ACEA A3/B3-16
ACEA A3/B3 oils are Mainline lubricants. They are designed for general usage use in a wide range of gasoline and light duty diesel engines. ACEA A3/B3 oils are typically used in older vehicles as they do not provide the minimum performance demanded by the latest OEM specifications.
ACEA A3/B3 oils are seen in a wide range of viscosity grades. The most common being:
- SAE 10W-40 based on a mix of API Group I and Group III.
- SAE 15W-40 based on API Group I base oils.
The main physical and chemical requirements for ACEA A3/B3 are shown below:
| Requirement | Method | Unit | Limit |
| HTHS viscosity | CEC L-36-A-90 | cP | ≥ 3.5 |
| Sulphated Ash | ASTM D874 | %wt | ≤ 0.9 and ≤ 1.5 |
| Phosphorus | ASTM D5185 | %wt | Report |
| Sulphur | ASTM D5185 | %wt | Report |
| Evaporation loss (NOACK) | CEC L-40-A-93 | % | ≤ 13 |
| Total Base Number | ASTM D2896 | mgKOH/g | ≥ 8.0 |
Prior to ACEA 2010, the minimum performance level required by many OEM specifications was above the performance of ACEA A3/B3 as many OEMs require a measure of direct injection diesel engine protection and specified ACEA A3/B4 to achieve this.
ACEA A3/B3 was first introduced into the ACEA Oil Sequences in 2004, however, it is based upon the original ACEA A3 and ACEA B3 sequences that were introduced in 1996.
For ACEA 2016 a number of changes to the requirements for ACEA A3/B3 have been made which fundamentally change the performance required to meet ACEA A3/B3-16. These changes include the CEC L-109 Biodiesel Oxidation Test, as a replacement for the CEC GFC-LU-43A-11. The inclusion of the new DV6 engine test, as a replacement for the DV4 test along with the PSA EP6 engine test highlights the increased piston cleanliness and soot handling requirements of ACEA 2016.
The changes for ACEA 2016 are summarised below:
| Test | Change for ACEA 2016 |
| CEC L-112 | New seals materials for oil elastomer compatibility |
| CEC L-109 | Biodiesel Oxidation test added to replace GFC-LU-43A-11. |
| CEC L-106 | DV6 Oil dispersion at medium temperature now compulsory, replaced DV4. |
| CEC L-111-16 | PSA EP6 piston cleanliness test added |
| CEC L038-94 | TU3M scuffing test removed |
| CEC L-088-02 | TU5JP-L4 high temperature deposits test removed |
| Daimler M271 Evo | Black Sludge test added (required once available) |
For a deeper dive into specifications, see the Lubrizol Ready Reference Guide, the industry's go-to resource for understanding fuel and lubricant performance principles and requirements.