Mineral oils

[KREW2]

Can anyone tell me, apart from the price, what is the difference between these two oils.

TRIPLE QX 15W-40 Mineral Engine Oil - 5Ltr | Euro Car Parts

TRIPLE QX 15W-40 Diesel Engine Oil - 5Ltr | Euro Car Parts

 

[Tranona]

Without seeing the specs for the first one it is impossible to say, but would guess that the one for petrol engines has either extra or dffenet additives and priced to match against similar oils.

Cheaper one fine for your boat engine.

 

[vyv_cox]

They both appear to be to API CI-4, which I think is perhaps the one to use in a yacht engine.

 

[ean_p]

ACEA E7 Stable, stay-in-grade oil providing effective control with respect to piston cleanliness and bore polishing. It further provides excellent wear control, soot handling and lubricant stability. It is recommended for highly rated diesel engines meeting Euro I, Euro II, Euro III, Euro IV and Euro V emission requirements and running under severe conditions, e.g. extended oil drain intervals according to the manufacturer's recommendations. It is suitable for engines without particulate filters, and for most EGR engines and most engines fitted with SCR NOx reduction systems. However, recommendations may differ between engine manufacturers so Driver Manuals and/or Dealers shall be consulted if in doubt.

ACEA A3/B3 Stable, stay-in-grade Engine Oil intended for use in Passenger Car & Light Duty Van Gasoline & Diesel Engines and/or for extended drain intervals where specified by the engine manufacturer, and/or for year-round use of Low Viscosity Oils, and/or for severe operating conditions as defined by the Engine Manufacturer.

 

[MikeBz]

The diesel version is what I use in our MD2020. 2.5 years ago it was £17.99 for 5 litres! You can get it slightly cheaper on EBay than Eurocarparts’ £31.99, or you can pay £44.20 at the RAC shop!

 

[KREW2]

Both say for diesel engines the description of the cheaper one is ACEA E7, API CI-4/SL
The more expensive one doesn't have a description. From what I can make out it is ACEA E7, API CI-4/SJ.
I have no idea what the difference between SL and SJ is.

 

[ean_p]

Both say for diesel engines the description of the cheaper one is ACEA E7, API CI-4/SL
The more expensive one doesn't have a description. From what I can make out it is ACEA E7, API CI-4/SJ.
I have no idea what the difference between SL and SJ is.

The expensive one is A3/B3........ref post #4

 

[KREW2]

The expensive one is A3/B3........ref post #4

Interesting, but how is A3/B3 identified. The reason I'm asking is because I have always just asked for Triple QX 15-40 mineral oil. When I went to by some last week he came out with 2 types. The only difference in the description I could see was SL and SJ and one had diesel after Ultra, but both say for diesel engines.

 

[ean_p]

The difference is in the specifications which is in the small print if on the bottle at all. And to be fair even if it was clearly on show would the vast majority of us have a clue as to what it actually refers? I like most others I think tend to just go off the SAE viscosity rating unless I'm looking for something very specific ie oil for a high powered outboard engine, as generally the cars / campers I drive are common a garden rather than high performance. If they were then I would drill down deeper into what is on offer.
here's a reasonably good guide to the differing specification ratings and how they relate, though there are no true equivalences' I think!
Specifications and OEM approvals of engine oils - SAE, ACEA, API

 

[VicS]

Interesting, but how is A3/B3 identified. The reason I'm asking is because I have always just asked for Triple QX 15-40 mineral oil. When I went to by some last week he came out with 2 types. The only difference in the description I could see was SL and SJ and one had diesel after Ultra, but both say for diesel engines.

The two oils in question seem to be
TRIPLE QX 15W-40, High performance, Ultra, Mineral Engine Oil
and
TRIPLE QX 15W-40, High performance, Ultra, Mineral Diesel Engine Oil

According to the specifications on the Euro Car Parts website the former meets ACEA A3/B3 while the later meets ACEA E7

HOWEVER, if you zoom in to the labels you will find the former meets ACEA E7, API CI-4, API SJ and a range of engine manufacturers' specifications , including Volvo VDS-2
while the later meets ACEA E7, API CI-4, API SL , rather more engine manufacturers specifications, including Volvo VDS-3
Note both meet ACEA E7

If you visit the Triple QX website, Triple QX | The brand you can trust , you will find the only 15W-40 mineral oil listed is TRIPLE QX 15W-40, High performance Ultra, Mineral Diesel Engine Oil .

I suspect the confusion arises due to evolving specifications for essentially the same product and perhaps the failure of Euro Car Parts, and maybe others, to update the information on their websites.

( BTW API SJ and SL are specs for "spark ignition" ( i.e. petrol) engines . One dating from 2001 and the other from 2004. )

 

[KREW2]

Thanks for all the info.
I went to Europarts today and bought the cheaper one, as I think it is the one I have always used. The sale assistant could not give me any info , which quite frankly didn't surprise me, Oil specs seem to be over complicated. That in mind 15-40 mineral is all I am going look for in future.

 

[coopec]

Having worked for an oil company I can say they are definitely not interchangeable. My understanding is that diesel engine oil has more detergents to get rid of soot

What is the difference between diesel engine oil and regular oil?
Generally, diesel engine oil has a higher viscosity and lower-temperature pumpability when compared to gas engine oil. If it was used in gas engines, several issues might develop, such as heat generation, premature wear & tear, and more.

https://totalsaudi.com/en/gas-vs-diesel-engine-oil

 

[KREW2]

Having worked for an oil company I can say they are definitely not interchangeable. My understanding is that diesel engine oil has more detergents to get rid of soot

According to the labeling both oils are suitable for diesel engines.

 

[vyv_cox]

Having worked for an oil company I can say they are definitely not interchangeable. My understanding is that diesel engine oil has more detergents to get rid of soot

What is the difference between diesel engine oil and regular oil?
Generally, diesel engine oil has a higher viscosity and lower-temperature pumpability when compared to gas engine oil. If it was used in gas engines, several issues might develop, such as heat generation, premature wear & tear, and more.

https://totalsaudi.com/en/gas-vs-diesel-engine-oil

They are both to API CI-4. CI stands for compression ignition, i.e. diesel.

 

[coopec]

They are both to API CI-4. CI stands for compression ignition, i.e. diesel.

OK. I misunderstood the question.

One thing I think I discovered this afternoon is that if an engine is designed for synthetic oil it must not be run on a mineral oil
Would you agree with that?

 

[vyv_cox]

OK. I misunderstood the question.

One thing I think I discovered this afternoon is that if an engine is designed for synthetic oil it must not be run on a mineral oil
Would you agree with that?

In the past yes. Some synthetics contained esters that attacked certain seals but many now do not. The problem now is that synthetics are aimed at the performance market with viscosities of 0, 5 and maybe 10w-20. These are fine with hardened shafts but few of our engines have them.

Little justification to use them anyway, we don't run hot enough to need them.