Lubricant and oil manufacturers must stay abreast of the latest requirements so their products provide adequate protection for evolving engine tech. By Yash Naik, Joanne Jones and Mat Cole
Representing 15 European car, van, truck and bus manufacturers, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) traditionally defines and advocates for the common interests, policies and positions of the European auto industry. In this critically important role, the association works to implement baseline standards for all vehicles that are sold in the European market.
In addition to standards for the vehicles themselves, ACEA creates the specifications (also known as sequences) for the lubricants used in those vehicles. Lubricant manufacturers and oil marketers must work hard to stay abreast of the latest requirements so their products provide adequate protection for engines as technology continues to evolve. Released in April 2021, the light-duty sequences went into effect on 1 May 2021.
Why update now?
Lubricant needs of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have changed significantly over the past five years, which is why ACEA updated its light-duty lubricant sequences at this time. Regulatory bodies around the world have been focused on reducing tailpipe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving overall engine performance, so lubricants need to evolve to meet those new requirements. Unlike their predecessors, lubricants must now help modern engine technologies, such as gasoline direct injection (GDI), turbocharging and changing combustion engines, function more effectively. In addition, they must adapt to innovations in passenger car engines that allow for better fuel economy and lower tailpipe emissions.
Effects of changes to the ACEA light-duty sequences are widespread. Not only do they affect the minimum quality of oils in the European market, but those same standards are increasingly influencing regulations in the global marketplace. That’s why lubricant manufacturers must subject their oils to the most stringent testing protocols possible if they want to make specific claims about how their lubricants perform under actual real-world conditions.
The real-world effects
To adapt to the changing engine technology, ACEA has removed two legacy lubricant classifications entirely: A3/B3 in the high Sulfated Ash, Phosphorus, and Sulfur (SAPS); and C1 in the low SAPS lubricants. To replace these removed categories and meet the needs of the vehicle parc, ACEA added two upper-end lubricant classifications: high SAPS lubricants will see the addition of category A7/B7; lower SAPS lubricants will see the addition of category C6.
What do these changes mean for legacy lubricants? The short answer is that most manufacturers will see little to no effect. After all, existing product lines can meet ACEA 2021 requirements for the legacy ACEA categories (A3/B4, A5/B5, C2, C3, C4 and C5) with the testing data they have from prior tests—unless they want to bring new products into those categories. In those circumstances, they must test their products with the specified replacement tests because the hardware for the former tests is being phased out. In the end, these new tests will enable lubricant manufacturers to offer significant performance upgrades on the new products, even though they are being placed in legacy categories.
Lubricant manufacturers and oil marketers must work hard to stay abreast of the latest requirements so their products provide adequate protection for engines as technology continues to evolve
As the new categories (A7/B7 and C6) are phased in, lubricant manufacturers will have to run their lubricants through the replacement and new tests to be considered for inclusion. It can be expected that most of those lubricants aiming for the new categories will have to be entirely new formulations to meet new standards for the prevention of low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) events. Among the new tests that will be required to reach A7/B7 and C6 classifications are M271 EVO Sludge, VW TDI 3 Piston Deposits, Toyota Turbocharger Deposits, Seq. IVB Wear, Seq. VH Sludge, Seq. IX LSPI Test, Seq. X Chain Wear Test, JASO Toyota WLTP Fuel Economy Test (only for C6).
Though the OM646LA biodiesel test has been removed from the ACEA 2021 Light-Duty Oil Sequences, that doesn’t mean biodiesel compatibility has been eliminated from the requirements. In fact, it can still be tested with the CEC L-109 Oil Oxidation and Biodiesel laboratory test, which is still a requirement within the latest sequences. Moreover, OEMs can still specify OM646LA in their own specifications if they wish to do so.
What it means
The new light-duty lubricant requirements as released by ACEA will help manufacturers stay up-to-date as engine technology continues to evolve. Advances in performance, combined with new legislative pressures on emissions, make these requirements even more necessary than ever before.
It is hoped that these new regulations will help lubricant producers to respond to recognised issues, accelerate the use of the latest testing criteria and seek to be ahead of new fuel mixtures that could be coming soon. Most importantly, lubricant manufacturers remain focused on preventing components from failing in the real world—and ACEA believes their new sequences will help achieve those goals.
About the authors: Yash Naik is Product Manager, Engine Oils, at Lubrizol. Joanne Jones isTechnology Manager, Engine Oils, at Lubrizol. Mat Cole is Technical Manager, Engine Oils, at Lubrizol.