ACEA C4-16

ACEA C4 oils are Top Tier lower SAPS1 lubricants. They are designed for use in high performance gasoline and light duty diesel engines where advanced aftertreatment systems such as Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) and Three Way Catalysts (TWC) are used.

ACEA C4 oils are typically SAE 5W-30 based on API Group III base oils.

The main physical and chemical requirements for ACEA C4 are shown below:

Requirement Method Unit Limit
HTHS viscosity CEC L-36-A-90 cP ≥ 3.5
Sulphated Ash ASTM D874 %wt ≤ 0.5
Phosphorus ASTM D5185 %wt ≤ 0.09
Sulphur ASTM D5185 %wt ≤ 0.2
Evaporation loss (NOACK) CEC L-40-A-93 % ≤ 11
Total Base Number ASTM D2896 mgKOH/g ≥ 6.0

The high HTHS (≥3.5cP) and low sulphated ash (≤0.5%) required by ACEA C4 limits the number of additional performance claims that can be coupled with ACEA C4.

ACEA C4 is usually coupled with Renault RN0720.

Renault's RN0720 performance specification builds on top of an ACEA C4 baseline with additional performance requirements in areas such as detergency, oxidation and durability.

Note 1 : SAPS refers to Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur, the levels of which are often restricted in the latest performance specifications.

ACEA C4 was first introduced into the ACEA Oil Sequences in 2007 and has seen significant changes in the ACEA 2016 update. The inclusion of the new OM646LA BIO engine test and CEC L-109 Biodiesel Oxidation Test shows the increasing importance of biodiesel in the marketplace. Additionally, 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)
CEC L-104-16 OM646LA BIO Effects of Biodiesel test added