packaging. So, the type of oil in accordance with this classification may look like, for example, SA, CD or even CB / SE. But what do all these letters mean?

Symbols

To deal with the datadesignations, it is necessary to immediately divide them into two parts, that is, into two letters. If you look at many classes of oils, you will notice that the first letter is always either S or C. Everything is quite simple here - if the first letter is S, then the oil is for a gasoline engine, if C is for a diesel engine. That's all, there should not be any special problems with understanding and remembering this. But what does the second letter mean? Everything is also quite simple here - a much larger number of letters can act as the second character, but they are all subject to the same system, regardless of whether a diesel or gasoline engine is considered. The letter A stands for the oldest oil with the worst performance. As you move up the alphabet, the performance properties of the product increase. Now you can fully imagine the picture - the first letter is responsible for the type of engine, and the second - for the performance of the oil.

Engine oil grades

As you can easily guess, the very first oil will be SA or CA - it will have the lowest performance, and will refer to the thirties of the twentieth century. To understand the full picture, it is worth looking at diesel and gasoline engines separately. So, if we talk about gasoline engines, then throughout history there were ten classes - from SA to SL. From the thirties to the eighties, five of them were used - before SE, today they are considered obsolete. In the eighties and nineties, SF, SG and SH oils appeared, which can still be found today - however, relevantthere are two classes left - SJ and SL. They are the ones with the highest performance. As for diesel engines, the story was similar, but slightly different. Initially, there were three classes of oil, then two more were added, and today there are five actual classes - CF, CF-4, CG-4, CH-4 and the best C1-4. As mentioned before, sometimes you can see the designations CD / SE and the like - what do they mean? It's simple - this is engine oil that is suitable for both gasoline and diesel engines. Naturally, the level of performance when used for different motors is different, so each of them has its own designation of the second letter.