Motor Oil Truth: What You Need to Know

From a technical standpoint, the discussion of whether one motor oil is better than another requires a few key fundamentals to avoid the legitimate criticism of pure subjectivity and speculation. Anything other than this perspective is utter nonsense, unprofessional, and exists only in the minds of brand-oriented and misguided drivers, as well as those who aspire to be racing drivers.

Fact number 1:

In the 1930s, the 'Society of American Engineers' created a standardized quality designation for oils and lubricants, which has since become established in the free market. On the back of the small 1-liter containers in which we usually buy our motor oil, you can find a cryptic abbreviation, such as SAE (API) SF-CG. Only those who understand this abbreviation can easily classify motor oils by quality and compare them objectively and impartially with other oils. When the standardization was introduced around 1930, the best oil on the market, as confirmed by the SAE, was oil with the designation SA for gasoline engines and CA for diesel engines.
The lubricants that were subsequently developed received certifications for their improved qualities. These certifications were indicated by higher letter combinations, such as SB, SC, for gasoline engines, and CB, CC, for diesel engines.
SB oil is better for gasoline engines than SA because it indicates a higher level of development. SC is better than SB, SD is better than SC, and so on.
Sinngemäß gilt das gleiche auch für Dieselmotoren, nur mit dem vorangestellten Buchstaben C. Als Öle gut genug waren, um in beiden Antriebsarten verwendet zu werden, wurde die Qualitätsbezeichnung zusammengefaßt zu etwa SAE (API) SE-CD. Wer nun die Rückseiten der in Frage kommenden Ölgebinde vergleicht wird, anhand der Kodierung, leicht feststellen können, welche Öle qualitativ vergleichbar sind und ob es eine Preisrelation gibt. Ein Öl SH darf also mehr kosten als ein SG, weil es eine höhere Qualitäts- und Entwicklungsstufe darstellt, sowie ein Öl CF mehr kosten darf als ein CE, weil es ebenfalls diese höhere Qualitäts- und Entwicklungsstufe darstellt. Leute laßt euch also von der Werbung nicht ins Bockshorn jagen. Es isIt's not that simple!

A car with 90 horsepower is more powerful than one with 75 horsepower. An oil with a higher second letter in its name is better than one with a lower second letter.

Fact number 2:

Many companies involved in the trading of lubricants do not own refineries themselves, but are purely trading houses. Castrol, for example, is such a brand that does not produce oil itself, but orders its products from a refinery based on quality criteria (e.g., 30 million liters of SAE API SF-CG quality from Exxon, Sunoco, or Shell), which are then filled into their own containers and sold. The famous Castrol GTX3, for example, is not actually produced by a specific manufacturer, but simply meets a certain quality standard that Castrol has defined for this product. This is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but it says a lot about the marketing strategies of such brands that want to make customers believe they are offering a technically superior product.

'Folks, the future involves checking the labels, comparing SAE classifications, then comparing prices, and then making a decision. It's entirely possible that a can of brand X with the SAE API SF-CG quality rating contains exactly the same product as a can of brand Y, which costs half as much or even less, and also has the same quality rating.'
That's exactly why X bought it there. So have fun and be careful when buying oil!

P.S.: Can anyone really tell me how to determine if the oil they're using is the right one?
What are your criteria? Who can truly compare oils in a professional setting, or can a system failure really be attributed to the wrong type of oil? I claim that anyone who praises oils here outside of an objective price/quality argument is engaging in quackery and, in my opinion, writing utter nonsense. Let's discuss it (comments are definitely welcome!)!

I assume that the average, intelligent driver is capable of consulting the owner's manual to determine which oil, with what viscosity, is recommended by the manufacturer for their vehicle and at what maintenance intervals. Capt. Suicide's article adequately describes the importance of viscosity and the associated quality criteria. Please only compare truly equivalent products. Same viscosity and same quality! I continue to believe that the average driver is impressed by advertising and marketing, and buys into the product with a clouded judgment (who would admit to using a bad product? Especially when it comes to their beloved car!). Within our limited capabilities, we are hardly able to even begin to challenge a high-quality oil. Those who adhere to the oil change intervals will, with each oil change, achieve...
'Discover nearly new oil, seemingly unaffected by oxidation! Why can manufacturers like Citroen/Peugeot increase the service intervals for diesel vehicles to 20,000 km? For years, I haven't needed to top up the oil between maintenance intervals, and I sometimes drive over 60,000 km per year, even with vehicles that have 200,000 km or more on the odometer. Oil remains a product designed to make money for many, because the vast majority of people are uninformed and readily believe the industry's fairy tales about so-called necessities.'
Those who unfortunately experienced engine failure often had the good, expensive oil put in by the workshop. It certainly makes you think, doesn't it?

Read on DooYoo, written by Tricky Miki.
http://mitglieder.dooyoo.de/servlets/VoteConnector?template=vote_usr&voteRefID=803798&voteRefVal=Y&voteType=C&action=&opinionID=803798&offset=1&sponsor=&rchm=&itemID=509361&follow_site=prd_opn_main&action=removeSessionID

Deleted upon request.

Hello!

Sure, here's the translation:

'Just to clarify!'
This report was not written by me.
Okay, bitte gib mir den Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.
I think there's a lot of truth to it.

Regards,
Buggel.

Even if it's just a business tactic, it's still worth adhering to the maintenance intervals because otherwise, you risk losing your warranty.
Sure, that doesn't apply to older vehicles anymore, but: In my older TDI, the timing belt was just replaced. If it breaks, the workshop is also liable for any resulting consequential damages.
However, if one acts 'grossly negligent,' such as by failing to adhere to maintenance schedules or, for example, having the engine tuned, one is at least partially culpable.
It doesn't matter whether such actions are actually grossly negligent; what matters is whether a court (which knows as little about engine oil as you and I do) decides that they are (grossly) negligent.

I also believe that using 0W30 oil instead of the recommended 15W40 is nonsense. Especially in the summer, 0W30 might even be worse – as the name itself suggests.

Deleted upon request.

Hi,
Here are a few more facts: the dirt and grime from the engine, which comes from the oil, needs to be removed.
Nothing is more damaging to the internal components of an engine than acids, combustion residue, and other debris.
If you don't believe it, pay up!
If, in a warranty case, the initial filling needs to be replaced or changed before the specified time, does that void the warranty?
Anyone who compares the viscosity range of 0W30, 40, or whatever else is out there, with that of 15W40, 50, or 60 should be able to see the difference.
Normally, an engine operates at its operating temperature for most of the time it's running.
and in that case, 50 is better than 30.
Under difficult operating conditions, such as frequent short trips involving many cold starts, dirt (acidic condensate, ash, and other contaminants) needs to be removed even sooner.
If you don't believe it, put your money where your mouth is!
Oil lasts much longer than people generally believe, but the harmful suspended particles are the problem.
Automobile manufacturers have a strict approval process, and only those products that pass all the approval tests are approved. Even inexpensive oils have these approvals, and lists are available from the automotive industry, or they can be found through a search engine. What matters is not what is promised in the oil brochure, but what is listed by the automotive industry, at least in the event of a warranty claim.
If you don't believe it, pay for it.
Best regards, Peter.