American Petroleum Institute Releases Updated API Motor Oil Guide

    June 5, 2025
    Get insights into the updated API Motor Oil Guide, featuring information on the new ILSAC GF-7A and GF-7B standards, API Certification Marks, and backward compatibility.
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    The American Petroleum Institute has released the latest edition of its API Motor Oil Guide, with information about the new ILSAC GF-7A and GF-7B motor oil standards launched this past March.

    According to a press release, the guide offers detailed information on current and previous motor oil standards, and can be downloaded.

    API SQ specification, without Resource Conserving, provides performance requirements for engine oils that are backward compatible with previous API S categories. This can include heavier viscosity grades, as well as the ultra-low viscosity grade performance requirements of SAE 0W-8 and 0W-12 engine oils in modern engines.

    Additionally, the guide goes over API Certification Marks for the new GF-7 standards: The “Starburst,” which signifies oils meeting GF-7A requirements; and the “Shield,” which exclusively marks SAE 0W-16 oils certified under GF-7B.

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