The new GF-5 motor oil specification

The GF-5, created by the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC), is scheduled to take effect in the summer of 2009 and will be the factory fill for 2010 model-year engines. GF-5 motor oils will be the most technologically advanced motor oil, exceeding the current GF-4 category in a number of important performance areas.

Some improvement many automakers like to see:

• fuel economy and fuel economy retention throughout the oil drain;
• emission-control systems protection; and
• increased sludge, deposit and oxidation control.

Also, low-temperature viscosity, high- and low-temperature corrosion, turbocharger protection and filter clogging protection.

Aeration control, the reduction of tiny air bubbles, is a renewed concern because modern engines demand that oil serve as a hydraulic fluid in cam phaser devices, variable valve actuators, timing chain tensioners and hydraulic lash adjusters that allow for variable valve timing. These increased demands cause engine oils to be stressed more than ever before.