Lubricant grades: engine oils

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tersono - 20 Mar 2005 14:58 GMT

Trying to avoid longish trip to the "local" Citroen garage, and the
cost of the Citroen-recommended Total product, I got the local
motorist's shop to obtain some 5W-40 oil for my C3 diesel.

Yes, it is indeed (synthetic) 5W-40, like the recommended Total Quartz
Diesel 9000. What troubles me is difference in the more minor
parameters of the oil.

The oil I have is API CF; the recommended product is API SJ/CF.

The oil I have is ACEA A3/B3; the recommended product is ACEA
3.98/B3.98.

Has anybody any idea of the nature of the difference implied by the
different letters an numbers? A search of the web has yielded no
answer.

I haven't used it yet- and will refrain from using it if I must.

Thanks in anticipation,
Colin

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Citroen C3. It's French! It's fuel-efficient!
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Malc - 20 Mar 2005 21:54 GMT

> Trying to avoid longish trip to the "local" Citroen garage, and the
> cost of the Citroen-recommended Total product, I got the local
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> different letters an numbers? A search of the web has yielded no
> answer.

AFAIK so long as the numbers are at least what is specified or higher then
you'll be ok i.e. API CG is better than API CF and so on. Looking in my
Haynes BoL and interpreting the data therein I would say that the A3 is a
petrol spec and B3 is for diesel engines. For example the Xantia petrol
needs ACEA A3.96 and the diesel needs ACEA B3.96 (I also presume the 98 or
96 is the year of the spec).

So it looks as though you may have an oil rated to go in both petrol and
diesel cars. It's up to the spec required so you shouldn't have any problems
(usual disclaimers apply).

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Malc

"Evil doers prepare to become evil don'ters" - Stripperella

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