Which oil class – SL or SM – is better suited for a car engine
- July 21, 2023
- 0
In the past year and a half, several dozen new “oil” brands for cars from different regions of the world have appeared on our market. On the one
In the past year and a half, several dozen new “oil” brands for cars from different regions of the world have appeared on our market. On the one hand, such a variety gives much more freedom in the choice of products. But on the other hand, it often complicates the search for the right lubricant, especially when it comes to the specific specifications. The experts of the AvtoVzglyad portal took care of this from their own experience, choosing oil for the editorial machine.
The characteristics of modern cars with internal combustion engines produced by global car manufacturers are improving from year to year. This is reflected in the desire to be ahead of the competition, to take into account the stricter environmental standards and the desire to make cars more economical.
It is clear that these problems cannot be solved by simple means, so car manufacturers are introducing a wide range of technical innovations, including in engine construction. Which automatically tightens the requirements for lubricants. It is therefore not surprising that fresh specification motor oils regularly appear on store shelves and in service centers.
All this is certainly good. However, for an ordinary car owner who is little versed in technology and is concerned about finding a particular lubricant, such an abundance of lubricants and their specifications can create certain difficulties. Which your correspondent was personally convinced of by visiting the service center in the capital of one of the official dealers of the Chinese brand popular with us.
In a conversation with the master, I asked what kind of oil I needed for my car engine, since I was going to buy and fill my own oil, and not what was offered in the technical center. According to the employee it should be 5W30 specification oil. He did not indicate additional characteristics of the lubricant for the Chinese engine. Which, in our opinion, does not do justice to this dealer center specialist.
The bottom line is that the machine manual specifies very specific options for the lubricant. One is oil with 5W30 specification, but only with the SM grade (and above) according to the API standard. If this requirement is not taken into account, there is a risk of buying 5W30 oil of a much lower class, for example, SJ or SL. Meanwhile, each class indicates that the lubricant meets certain requirements.
The SL index thus refers to the older generation of oils that meet previous standards. They are designed for older cars that require their own level of quality. SM class motor oils, on the other hand, have much better performance. This applies to a number of parameters, including indicators of protection against wear of parts and oxidation of the lubricant. In addition, SM grade oils also have better low temperature properties. As you can see, the differences between SL and SM are significant, so you should always pay attention to the oil class.
Information about the engine oil class can always be found in the manual of the car. But what if there is no such document? After all, this often happens when purchasing a used car, for example. Here experts advise to use digital oil search services. Alternatively, we can recommend a professional oil selection service, recently introduced on the ReinWell brand website. Here, the lubricant search is carried out by machine make and model, year of manufacture, engine type and other parameters, which allows you to accurately select the product with the desired specification.
We were able to personally verify this during the control selection of oil for the same crossover. The digital service immediately gave us three options for ReinWell 5W30 grease with SN and SP grades. According to the API standard, they are higher than the recommended SM class and therefore ideal for the engine of our new car.
The selected lubricant can be ordered directly via the Internet or check its availability in the nearest points of sale. The advantage of ReinWell’s digital service is that, in addition to the necessary oil, it provides the owner of the machine with other brands of technical fluids and lubricants recommended for its maintenance.
Photo kuznitsaspb.ru
Photo portal “AvtoVzglyad”.
The characteristics of modern cars with internal combustion engines produced by global car manufacturers are improving from year to year. This is reflected in the desire to be ahead of the competition, to take into account the stricter environmental standards and the desire to make cars more economical.
It is clear that these problems cannot be solved by simple means, so car manufacturers are introducing a wide range of technical innovations, including in engine construction. Which automatically tightens the requirements for lubricants. It is therefore not surprising that fresh specification motor oils regularly appear on store shelves and in service centers.
All this is certainly good. However, for an ordinary car owner who is little versed in technology and is concerned about finding a particular lubricant, such an abundance of lubricants and their specifications can create certain difficulties. Which your correspondent was personally convinced of by visiting the service center in the capital of one of the official dealers of the Chinese brand popular with us.
In a conversation with the master, I asked what kind of oil I needed for my car engine, since I was going to buy and fill my own oil, and not what was offered in the technical center. According to the employee it should be 5W30 specification oil. He did not indicate additional characteristics of the lubricant for the Chinese engine. Which, in our opinion, does not do justice to this dealer center specialist.
The bottom line is that the machine manual specifies very specific options for the lubricant. One is oil with 5W30 specification, but only with the SM grade (and above) according to the API standard. If this requirement is not taken into account, there is a risk of buying 5W30 oil of a much lower class, for example, SJ or SL. Meanwhile, each class indicates that the lubricant meets certain requirements.
The SL index thus refers to the older generation of oils that meet previous standards. They are designed for older cars that require their own level of quality. SM class motor oils, on the other hand, have much better performance. This applies to a number of parameters, including indicators of protection against wear of parts and oxidation of the lubricant. In addition, SM grade oils also have better low temperature properties. As you can see, the differences between SL and SM are significant, so you should always pay attention to the oil class.
Information about the engine oil class can always be found in the manual of the car. But what if there is no such document? After all, this often happens when purchasing a used car, for example. Here experts advise to use digital oil search services. Alternatively, we can recommend a professional oil selection service, recently introduced on the ReinWell brand website. Here, the lubricant search is carried out by machine make and model, year of manufacture, engine type and other parameters, which allows you to accurately select the product with the desired specification.
We were able to personally verify this during the control selection of oil for the same crossover. The digital service immediately gave us three options for ReinWell 5W30 grease with SN and SP grades. According to the API standard, they are higher than the recommended SM class and therefore ideal for the engine of our new car.
The selected lubricant can be ordered directly via the Internet or check its availability in the nearest points of sale. The advantage of ReinWell’s digital service is that, in addition to the necessary oil, it provides the owner of the machine with other brands of technical fluids and lubricants recommended for its maintenance.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
