• The Association des Constructeurs Europeans D'Automobile (ACEA) and the
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American Petroleum Institute (API) are the two main independent standard-setting bodies whose oil performance classifications are employed in the UK. But API's importance is fading — last year the ACEA replaced the former European CCMC organisation and inherited its oil quality ratings.
American military oil specification level is also quoted by some producers, as an "MIL-L" number. In addition, the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) sets the now universally applied standards for oil viscosity.
Current European ACEA diesel engine oil performance ratings, in ascending order of duty severity, are: PD2; D4; and D5.
Confusingly, the initials SHPD (super high performance diesel) have been adopted in the past two years by some European producers to describe their most advanced engine oil grade. But SHPD does not describe a precise specification — it continues to be applied loosely to both D4 and the later D5 grades.
API engine oil ratings for diesel engines, in ascending order of duty severity, are: CC; CD; CE and CF4. The CE and CF4 ratings meet most charge-cooled engine requirements, although new CF and CF-2 ratings are to be issued by the API to cater for extended oil drain operations. Low-cost CC oils remain available from most suppliers, for use in naturally aspirated diesels.
Extended sump drain intervals are conditional on the use of ACEA-D5 oil, which at present has no counterpart in the AP 1 performance scale. As a result, American-influenced manufacturers such as Cummins have calculated their oil-change recommendations on the basis that oil as advanced as ACEA-D5 is not available.