Oil Letters Like SJ, SH, etc. What Do They Mean?

Everything you wanted to know about oil can be found here:

http://www.petro-canada.ca/pdfs/englube.pdf

The Codes are listed here starting about page 34

"S" – SPARK IGNITION (Gasoline, Propane, CNG)

The second letter designated the type and year of the additives

In general The higher the code, the newer the oil. It is generally OK to use a higher letter, however, some oils had detergents while others didn't. If you have an older vehicle that was not designed to handle detergents (to reduce deposits) it may be harmeful to add an oil with detergent in it. Different additives could have a detrimental effect the different materials used for gaskets and seals.

Exerpts from the link:

Standards SA to SF are considered obsolete. The current standard is backservicable to these standards.

SG = Service typical of gasoline engines in passenger cars, vans, and light trucks beginning with the 1989 model year

SH = 1994 provides improved control of engine deposits, oxidation and engine wear relative to oils developed for previous categories. Oils meeting API Service Classification SH may be used to replace SG, SG/CC, SF, SF/CC and SE are recommended. (obsolete)

SJ = 1997 SJ may be used where API Service Classifications SH

and earlier have been recommended.

SL = 2001 Service typical of gasoline engines in passenger cars, sport utility vehicles,

vans and light trucks effective July 1, 2001. In addition to a general improvement

in quality, this new standard aims specifically to improve oil volatility,

SM = 2004 In addition to a general improvement in quality, this new standard aims specifically to improve oil volatility, oil life, fuel economy and emissions system compatibility. Oils meeting API Service

Classification SM may be used where API Service Classifications SL and earlier have been recommended.

"C" – COMPRESSION IGNITION (Diesel)

CA FOR DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE 1940's and 1950's

Service typical of diesel engines operated in mild to moderate duty with high

quality fuels and occasionally has included gasoline engines in mild service.

CB FOR DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE 1949.

mild to moderate duty, but with lower quality fuels which necessitate more protection from wear and deposits.

CC FOR DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE 1961

Service typical of certain naturally aspirated, turbo-charged or supercharged

diesel engines operated in moderate to severe duty service and certain heavy-duty

gasoline engines. Oils designed for this service provide protection from

high temperature deposits and bearing corrosion in these diesel engines and

also from rust, corrosion and low-temperature deposits in gasoline engines.

CD FOR DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE 1955

Service typical of certain naturally aspirated, turbocharged or supercharged

diesel engines where highly effective control of wear and deposits is vital, or

when using fuels of a wide quality range including high sulfur fuels. Oils

provide protection from bearing corrosion and from high-temperature deposits in these diesel engines.

CD-II FOR FOR SEVERE DUTY 2-STROKE

Service typical of 2-stroke cycle diesel engines requiring highly effective

control over wear and deposits. Oils designed for this service also meet all

performance requirements of API Service Category CD. (obsolete)

CE = 1983 DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE - certain turbocharged or supercharged heavy-duty diesel engines operated under both low speed high load and high speed high load conditions. Oils designed for this service must also meet the requirements of the API Engine Service Categories CC and CD.

CF = 1994 OFF-ROAD INDIRECT INJECTED DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

off-road indirect injected diesel engines and other diesel engines that use a broad range of fuel types

including those using fuel with higher sulphur content, for example, over 0.5% wt. Effective control of piston deposits, wear and corrosion of copper-containing bearings is essential for these engines which may be naturally aspirated, turbocharged or supercharged. Oils designated for this service may also be

used when API Service Category CD is recommended.

CF-2 FOR 1994 SEVERE DUTY 2-STROKE CYCLE DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

two-stroke cycle engines requiring highly effective control over cylinder and ring-face scuffing and

deposits. - may also be used when API Service Category CD-II is recommended. These oils do not necessarily meet the requirements of CF or CF-4 unless the oils have specifically met the performance requirements of these categories.

CF-4 FOR 1991 DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

Service typical of severe duty turbocharged, 4-stroke cycle diesel engines, particularly late models designed to give lower emissions. These engines are usually found in on-highway, heavy duty truck applications. API CF-4 oils exceed the requirements of CE category oils and can be used in place of

earlier CC, CD and CE oils.

CG-4 FOR 1994 SEVERE DUTY DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

For use in high speed, four-stroke cycle diesel engines used in highway and off-road applications where the fuel sulphur may vary from less than 0.05 percent to less than 0.5 percent by weight. CG-4 oils provide effective control over high temperature piston deposits, wear, corrosion, foaming, oxidation

stability and soot accumulation. These oils are especially effective in engines designed to meet 1994 emission standards and may also be used in engines requiring API Service Categories CD, CE and CF-4.

CH-4 FOR 1999 SEVERE DUTY DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

For use in high speed, four-stroke cycle diesel engines used in highway and off-road applications, where the fuel contents range from less than 0.05% to less than 0.5% by weight. CH-4 oils provide superior control over high temperature piston deposits, wear, corrosion, foaming, oxidation stability and

soot accumulation. These oils have been specifically formulated for engines designed to meet November 1998 EPA emission standards and may be used where API CD, CE, CF-4 and CG-4 oils are required. Oils designated for this service have been available since 1999.

CI-4 (CI-4 PLUS) FOR 2002 SEVERE DUTY DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

For use in high speed, four-stroke cycle diesel engines used in highway and off-road applications where fuel sulphur contents range from less than 0.05% to less than 0.5% by weight. This new category is designed to cope with stringent environmental emissions legislation and increased engine severity

caused by Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). Oils designated for this service are currently available from Petro-Canada and may also be used where API CD, CE, CF-4, CG-4 and CH-4 oils are required.

CJ-4 FOR 2007 SEVERE DUTY DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE

For use in high-speed four-stroke cycle diesel engines designed to meet 2007 model year on-highway exhaust emission standards as well as for previous model years. These oils are compounded for use in all applications with diesel fuels ranging in sulphur content up to 500 ppm (0.05% by weight). However, the use of these oils with greater than 15 ppm (0.0015% by weight) sulphur fuel may impact exhaust after treatment system durability and/or oil drain interval.

OTHER DIESEL ENGINE OIL SPECIFICATIONS

Some diesel engine manufacturers have engine oil requirements that are not completely covered by API classifications.

DETROIT DIESEL

Detroit Diesel Corporation 2-stroke cycle engines require SAE 40 or 30 oils of

CF-2 quality and with a sulfated ash level of no more than 1.0% weight. SAE

15W-40 oils of API CF-2 quality and having a High Temperature-High Shear

(HTHS) Viscosity of at least 3.7 cP are permitted as a third choice in Detroit

Diesel Model 53, 71, and 92 engines (must meet 1.0 % wt ash limit). SAE

15W-40 and SAE 30 oils are not permitted at all in the large Model 149

engines. Note that Detroit Diesel Corporation no longer manufacturers 2-

cycle engines for the commercial market.

MACK EO-M

Over the years, Mack Trucks have been very active in developing heavy duty

diesel engine oil standards for the lubrication of their engines.

The MACK EO-M engine oil specification was introduced in 1998. Use of EO-M

oils is mandatory in all MACK 1998 year engines, running in severe service or

operating with extended oil drain intervals.

MACK EO-M oils must be multi graded, meet the requirements of API CH-4

and pass the following engine tests . . . Mack T-8E (300 h), Mack T-9 (500h) and

Cummins M-11 (200h).

MACK EO-M PLUS

The MACK EO-M Plus specification was introduced in 1999. Use of MACK

EO-M Plus oils is mandatory in all MACK 1999 year engines, where oil drain

intervals are as long as 50,000 miles or 80,000 km.

MACK EO-M Plus oils must be multi graded, meet the requirements of API

CH-4 and pass the following engine tests . . . Mack T-8E & Mack T-9 with

tightened limits and the Cummins M-11 extended to 300 hours.

MACK EO-N PLUS

Similarly, this specification defines a premium oil performance above and beyond

the stringent CI-4 tests, and consequently beyond the MACK EO-N specification.

MACK EO-N PREMIUM PLUS '03

This specification is required for the Mack ASET family of engines, which

utilize exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and also highly recommended for all

other Mack engine models, regardless of vintage. Mack EO-N Premium Plus

'03 engine oils exceed both the API CI-4 and previous EO-N performance

specifications.

MACK EO-O PREMIUM PLUS '07

This specification defines the requirements for Mack engines designed to

meet the EPA 2007 on-road emission requirements. The new engines are

equipped with diesel particulate filters (DPFs). A premium specification, it

exceeds API CJ-4 with tighter pass limits in the Mack T-12, Cummins ISM

and Cummins ISB engine tests plus the addition of the Volvo D12D test. It is

equivalent to Volvo VDS-4 in Europe. EO-O Premium Plu