We always look forward to the development of new, more demanding, oil specifications. It means the availability of new performance tests – and new ways to test our products – which excites the whole AMSOIL technical development team.
After more than a year of delays, the new API SP and ILSAC GF-6 motor oil specifications took effect May 1. Their introduction continues the trend of more demanding specs to ensure today’s motor oils are capable of protecting advanced engines.
AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil achieved great results in one of the new engine tests needed to meet API SP and ILSAC GF-6 requirements – the Sequence IIIH Test.
But that’s just part of the story. Let’s peel back the curtain and see how it all happened.
Pushing oil to its breaking point
The Sequence IIIH test is designed to measure viscosity increase and piston cleanliness, two important differentiators of motor oil performance.
It subjects a candidate oil to 90 hours of use at 304ºF (151ºC) in a Chrysler* engine, much hotter than normal operation to really challenge the oil. The intent is to screen oils for their ability to maintain protection under the severe conditions today’s smaller, hotter-running turbocharged engines present.
Simply put, it’s designed to push the oil to its breaking point and separate those that can protect from those that can’t.
Sequence IIIH Test no match for Signature Series
As soon as the test stand was available, we sent samples of Signature Series to an independent lab that specializes in testing motor oils from all kinds of manufacturers.
The lab techs do nothing but test oil all day, every day. They’re accustomed to testing oils designed to just barely pass these performance tests, so when they heard AMSOIL Signature Series was going to be tested, their ears perked up. Many of them are gearheads who use AMSOIL products themselves, so they wanted to see the results.
The 90-hour test didn’t even challenge Signature Series. Its viscosity increased only 0.1 percent and the pistons were so clean they looked practically new.
Double-length Sequence IIIH Test no match, either
So, we told the lab to reassemble the engine and run the test again using the same oil, doubling the length of time on the engine and oil to 180 hours.
As the test neared its conclusion, the lab manager said the techs were lined up in the test cell to watch the engine run…and some were even taking pictures.
Following the test, oil viscosity was measured and the pistons were rated for cleanliness. Even after doubling the length of the industry-standard test, Signature Series limited oil thickening to 49.6 percent – half the allowable limit of 100 percent for a single-length run – while delivering 40 percent cleaner pistons.¹
Needless to say, the techs were impressed.
How did the oil achieve such impressive results?
We start with the best synthetic base oils available, which naturally resist chemical break down in the presence of extreme heat. We add a finely tuned, high-quality additive package designed to complement and enhance the base oils’ performance.
Increased levels of highly active detergent and dispersant additives control contaminants and keep engine parts clean. The premium base oils combined with the right balance of anti-oxidant additives also control viscosity, helping the oil stay in grade despite prolonged exposure to brutal heat.
This adds up to premium engine protection in today’s demanding engines. Signature Series protects vital components against wear in the toughest conditions, providing motorists peace of mind and giving them the confidence to extend drain intervals if they choose.
When a competitor’s oil easily passes an industry-standard test, they often reformulate to reduce cost and performance to where it barely passes the test. When we pass a test (or a double-length test), we continue to search for ways to increase protection even more because, for our customers, “good enough” doesn’t cut it.
Our goal is to provide enthusiasts the absolute best motor oil on the market, and our team gets excited about the testing to prove it. It’s not easy to impress the professionals that test motor oil for a living, but Signature Series delivered.
¹Based on independent testing of AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30 in the Sequence IIIH Engine Test (ASTM D8111), required by the ILSAC GF-6 and API SP specifications.
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