What about the New Specs?

What does the industry think of ILSAC GF-2/API SJ?
Automakers, oil additive suppliers and oil companies don't agree on the need for the next oil specification, ILSAC GF-3. They didn't agree on the need for the current specs, ILSAC GF-2/API-SJ, either. In fact, many consider ILSAC GF-2/API SJ oils to be lower quality oils then were ILSAC GF-1/API SH oils, due to the phosphorus reduction in the ILSAC GF-2/API SJ oils.

The automakers asked for a reduction in phosphorus because they were concerned that the phosphorus found in motor oil additives was rendering the catalysts in catalytic converters ineffectual and, to enforce clean air standards, the Environmental Protection Agency imposes fines on automakers whose catalytic converters do not meet minimum durability requirements. Converters 'poisoned' by phosphorus (or another agent) do not meet EPA durability requirements.

However, results of catalytic converter poisoning by phosphorus are inconclusive: tests may show poisoning at some times and not at other times. In fact, a test being developed for the upcoming ILSAC GF-3 spec shows phosphorus-containing oils are less likely to poison catalysts than nonphosphorus oils are.

And the phosphorus-containing additives, zinc alkyl dithiophosphates or zinc dialkyl dithiophosphates (ZDP or ZDDP), are proven performers in the control of wear, oxidation and rust. No other chemistry has been proven as effective. It is interesting to not, however, that synthetics require less anti-oxidant and anti-wear support than conventional oils require.

Unfortunately for one group of big players in the lubricants industry, the additive suppliers, the ILSAC GF-2/API SJ phosphorus requirement has split the global motor oil market in two. The North American and Japanese nameplates, requires the low phosphorus ILSAC GF-2/API SJ oils. The European market requires a level of wear protection beyond the capabilities of most ILSAC GF-2/API SJ oils. (AMSOIL synthetic motor oils exceed European specifications.) European automakers do not face the federally mandated emission control system durability requirements North American automakers do.

Additionally, European motorists demand robust wear protection. European cars are more expensive than American or Japanese cars. The purchase of a European car by a European requires a larger portion of the buyer's annual income than does the purchase of an American or Japanese car by a North American. Europeans keep their cars longer than North Americans keep theirs. European cars have smaller engines than American or Japanese cars do, and small engine technology has been in place in Europe longer than it has been in North America, which has sensitized Europeans to wear protection, particularly in the valve train.

What's driving ILSAC GF-3?
The automakers want improved deposit control, reduced oil consumption and better catalyst compatibility from the new spec than the present oils provide and, of course, higher fuel economy.

The additive suppliers say that the additive systems developed for ILSAC GF-2 will work very well in ILSAC GF-3 oils, than that any need for a new spec comes from the shortcomings of the basestocks, not the additives. Deposit control and oil consumption are functions of basestocks, not the additives. The conventional Group I solvent neutral basestocks (conventional petroleum lubricants) do not deliver the performance automakers want for ILSAC GF-3. Group II stocks, which include the hydrocracked/isodewaxed petroleum oils (currently available only for industrial applications), Group III stocks, which include the Very High Viscosity Index stocks (also available for industrial applications only), do provide the performance the automakers want. Of course, the Group VI, polyalphaolefin stocks (AMSOIL synthetic lubricants), and the Group V stocks, which include esters, provide performance significantly beyond the level desired by the automakers.

Deposit Control
Catalysts, combustion chambers, pistons, the PCV system and exhaust gas recirculation system valves and port fuel injectors are areas which may be affected by deposits. Superior base oil thermal and oxidative stability will offer significant control over deposits in these areas.

Reduced oil consumption
Reducing oil consumption allows automakers to extend oil drains intervals, helps them meet emission standards and enables them to use less expensive catalysts in the emissions control system.

The automakers want to produce cars that need no service for 100,000 miles. The motor oil and oil filter are the last components standing between them and their goal. By reducing oil consumption, which reduces oil volume and quality and necessitates changing or topping off the oil, they may reach the 100,000 mile first-service goal. However, one of the groups responsible for bringing new specs to market, the SAE Balanced Task Force, says extended oil drain interval recommendations are the responsibility of the individual engine manufacturers and is not within the scope of the oil specification development task force. The issue of extended drains may be addressed after other controversial issues surrounding ILSAC GF-3 are resolved.

High oil consumption contributes significant hydrocarbons to the emissions stream, so reducing oil consumption helps automakers meet hydrocarbon emission standards.

With lower oil consumption, a car's emissions catalyst would be treating a "stream" instead of a "river" of emissions, and less expensive catalysts can handle the smaller job. Now, emissions control requires use of expensive precious metal catalysts, which break down carbon monoxide emissions rapidly enough to eliminate the current "river" of hydrocarbon emissions.

Higher fuel economy
The automakers have not been selling enough vehicles with high fuel economy to pull their fleets' mileage up to the level required by Environmental Protection Agency Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards: motorists are buying sport utility vehicles instead, which pulls down the automakers' CAFE. However, automakers must pay a $200 to $500 per vehicle fine for each vehicle sold that does not meet CAFE requirements. Because the automakers have decreased vehicle weight about as much as they can to increase fuel economy, they are looking for other means to increase it. That has put the spotlight on motor oil. In the not-too-distant future, automakers may call for lower viscosity grades than are currently available to increase fuel economy.

Today's 5W-30 may give way to 0W-XX and XW-20 grades.

When will ILSAC GF-3 be in the market?
ILSAC GF-3 is 18 to 24 months behind schedule now. It is extremely unlikely the specification will be ready for its original January 1, 2000 launch date.

The ILSAC GF-3 test matrix is responsible for some of the delay. Virtually every test in the matrix is new or revised; none are the same as those in the ILSAC GF-2/API SJ matrix. Two tests, the Ball Rust Test (replacing the Sequence IID engine test) and the Sequence IIIF engine test (replacing the Sequence IIIE engine test), are responsible for much of the test matrix delay.

The Ball Rust Test is not discriminating ILSAC GF-2 chemistry from ILSAC GF-3 chemistry. The Sequence IIIF is "out-of-control", which means its reproducibility is poor. An oil can pass on one test stand and fail on another.

With the problems in the test matrix, some say ILSAC GF-3 will not be ready until 2002.

What about AMSOIL synthetic motor oils?
For AMSOIL, the battle over ILSAC GF-3 is a matter of waiting for the dust to settle. AMSOIL products outperform ILSAC GF-2/API SJ specs by a wide margin and will do so with the ILSAC GF-3 specs, too, once they are in place.

After all, ILSAC GF-3 is shaping up as a battle over basestocks, with synthetics -- a category clearly owned by AMSOIL -- comfortably providing the required performance. In fact, ILSAC GF-3 may make AMSOIL synthetic motor oils easier to sell by pulling up the performance of the rest of the market; their improved performance makes our superior performance easier for consumers to understand and believe.

AMSOIL is well-positioned for the future beyond ILSAC GF-3, too, since AMSOIL has already introduced a low viscosity passenger car motor oil, Series 2000 Synthetic 0W-30.