With effect from 01/05/2020, we will be offering you the following products with the brand new API licences:


These RAVENOL products have been updated to meet the latest API (American Petroleum Institute) specifications. Once again, this bears witness to RAVENOL’s technical lead in developing new, future-proof engine oils.

INFORMATION ON SPECIFICATION API SP/ ILSAC GF-6A/B: 

On 01/05/2020, the American Petroleum Institute (API) introduced the new specifications API SP and ILSAC GF-6A/B following a long period of preparation.

How are the new oils identified?
API SP/ ILSAC GF-6B on the “Donut” and “Shield” for 0W-16 oils
API SP/ ILSAC GF 6A on the “Donut” and “Starbust” for XW-20 and XW-30 oils (backwards compatible for older categories such as GF-5)

Why is the specification being introduced?
These new specifications replace the interim step with API SN Plus, which was temporarily introduced in order to speed up the ability to offer oils which are formulated to deal with LSPI problems (low speed pre-ignition) until the new API SP specification became available. For this reason, all API SP (RC) products also work with API SN Plus (RC). The development and engine test phase to achieve this specification took approx. 7 years. As a result, there are now three completely new engine tests and four revised ones. Previous tests were no longer available due to missing spare parts or due to increased requirements for the oils, and therefore had to be replaced or revised. The tests in detail:

The comparison in the diagram shows that the requirements have remained similar when we compare API SP with API SN Plus, but that many areas have been tightened up once again due to the newly developed engine tests. When we compare API SP with API SN, the particular focus is on the prevention of low speed pre-ignition (Test Seq IX), which was previously not tested:

What is LSPI (Low Speed Pre-Ignition)?
Modern “downsizing" engines and large high-compression turbo engines (GDI) are often affected by the problem of pre-ignition of the petrol-gas mixture (LSPI = Low Speed Pre- Ignition). When random ignition takes place too soon in the engine’s combustion chamber, even before the actual ignition spark appears, this can lead to severe damage to the engine, particularly to the piston ring lands and other engine parts. LSPI can be identified through heavy knocking and sporadic loss of power.

How can LSPI be prevented?
Full research has not yet been conducted into the cause of LSPI. According to the knowledge we do have, the lubricants used, in particular the additives they contain, contribute to this just as much as the combusted fuel. For this reason, the formulations have been verified and revised in order to prevent LSPI in future.

Which RAVENOL products fulfil the new API SP specification?
For the launch of API SP/ILSAC GF-6A/B, we can initially offer the following products in the usual container sizes:

RAVENOL EFE SAE 0W-16
RAVENOL DFE SAE 0W-20
RAVENOL SFE SAE 5W-20
RAVENOL DXG SAE 5W-30
RAVENOL HDX SAE 5W-30
RAVENOL TSJ SAE 10W-30

The number of products that fulfil the requirements of API SP will be continuously increased in future.