Recommendations for 500 ppm Sulphur in Gasoline
- Thread starter BigTimeTA
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JHZR2
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I’d look for an older style add pack with a high TBN. What application/location? 500ppm is pretty high, is that a max spec or an actual measured valuation?
It's a maximum value I guess. Would Mobil 1 Full Synthetic xW/40 be a good replacement for ILSAC certified oils? Even though it lacks ILSAC?
Egypt is where we are about. Sulfur here is not strictly regulated as in EU.
JHZR2
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Honestly I’d probably try to loook for an hdeo oriented towards higher tbn.
Some euro cars had restrictions on oil selection due to us gasoline sulfur content. I tried some of the euro oils in our gas vw and observed poor TBN retention.
Some euro cars had restrictions on oil selection due to us gasoline sulfur content. I tried some of the euro oils in our gas vw and observed poor TBN retention.
Use a high TBN oil such as an A3/B4 or a HDEO and change frequently, no need to overthink it.
Back when Australia had 500 ppm sulphur fuel, most people were running 20W50 and changing the oil every 10,000 km (6000 miles) at a maximum. With 8,000 km (5000 miles) being more reasonable.
So you want high TBN (total base number) to counter the acid build up from the sulphur. All Euro ACEA A3/B4 oils are required to have a TBN of 10 or more. So a synthetic 0W40 or 5W40 A3/B4 oil like Mobil 1, Castrol Edge, Shell Helix Ultra would be a good choice.
Another good choice would be a mixed fleet (for both gas/petrol and Diesel engines) HDEO 15W40 mineral with API CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, CK-4. The CK is more modern, but the older CI oils were made for the old high sulphur fuel days. The similar Euro HDEO oils would be ACEA E4 or E7 for high TBN. Common names would be Delo, Delvac, Rotella/Rimula.
High TBN oils also tend to be high ash (SA%) oils. As TBN (and ZDDP) contributes to ash levels.
So you want high TBN (total base number) to counter the acid build up from the sulphur. All Euro ACEA A3/B4 oils are required to have a TBN of 10 or more. So a synthetic 0W40 or 5W40 A3/B4 oil like Mobil 1, Castrol Edge, Shell Helix Ultra would be a good choice.
Another good choice would be a mixed fleet (for both gas/petrol and Diesel engines) HDEO 15W40 mineral with API CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, CK-4. The CK is more modern, but the older CI oils were made for the old high sulphur fuel days. The similar Euro HDEO oils would be ACEA E4 or E7 for high TBN. Common names would be Delo, Delvac, Rotella/Rimula.
High TBN oils also tend to be high ash (SA%) oils. As TBN (and ZDDP) contributes to ash levels.
Looking around the Egypt web site for Shell oil, you have a few options
Shell Helix HX8 5W40 synthetic is rated API SN (American) and ACEA A3/B4 (European) so that would have a high TBN (>10) due to its Euro rating.
Also Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 is SN and A3/B4, its called Pennzoil Platinum Euro in the USA.
From the Castrol Egypt web site, you have
Castrol Magnatec Dualock 10W40 which is SN and A3/B4, a semi-synthetic.
You also have Castrol Edge 5W40 SN and A3/B4 full synthetic.
Any of the 4 oils listed above would do me.
I'm assuming you are from Egypt, due to your details. It appears your market has a lot of conventional oils 15W50 or 20W50, that are only rated API SL. I would avoid these SL only rated oils.
Shell Helix HX8 5W40 synthetic is rated API SN (American) and ACEA A3/B4 (European) so that would have a high TBN (>10) due to its Euro rating.
Also Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 is SN and A3/B4, its called Pennzoil Platinum Euro in the USA.
From the Castrol Egypt web site, you have
Castrol Magnatec Dualock 10W40 which is SN and A3/B4, a semi-synthetic.
You also have Castrol Edge 5W40 SN and A3/B4 full synthetic.
Any of the 4 oils listed above would do me.
I'm assuming you are from Egypt, due to your details. It appears your market has a lot of conventional oils 15W50 or 20W50, that are only rated API SL. I would avoid these SL only rated oils.
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Thanks a lot. Euro specced oils are going to be a better fit for my application, but will I'll do more harm than good to bypass ILSAC specification for more TBN?
I understand that specifications generally are just a game of managing different engine oil performance parameters. Yet, am I gonna lose something valuble an ACEA specced oil is short of offering ?
quick answer: not with the oils recommended.
You will be fine with ACEA European spec oils, they are generally considered to be a higher quality standard than ILSAC oils. The ILSAC oils are focused on fuel economy, while the ACEA A3/B4 oils are focused on wear protection (high HTHS) and long life (high TBN).
Some of the oils I suggested above, like the Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 also carry OEM spec like MB 229.5 and Porsche A40. These are some of the most rigorous oils standards in the world. I will take Porsche A40 over ILSAC any day of the week.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Lol!
It's a Mazda 3 2013, 2.3 Turbocharged. I decided to go for FS xW/40 given the high mileage, need for higher TBN and better overall wear additives package. The car runs perfectly fine though. I would like to keep it on the road for long and was looking for a better oil that suits my application better given the high Sulfur ppm in our gasoline.
Actually I'm waiting for a HUGELY gained benefit from knowing the make and model that would affect this critical decision of choosing an oil that's no longer a mystery and something else the good guys above have not already mentioned.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Just joking with you. But actually, the appropriate oils for high sulfur fuel might not be so good for an engine prone to LSPI. Hence, my curiosity.
I just noticed thanks to you that FS xW/40 doesn't offer SN+/SP. Well, we need to balance out two polar demands of High TBN and LSPI problem. Do you think that FS xW/40 address LSPI as stated in the Mobil 1 website (suitable for turbocharged engines). Is that a guarantee like SN+?
The last I known Mobil 1 full saps euro oil still had a crap ton of calcium and is not rated SN+ nor SP.
Can you get Shell Helix 5W40 or 0W40?
Can you get Shell Helix 5W40 or 0W40?
Where do you get 500 ppm sulphur fuel? North America is 50 max,Europe and Australia are less I think.
OP is in Egypt
While Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 is not a high mileage oil (not knowing what you consider "high mileage"), and relatively thin for a 40 weight given it's 12.9 cSt @ 100°C, it is useable. But I would not extend your oil changes, even with a TBN of 12.6. If you don't do a lot of idling, 10,000 km would be a relatively decent interval. If you do a lot of idling, then I would stick to 5,000 km tops.
Even more important than the oil, considering where you are, will be your air filter. Do NOT blow out your air filter with compressed air; this does much more harm than good. Replace your air filter with an OE Mazda filter every 10,000 km at most and do not tamper with it until it is time to change.
With that being said, my suggestion would be to use an affordable conventional HDEO and stick to 2,500 km oil changes with a filter change every 10,000 km. Can you get Shell Rimula R4 X 15w40?
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