ILSAC GF-5 Specification Status

What progress has been made and what is yet to come?

The International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) has issued the draft of the GF-5 passenger car motor oil specification. This new ILSAC GF- specification is the fifth in a series issued by the ILSAC and it is scheduled to become active sometime in mid-year 2010.  ILSAC GF-5 is being introduced to provide improvements in fuel economy, emissions system protection, and engine oil robustness for gasoline engines.  ILSAC GF-5 oils will not address passenger car diesel engine use.

Changes and Open Issues

• Both ILSAC and ILSAC/OIL now agree on the ILSAC GF-5 Needs Statement subsequent to the January 23, 2008 ILSAC/OIL meeting. The Needs Statement indicates the new ILSAC GF-5 performance standard must improve on ILSAC GF-4 in three areas:

1. Fuel economy and fuel economy retention
2. Engine oil robustness
3. Protection of emission control systems

• The Sequence VID will replace the Sequence VIB. The Sequence VID is based on a more modern engine design (3.6 liter GM V-6) representative of engines now used in the majority of vehicles in the fleet.
• The Sequence IIIG engine test is needed to evaluate the engine oils impact on catalysts used in emissions control systems.