Peenie Wallie: API Engine Service Classifications

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April 08, 2008

API Engine Service Classifications

The Honda shop is always trying to strong-arm you into buying their oil for your toys. I don't think I've ever been suckered into buying a quart of their precious Honda brand oil in my life. But they did throw me a new curve today when I asked them about it. The guy behind the counter said that I needed to make sure I used an oil that was rated "SF" or "SG" and I was like "What difference does it make?" To which he replied, "Well, this oil is certified to work with the gears and clutch plates". So, that kind of threw me for a bit of a loop. I have heard before not to use synthetic oil because on a motorcycle engine, unlike a car engine, the oil goes directly into the transmission gear box and on the clutch plates. So, it is different than a car in this way, and putting PTFE onto your clutch plates is not a good idea, or so I've been told.

So, I came home and checked out my official Honda Service manual for my "2001 Honda TRX350FE Fourtrax 350 4X4 ES Rancher" and sure enough, on page 3-10 it says bigger-n-dallas to make sure that you use "API service classification SF or SG".

So, I check a bottle of my trusty Castrol GTX Drive Hard SAE 10W-40 motor oil and on the back in a little bitty 4 point font it says "API SERVICE SL". But then, on further inspection the back of the plastic oil bottle elaborates that the oil "Exceeds API Service SL/SJ/SH" in the "Japanese Engine Wear Test". And make no mistake....Honda is a Japanese engine. Of that, we can be certain.

Furthermore, the oil "Exceeds the engine protection requirements of ILSAC GF-3 and GF-2 for API Certified Gasoline Engine Oils. Also exceeds all passenger car and light truck manufacturers' warranty requirements for the protection of gasoline engines where API SL,SJ or SH is recommended."

They're saying the oil covers me for API Service of SL, SJ, and SH. But what about SF and SG? What of that?

So I went onto the web and found an fairly official looking explanation of API Engine Service Classifications which had this to say.

SH - 1994 Gasoline Engine Service - Category SH was adopted in 1992 to describe engine oil first mandated in 1993. It is for use in service typical of gasoline engines in present and earlier passenger cars, vans, and light trucks operating under manufacturers’ recommended maintenance procedures. Engine Oils developed for this category provide performance exceeding the minimum requirements for API Service Category SG, which it is intended to replace, in the areas of deposit control, oil oxidation, wear, rust, and corrosion. Oils meeting API SH requirements have been tested according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Product Approval Code of Practice and may utilize the API Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Engine Testing Guidelines. They may be used where API Service Category SG and earlier categories are recommended. Effective August 1, 1997, API SH cannot be used except with API CF, CF-2, CF-4 or CG-4 when displayed in the API service symbol, and the C category must appear first.

SJ - 1997 Gasoline Engine Service - Category SJ was adopted in 1996 to describe engine oil first mandated in 1997. It is for use in service typical of gasoline engines in present and earlier passenger cars, vans, and light trucks operating under manufacturers recommended maintenance procedures. Oils meeting API SH requirements have been tested according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Product Approval Code of Practice and may utilize the API Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Engine Testing Guidelines. They may be used where API Service Category SH and earlier categories are recommended.

SL - 2001 Gasoline Engine Service - Category SL was adopted to describe engine oils for use in 2001. It is for use in service typical of gasoline engines in present and earlier passenger cars, sports utility vehicles, vans and light trucks operating under vehicle manufacturers recommended maintenance procedures. Oils meeting API SL requirements have been tested according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Product Approval Code of Practice and may utilize the API Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Engine Testing Guidelines. They may be used where API Service Category SJ and earlier categories are recommended.

And I'm thinking...Christ? What must SF and SG be? Oil designed for NASCAR drivers or Space Shuttle Solid Rocker Booster engines through 2014? Further inspection reveals the following of the mysterious SF and SG API service classifications:

SF - 1980 Gasoline Engine Service (Obsolete) - Category SF denotes service typical of gasoline engines in passenger cars and some trucks beginning with 1980 through 1989 models operating under engine manufacturers recommended maintenance procedures. Oils developed for this service provide increased oxidation stability and improved antiwear performance relative to oils that meet the minimum requirements of API Service Category SE. These oils also provide protection against engine deposits, rust, and corrosion. Oils meeting API Service Category SF may be used when API Engine Service Category SE, SD or SC are recommended.

SG - 1989 Gasoline Engine Service (Obsolete) - Category SF denotes service typical of gasoline engines in passenger cars, vans, and light trucks operating under manufacturers’ recommended maintenance procedures. Category SG oils include the performance properties of API Service Category CC. (Certain manufacturers of gasoline engines require oils that also meet the higher diesel engine Category CD.) Oils developed for this service provide improved control of engine deposits, oil oxidation, and engine wear relative to oils developed for previous categories. These oils also provide protection against rust and corrosion. Oils meeting API Service Category SG may be used when API Engine Service Category SF, SE, SF/CC or SE/CC are recommended.

So my oil exceeds the obsolete Honda requirements of API Service Classification of SF and SG. The Castrol GTX SAE 10W-40 is rated SL, way better than a lousy old SF and SG. Suck that Honda. Of course, I lost a lot of daylight doing the research. Good job, Honda. Thanks for nothing.

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