Thread: API ACEA SAE WTF?

This may not abnswer all your questions, but may give you the lead you need: http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html scroll to "So what should I buy?"

Also use tab at the top of the page for more stuff.

This is a little weird quoting myself........

[snip]
Brief outline on choosing oils for your diesel Defender or Disco.

Tdi's = any decent 5W-40, 10W-40, 15W-40 diesel oil of API CH-4, CI-4, CI-4+, CJ-4 (CF-4 is OK but ideally a CI-4 or better spec is best IMO) or an ACEA B3/B4, (passenger car diesel/light commercial) E4, E7 diesel oil (heavy duty diesel) or combination thereof.

Basically the further into the alphabet or higher the number, the higher the spec, so a CI-4+ oil outperforms a CF-4 at the extremes of performance and the better engine oils in the list above are the 5W-40's and 10W-40's.

TD5's = a good 0W-40, 5W-40, 10W-40 or 5W-50 engine oil with at least an ACEA A1/B1 but if the oil meets the A3/B3/B4 spec this is preferable.

For the best protection an ACEA E4 or E4/E7 oil can be used. These are heavy duty diesel oils with the E7 spec indicating suitable for extended drains so are very high quality oils. The E7 spec includes a test for wear at high soot levels, extra corrosion and oxidation tests and better piston cleanliness standard than the E4 spec.

Under 35*C ambient a 5W-30 or 10W-30 may be used if meeting the ACEA A3/B3/B4 specs.

[snip]and there's great oils by Total/Elf, Conoco-Phillips, Shell, BP, all the boutique blenders, etc etc. Hopefully someone can list a few suitable ones.
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from this post http://www.aulro.com/afvb/1308575-post29.html
on this thread Oils - can we set up a definitive list

The ACEA C series oils are ultra low or low/mid SAPS oils and i wouldn't use them in any engine except the TDci which calls for a specific Ford spec one.
The same goes for any API GF-4 5/10W-30 oil in one of our diesels. You could potentially experience excessive valve train or injector cam lobe wear IMO.