Are motor oil grades importants?

[serbox]

2000 2.7 Boxster

Hi All,

I just purchased my first and used 2000 2.7 prosche boxster..I have learned that buying a used car could be an intersting adventure since most previous owner will tell you that the maintenance was done always and on time.

Especially with motor oil changes....was the right oil grade, specs, bla and bla?

Now the manual mentions: API SH -SJ OR 1LSACGF 1? 10W-40 OR 5W-40?

I may be familiar with the 10w-40's and 5w-40's but not so much with API ...

How important are this specs? ...meaning API SH - SJ for a Boxster engine

The autoparts stores here in Denver sell most commons with and API SM,SN, etc

Sorry if this is a repeat topics

Appreciated

Cheers

[White987S]

Your manual is outdated. Use a Porsche approved oil. There are hundreds on the list. Mobil 0W40 is one of them. Another good one is Mobil 5W50.

Joe Gidds DT40 5W40 is a very good oil. Not on the list.

[JFP in PA]

2000 2.7 Boxster

Hi All,

I just purchased my first and used 2000 2.7 prosche boxster..I have learned that buying a used car could be an intersting adventure since most previous owner will tell you that the maintenance was done always and on time.

Especially with motor oil changes....was the right oil grade, specs, bla and bla?

Now the manual mentions: API SH -SJ OR 1LSACGF 1? 10W-40 OR 5W-40?

I may be familiar with the 10w-40's and 5w-40's but not so much with API ...

How important are this specs? ...meaning API SH - SJ for a Boxster engine

The autoparts stores here in Denver sell most commons with and API SM,SN, etc

Sorry if this is a repeat topics

Appreciated

Cheers

Just be aware that oil discussions often start off well with strong opinions backed up by well founded technical backgrounds, and then often promptly degrade into shouting matches and personal verbal assaults, which will not be tolerated on this site.

Oil specs are critical, and often very, very confusing. With the US API moving from being the technical gatekeeper of the North American petroleum products markets to becoming the lobbying arm and public relations department, the people that produce the products are left to certify that their products meet the standards, with no independent verification or oversight. The API also allows the manufacturer's to substitute ingredients or even totally reformulate without retesting. The European ACEA, on the other hand, require that member's join their technical concord agreement (read spend serious money) and then submit finished products only to approved independent lab for testing to verify that they meet the ACEA specs (read expensive and time consuming). Under the ACEA technical concord, any formulation change, no matter how slight, requires resubmission and recertification before the product can bear the ACEA ratings. As the direct result of the cost of the ACEA protocols, and the fact that a lot of well known products do not fare well in them, a lot of smaller "blenders" do not have any ACEA ratings, nor do they participate in the stringent testing. This clouds the view even more; Joe Gibbs products are very well thought of by many people that both test used oil and understand the technology, but the Gibbs products are not ACEA, simply because they have chosen not to become ACEA members. Other well known brands use a marketing linguistic tricks to appear ACEA when they are not ("approved for use in ACEA applications" is one of my favorites; approved by whom?).

So to get to your question, how do you know what to look for? Look for ACEA A3, B3, B4 ratings; products that meet these three ratings have ability to stand up to high heat/high shear conditions and still remain in grade (demonstrate the original viscosity ratings such as 10W-40). They also do well under fuel dilution events which are more common with direct injection engines.

[Ahsai]

Hi JFP, I assume the latest Motul xcess 5w-40 is still good? It has ACEA A3/B4 and Porsche A40 ratings.

http://www.motul.com/za/en/products/oils-lubricants/8100-x-cess-5w40

Thanks

[White987S]

That Motul is on the Porsche approved list, too. Very good oil.

[JFP in PA]

Hi JFP, I assume the latest Motul xcess 5w-40 is still good? It has ACEA A3/B4 and Porsche A40 ratings.

http://www.motul.com/za/en/products/oils-lubricants/8100-x-cess-5w40

Thanks

Motul is a good oil which performs well. Only downsides would be it can be pricey (what isn't these days) and not everyone carries it.

[Ahsai]

Thanks, guys. Indeed excellent oil and I've been it on my 996 since 2007! The link shows a new label hence my question.

I buy themin 5L bottles so the cost is ~$8/L. Not bad at all...cheaper than Mobil 1??

http://www.amazon.com/Motul-007250-4PK-X-cess-Synthetic-Gasoline/dp/B004LEZQ3M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390255514&sr=8-2&keywords=motul+5w-40

Edited January 20, 2014 by Ahsai

[White987S]

$8/litre is a very fair price.

[serbox]

Reading through the responses I see ACEA A3/B4 and A-40 rating.

So , I found Liqui Moly "made in germany" 5W-40 ACEA A3/B4 porsche A-40 rating $ 37.xx at the part store.

Thank you all for your input.

Cheers

serbox

[Ahsai]

$8/litre is a very fair price.

And delivered to my door!