Totally different specifications.
Also, your car absolutely does not need a low SAPS oil. It won't hurt it. But don't waste your money.
Mobil 1 ESP/ X3 vs FS 0w-40
- Thread starter bonjo
- Start date
Totally different specifications.
Also, your car absolutely does not need a low SAPS oil. It won't hurt it. But don't waste your money.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Yes it is completely. We are not talking the difference between Nestle milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
What YOU want to do is different. You could also try sunflower cooking oil.
Any modern oil with any certification will work in your old car that calls for the long-outdated API SL certification. Use whatever is cheaply available.
Not to scare the op or spoil the party but iirc, SonOfJoe said API SL is not as harsh on seals i.e. it's more seal friendly!
I kind of remember that because at the time, I was considering some 0W-30s (Castrol?) but it was API SL (i.e. old classification). He talked about it being Full-SAPS ... and also more seal friendly!
Not sure if I asked or can't remember how API ratings can have an impact on seals ... maybe due to chemical compound amounts, limits, or lack thereof. I assume they all should pass some sort of seal compatibility test(s) but some may do better!
If I can find the discussion, I will attach the link.
Having said that, I read that API ratings are backward compatible and maybe hard(er) to find API SL ... so theoretically, op should not worry!
I kind of remember that because at the time, I was considering some 0W-30s (Castrol?) but it was API SL (i.e. old classification). He talked about it being Full-SAPS ... and also more seal friendly!
Not sure if I asked or can't remember how API ratings can have an impact on seals ... maybe due to chemical compound amounts, limits, or lack thereof. I assume they all should pass some sort of seal compatibility test(s) but some may do better!
If I can find the discussion, I will attach the link.
Having said that, I read that API ratings are backward compatible and maybe hard(er) to find API SL ... so theoretically, op should not worry!
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OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Elastomer compatibility test I think is what you are referring to.Not to scare the op or spoil the party but iirc, SonOfJoe said API SL is not as harsh on seals i.e. it's more seal friendly!
I kind of remember that because at the time, I was considering some 0W-30s (Castrol?) but it was API SL (i.e. old classification). He talked about it being Full-SAPS ... and also more seal friendly!
Not sure if I asked or can't remember how API ratings can have an impact on seals ... maybe due to chemical compound amounts, limits, or lack thereof. I assume they all should pass some sort of seal compatibility test(s) but some may do better!
If I can find the discussion, I will attach the link.
Having said that, I read that API ratings are backward compatible and maybe hard(er) to find API SL ... so theoretically, op should not worry!
It looks like the diesel oils are a bit stricter, here's CJ-4 (same test number, but amusingly, they change the name):
And CK-4:
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However, your overview is only valid from 0W20 to 10W30. Unfortunately, what applies to the viscosities about it is not listed.
What?
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For oils SAE40 and higher, for example, phosphorus is not limited in the API. Not everything is identical to the viscosities up to sae 30.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
The footnotes indicate what categories are excepted from non-RC SP/non-ILSAC grades (2)(4).
So, for example, under phosphorous, it notes footnote 4: No maximum for API SP or SN Non-ILSAC viscosity grades.
There is no footnote for elastomer compatibility (the post you quoted), so the limits apply to anything carrying API SP.
apologize for reopening an old thread, just want to know, is this Mobil ESP X3 belonging to Group IV or group III oils?
(I know that it has been superseded by the newer ESP X4, but I still have several quarters of it..)
I've looked Mobil website for its spec, but couldn't find no more than a generic "advanced synthetic technology engine oil" mention...
(I know that it has been superseded by the newer ESP X4, but I still have several quarters of it..)
I've looked Mobil website for its spec, but couldn't find no more than a generic "advanced synthetic technology engine oil" mention...
thanks, but as I said, no indications if belonging to group III or IV....
Okay sure but base stock composition isn’t a “spec”.
You may be able to read some of the tea leaves in the SDS, but that may not be completely accurate if it it didn’t change the toxicity or flammability of the product.
It’s a mix. This is not important though.
I think that knowing if an oil is 100% synth, could be for some a buying decision factor, and several oil brands clearly mention this on the product info sheet (i.e. https://www.ravenol.de/en/product/motorenoel/pkw-motorenoel/ravenol-vsi-sae-5w-40).
If anyknow knows to which group Mobil ESP X3 belongs to, I would be grateful
If anyknow knows to which group Mobil ESP X3 belongs to, I would be grateful
Outside of Germany there's no advertising rule which defines 100% synthetic. Besides, the majority of modern oils are a blend of various base stocks. There's no such thing as 100% PAO (Gr4) oil because it must be blended with an Ester or AN (Gr5) to insure seal compatibility and additive solubility. This is in addition to the carrier oil for the additive package. Some Gr3 (ex, Shell-GTL) oils also require Gr5 because they behave a lot like PAO.
As for your specific question about M1 ESP X3, I can reasonably guess that all of their ESP X3 oil was advertised as "Synthese-Technologie-Motorenöl". I can't think of one oil M1 has sold in almost 20 yrs which met the German advertising rule for "synthetic".
All of M1 FS products are sold as "SHC-Synthese-Technologie™"
Did you look at the SDS? No on here (and really no one else) will be able to or will provide that to you. ExxonMobil does not outwardly disclose the base stock composition of their products. They are, however, one of the most transparent about which approvals a product has or does not have.
The oil carries the approvals, licenses and ACEA sequences that are listed on the container. A fully-formulated motor oil isn’t defined by one attribute. As much as you seem to wish to do so there’s no real indication that this oil is any better, or worse than the Ravenol product.
Patman
Staff member
Another reason why manufacturers don’t disclose the makeup of their base oils is because they are often changing them from one batch to another. So even if you did find out what a particular oil was made up of today, doesn’t mean that it will be the same way the next time you buy it. You just need to trust that if an oil has a good amount of manufacturers approvals on it that they know what they’re doing and you will continue to get a quality product.
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