European automobile manufacturers design vehicles to use specific high
quality lubricants with specific properties and additives. Most motor oils
offered in America do not meet the demanding specifications, and the European
lubricants are not readily available. As a result, problems such as premature
wear and engine sludge develop.
"Europeans build their cars and impose higher requirements on the type of oil
than we are used to here in North America," remarks an oil industry source.
"They have more of a multi-tier system within their specifications, whereas the
API uses the lowest common denominator as a guideline. It is by its own
admission, within API 1509, a minimum Spec.,,
While the American Petroleum Institute (API) sets oil standards in America, the
Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA) sets them in Europe. "ACEA standards
reflect a wider complexity of the offering of engines on the market right now,"
says Herve Blanquart, VP Automotive of Motul North America. "On top of that,
manufacturers have introduced their own standards, most of which start with the
ACEA standards, and go further in specific tests to solve specific problems and
address specific issues."
In the U.S., the API adopts one standard for all engine oils. "For example they
are working on ILSAC GF-4, and the problems they are running into is that this
oil will be too thin for a lot of older engines," explains Blanquart. "In
Europe, they decided from the beginning that they would not adopt a linear
standard - rather a standard for each type of application - gas, diesel, turbo,
etc."
European vehicle manufacturers keep tight control over which lubricants they,
allow to be used in their vehicles. Inner-company bureaucracies are in charge of
keeping the approved lubricant lists up-to-date with the latest requirements,
and a few companies apply some of the regulations to North America. European
aftermarket service stations must stock different lubricants for different
automobile brands. Sometimes different models put out by the same manufacturer
require different lubricants.
Do-it-yourselfers are less prevalent in Europe. Qualified repair shops,
franchised or tightly controlled by the vehicle manufacturers in order to
dictate the type of oil being used, typically perform most of the oil changes.
The high quality oils used in Europe allow Europeans to enjoy longer drain
intervals. However, when European vehicles are exported to the United States,
the concept becomes distorted.
"There is in general a longer drain associated with the higher tier oils in the
European system," remarks the oil industry source, "so the thought process is if
we don't allow the longer drain in North America, consumers should be able to
get by with API spec oils - but it leaves manufacturers open to the type of
problem Mercedes-Benz recently experienced."
A recent class-action lawsuit brought forward by owners of certain 1998 through
2001 Mercedes-Benz vehicles claimed they weren't informed that synthetic motor
oil was required in order to take advantage of the extended drain intervals
afforded through the use of the vehicles' Flexible Service System (FSS). Many
using conventional oils experienced premature wear problems, and the settlement
will cost the company over $32 million.
"The long drain indicator used by Mercedes is predicated on using
Mercedes-Benz-approved oil, which is a very top quality synthetic oil," explains
the oil company source. "When those vehicles came to the States, somehow
dealerships weren't impressing upon the consumer the need to use the right oil.
And whether or not the dealers were doing so, some consumers were putting in
regular API-spec oil, resulting in problems."
Although synthetic motor oils are generally of higher quality than conventional
oils, not all synthetics can meet the stringent European specifications. "A good
quality synthetic could solve the problem," says the source, "but in the case of
M-B, for example, you're dealing with an extremely high-spec oil. Not every
synthetic is going to meet that spec. Some only meet the baseline API specs.
Just because it's a synthetic doesn't mean it's a top tier product.
"Shop owners must keep in mind that there are numerous special requirements for
European vehicles and that they shouldn't always be knee-jerking to the stuff in
the big tank. If you call M-B, Volvo, or VW, for example, they should be telling
you that their vehicle needs ACEA spec products."
Although it's easy to assume that the more expensive the vehicle, the better quality the lubricant it needs, that's not always the case. For example, the mid-priced Volkswagen TDI requires a very specific, high spec lubricant.
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