Understanding Motor Oil Technical Specifications

When comparing two ore more oils for possible use in your vehicle, the most important thing to do is to compare the technical specifications of the oils. This is the only way to objectively determine which oil has the best protection and performance characteristics.

There are about 16 useful specifications that you might see on the technical data sheet for any given oil. These include:

1. Kinematic Viscosity @ 100 degrees C
   
2. Kinematic Viscosity @ 40 degrees C
   
3. Viscosity Index (VI)
   
4. Cold Crank Simulator Apparent Viscosity
   
5. Mini-Rotary Viscometer
   
6. Borderline Pumping Temperature
   
7. Pour Point
   
8. Flash Point
   
9. Fire Point
   
10. NOACK Volatility
    
11. High Temperature/High Sheer Viscosity
    
12. Four Ball Wear Test
    
13. Total Base Number (TBN)
    
14. Phosphorus % or PPM
    
15. Zinc % or PPM
    
16. Sulfated Ash Content

Unfortunately, most manufacturers only provide about two-thirds of the above specs (if that), and they won't always be the same ones. Some manufacturers might even throw in a few impressive looking stats that mean basically nothing and cannot objectively be compared to other oils anyway. This makes comparisons difficult, but not impossible. Keep reading to find out which specifications will be most important in your search for the best motor oil.

Additional Info via the Links Below:

page 1 - current : Intro-Specifications Listing
page 2 : Specifications You Will Most Easily Find
page 3 : Viscosity Related Specifications
page 4 : Low Temperature Specifications
page 5 : High Temperature Related Specs
page 6 : Total Base Number
page 7 : Less Common Specifications
page 8 : What To Look For