The International Lubricant Standardisation and Approval Committee (ILSAC) GF-5 provides a minimum performance level of an engine oil for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. This performance standard must provide improvements relative to ILSAC GF-4 in the following three categories:
- Fuel economy and fuel economy retention
- Engine oil robustness
- Protection of emission control systems
The final standard will have to result in a balance among these three equally important needs. More specifically, ILSAC GF-5 must incorporate:
- Increased fuel economy throughout the oil change interval. Automotive manufacturers are facing increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. Fuel consumption remains a critical issue for automotive and oil industry customers.
- Enhanced oil robustness for spark-ignited internal combustion engines.
- Requirements ensuring the compatibility of the engine oil with emission system components capable of meeting stringent federal and California emission regulations. Phosphorus and sulphur are known catalyst and exhaust-gas oxygen (EGO) sensor poisons that need to be controlled to meet current and future tailpipe emission requirements for the full useful life of the vehicle.
Final ILSAC/Oil Needs Statement January 23, 2008