Identify
Oil spec explainer
Decode the label, do not invent a sump capacity. Penrite, Castrol, and Total LubAdvisor already answer “what does this car take.” We explain the alphabet on the bottle.
0W-20
SAE viscosity
Winter cranking grade 0, hot viscosity 20. Common on late petrol engines aiming at economy.
5W-30
SAE viscosity
Winter 5, hot 30. Still the most common mixed-fleet workshop grade in Australia.
5W-40
SAE viscosity
Heavier hot grade. Frequent on European petrol/diesel and hotter climates.
10W-40
SAE viscosity
Older / higher-mileage / some light diesel. Confirm the OEM still allows it.
API SP
API petrol
Current petrol category (LSPI and timing-chain wear protection vs older SN).
API SN
API petrol
Superseded petrol category. Fine if the OEM only asked for SN — not a reason to upsell SP unless specified.
API CK-4
API diesel
Current heavy-duty diesel category for most post-2017 high-EGR engines.
API FA-4
API diesel
Lower HTHS diesel grade. Only where the OEM explicitly allows FA-4.
ILSAC GF-6A
ILSAC
Resource-conserving petrol companion to API SP (0W-20 / 5W-20 / 5W-30 / 10W-30).
ILSAC GF-6B
ILSAC
0W-16 only. Do not substitute GF-6A into a GF-6B sump.
ILSAC GF-7
ILSAC
Next petrol sequence after GF-6. Check the handbook before treating it as a drop-in.
ACEA A3/B4
ACEA
Stable, stay-in-grade petrol/diesel. Often paired with older Euro OEM longs.
ACEA C3
ACEA mid SAPS
Mid SAPS, compatible with many DPF / GPF petrol and diesel Euro cars.
ACEA C5
ACEA mid SAPS
Lower HTHS mid SAPS. Common on late Euro economy specs — not a C3 substitute.
dexos1
OEM
GM petrol worldwide spec. Generation matters (Gen 2 / Gen 3) — read the bottle.
dexos2
OEM
GM diesel / some Euro petrol. Not interchangeable with dexos1.
MB 229.51
OEM
Mercedes mid-SAPS example. OEM approvals are not the same as “ACEA C3 on the jug.”
VW 504 00 / 507 00
OEM
VW/Audi long-life petrol/diesel pair. Do not put a 502 00-only oil in a 504/507 sump.
BMW LL-04
OEM
BMW long-life diesel / some petrol. Region and petrol-sulphur rules still apply.
Ford WSS-M2C913
OEM
Common Ford petrol/diesel family. The letter suffix (C/D) is the actual spec.
Theory
The logbook spec beats the aisle sticker
API SP / ILSAC GF-6 describe petrol performance. ACEA C3/C5 describe mid-SAPS European petrol/diesel that must live with a DPF or GPF — common on AU Euro and late Asian diesels. OEM approvals (MB 229.51, VW 504/507, dexos2) are not implied by “ACEA C3” on the label. Penrite, Castrol and Total LubAdvisor are the AU habit for “what does this car take.” Litres stay in the handbook.
How to use it
- Role
- Technician or parts (P03 / P05) at LABOUR / PARTS
- Shop-day step
- PARTS → REPAIR
- Do
- Match viscosity + spec + OEM approval, stamp the logbook with what you poured.
- Do not
- Do not invent a sump capacity or treat a supermarket 5W-30 as a 504/507 oil.
Official sources
Related tools
We do not publish OEM capacities or pretend a brand selector is our catalog.