Oil acea type

Gramera flash · February 16, 2017

I have recently bought some cheap Castrol edge 5w 30 oil and the spec is acea3, I know the recommendation for the is250 is for acea A5 so my question is, would it be ok to use the acea3 oil?

peachy · February 16, 2017

Not the best oil but perfectly fine to use it. I wouldn't leave it in any longer than about 5k before your next oil change though.

normski2 · February 16, 2017

Yes you will be fine A3 is for extended service intervals

This may help

ACEA

This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur).

Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows:

A1	Fuel economy petrol
A2	Standard performance level (now obsolete)
A3	High performance and/or extended drain
A4	Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines
A5	Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance

johnatg · February 16, 2017

AFAIK, nowhere do Lexus specify an ACEA grade for oil. The IS250 oil spec on the relevant (2005-2011) Service Data Sheet is 'SAE 5W-30, API grade SM “Energy-Conserving” or ILSAC, multi grade engine oil'.

They have subsequently approved 0W-20 and say it is suitable for all IS250 (and more) engines.

Incidentally, quite a few 'oil finder' type web sites from oil suppliers actually recommend oils to ACEA C3 for IS250.

Your Edge 5W-30 will be fine - I use GM Dexos2 in all my cars and it is ACEA C3.

jackcramerr · February 16, 2017

Different brands might have different formula and can change over time.

Castrol suggests A5 for is250. Chcek out their oil selector by putting your car reg in on their website.

johnatg · February 16, 2017

I think this from the ACEA specs web site is relevant. All mainstream oil available these days is catalyst compatible, so A and C below are pretty much interchangeable and indeed most eg A3 oil is also C3. I've added some emphases!

There are ACEA specifications for passenges car motor oils (the A/B class), for catalyst compatible motor oils (the C class) and for heavy duty diesel engine oils (the E class). The classes are further divided into categories to meet the requirements of different engines. The A/B class's A5/B5 oils have lower HTHS viscosities, which means that they provide better fuel economy but they may not provide adequate protection in engines that are not designed for them. ACEA A3/B3 and A3/B4 on the other hand require oils with higher HTHS viscosities that may not provide as good fuel economy as an A5/B5 oil but may offer better engine protection in certain engine designs. The categories within the C class are divided along SAPS limits and along HTHS viscosities. C1 and C4 are low-SAPS oils, while C2 and C3 are mid-SAPS oils. On the other hand C1 and C2 oils have lower HTHS viscosities, while C3 and C4 oils have higher HTHS viscosities. The C5 category that has been newly introduced in the ACEA 2016 sequences has even lower limit for HTHS vicsosity. In order for an oil to meet this specification it must be a mid-SAPS oil and its HTHS viscosity has to be between 2.6 and 2.9 mPa*s.

Depends on your priorities - fuel economy or engine protection. But I think any differences are very marginal.

Gramera flash · February 16, 2017

Thanks for that Johnatg, and there's me thinking oil was just something you put in your engine to stop it seizing.

i always say the subject of oil is the most discussed topic on every forum and there never seems to be a definitive answer

jackcramerr · February 16, 2017

What to go with for a petrol engine that is consuming oil? Higher HTHS?

Seeing an issue with a car where it wasn't consuming oil with kwikfit oil but since I changed it to A5 or Edge it is consuming a lot of it. No smoke though.

Never understood oil.

Vintagesixtysix · February 16, 2017

I'm in same boat.....in the middle of my own little experiment.

Always been very happy when talking cars that mine (bought at 47k now 90k) didn't seem to lose a single drop between services.

Those services I now believe C3 was used.

Last service before yesterday's was done by Lexus using Mobil A5 and I've had to top up a full litre over 10k miles.

So put C3 in yesterday.

(Shell Engine Oil (Helix Ultra Professional AG Engine Oil - 5W-30 - 5ltr... £24.99 Eurocarparts + 30% off weekend = £17 odd quid.....I bought two)

Specifications: API SN; ACEA C3; GMW16177 (dexos2™)

So we will see......if I am really burning oil.... or my IS is just partial to eating A5.

Sent from my iPad using Lexus OC

jackcramerr · February 17, 2017

Vintage

As far as I recall, kwilfit used Comma oil in thr car, when it didn't consume oil. I can't find the picture of it else I would have confirmed the exact spec other than 05w30. But my guess is C3 in 2.0 petrol engine. They used some generic oil filter.

I always use OE parts so I got OE filter. With Castorl A5 oil. That is the time I started to top up every month. Thought might be fake A5 as I bought it from Asda for cheap so bought A5 from Halfords for next oil change. Same result.

Checked castorl website and they recommended Edge LL. First I tried Edge that did not had LL mark on it. Read the spec online and it was a C3. Engine still consumed oil.

Next oil change bought Edge LL which is like A5. Car still consumed oil. I then put in some stuff like STP and out that in after reading about it on Halfords website. Still it consumes oil.

Now I have been suggested to change the oil brand completely. Will decide it on next oil change what to do.

Last time I did compression test myself, the results were fine. I will re visit that as I want to make sure I performed it correctly.

Changed PCV valve during all this process as well. But original PCV was found to be fine. Changed it anyway.

Vintagesixtysix · February 17, 2017

Any discernible colour to your exhaust smoke? Blue/grey?

I have none.....even if I floor it in too high a gear.

If your comp test ok ...... mystery.

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

jackcramerr · February 17, 2017

No smoke at all. No smell. Just white steam on cold days that goes away once the car is warm.

I have driven behind the car with it being floored... not even a puff.

Am told cat converter these days block everything so it still might be piston rings or valves. Don't have a clue though. No leaks.

jackcramerr · February 17, 2017

I think it might be rings for one reason only.... If I remove the oil fill cap, I can feel air blowing out of it and it sputters oil. That was the reason I went for PCV valve and had to remove intake manifold and injectors to get access. A job it was.

Disapponited though that efforts, time and money wasted.

jackcramerr · February 17, 2017

oh and one more thing... When I remove the plugs, saw clean oil on the threads and tip of the plugs. I replaced rocker cover gasket but still does it. I am thinking that this changed the compression scores. Theory is that, the pressure in crank case goes up and forces oil through rocker cover gasket and it makes its way to the plugs (2 plus I think...). So when I removr plugs, oil went inside thr chamber and increased compression. .... So this time I will remove all the plugs. Let any oil go in. Then put the plugs back in and fire the engine so it burns any oil. Then perform the test again.

If readings are the same then I will blame oil again. Else it is the engine.