Guide to Selecting the Right Lubricant for Your Vehicle

Selecting quality automotive lubricants is an important factor that significantly impacts your vehicle's performance and lifespan. Have you already discovered how to choose the right product for your beloved car? Don't worry! The following knowledge and experience will help you find the lubricant that best suits your needs.

See also:

• Distinguishing between automotive lubricants and motorcycle lubricants
• Comprehensive guide to the best lubricant brands for automobiles in Vietnam
• Consultation on selecting Amsoil lubricants for your automobile

Choosing the correct lubricant type will help your automobile operate more efficiently and durably

1. Understanding the labels on lubricant bottles

When purchasing lubricants, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the API rating of the product. This is a certification factor confirming that the lubricant meets quality standards according to the regulations of the American Petroleum Institute. Products bearing the API label are reputable lubricants that have undergone rigorous quality testing before leaving the factory.

The API specification has been used to classify the quality of automotive engine lubricants for both gasoline and diesel engines since the 1960s. Among these:

• Performance grades for gasoline engines are designated as: API SA, SB, SC, SE, SF, SG,… and most recently SP.
• Performance grades for diesel engines are designated as: API CA, CB, CD,…, CJ-4.

Note that automotive lubricants with increasingly higher API ratings (in alphabetical order A, B, C,...) will have better quality. This means API SP lubricant will have a higher grade than API SM or SL lubricants.

Lubricants bearing the API label prove they have passed testing by the American Petroleum Institute

2. Based on viscosity

Viscosity (SAE) is also an extremely important specification. This is a standard set by the Society of Automotive Engineers to classify the thickness or thinness of lubricants.

The SAE specification for multigrade automotive lubricants currently on the market is denoted as follows: SAE 0w20, 5w30, 10w40, 15w40,…. Where:

• The number before the letter W indicates the temperature at which the lubricant can perform well when the vehicle starts.
• The number after the letter W indicates the lubricant's ability to "adapt"