THE ILSAC MINIMUM PERFORMANCE STANDARD FOR PASSENGER CAR ENGINE OILS – ILSAC GF-5

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. and representatives from DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, through an organization called the International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC), jointly developed and approved an ILSAC GF-5 minimum performance standard for engine oils for spark-ignited internal combustion engines.

This standard specifies the minimum performance requirements (both engine sequence and bench tests) and chemical and physical properties for engine oils for spark-ignited internal combustion engines.Performance parameters other than those covered by the tests included or more stringent limits on those tests included in this standard may be required by individual OEMs.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the standard, it is the oil marketer’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements on substance use restrictions, labeling, and health and safety information when marketing products meeting the ILSAC GF-5 standard. It is also the marketer’s responsibility to conduct its business in a manner which represents minimum risk to consumers and the environment.

The ultimate assessment of an engine oil’s performance must include a variety of vehicle fleet tests which simulate the full range of customer driving conditions. The engine sequence tests listed in this document have been specified instead of fleet testing to minimize testing time and costs. This simplification of test requirements is only possible because the specified engine sequence tests have been judged to be predictive of a variety of vehicle tests.

The relationships between engine sequence tests and vehicle fleet tests are judged valid based only on the range of base oils and additive technologies investigated - generally those which have proven to have satisfactory performance in service, and which are in widespread use at this time. The introduction of base oils or additive technologies which constitute a significant departure from existing practice requires sufficient supporting vehicle fleet testing data to ensure there is no adverse effect to vehicle components or to emission control systems. This vehicle fleet testing should be conducted in addition to the other performance requirements listed in this specification.

It is the responsibility of any individual or organization introducing a new technology to perform this vehicle fleet testing, and the responsibility of the oil marketer to ensure the testing of new technology was satisfactorily completed.  No marketer can claim to be acting in a reasonable and prudent manner if  they knowingly use a new technology based only on the results of engine sequence testing without verifying the suitability of the new technology in vehicle fleet testing that simulates the full range of customer operation.                       

The ILSAC GF-5 Minimum Performance Standard includes tests for which Viscosity Grade Read Across and Base Oil Interchange Guidelines have been developed by the appropriate groups. It should be pointed out, however, that when oil marketers use the Guidelines, they do so based on their own judgment and at their own risk.  The use of any guidelines does not absolve the marketer of the responsibility for meeting all specified requirements for any products the marketer sells in the marketplace which are licensed as ILSAC GF-5 with the API.

Draft Specification (PDF 128kb)