Motor oils with DPF/FAP/GPF

Particulate filters marked as DPF and FAP form part of Diesel engine cars for good. They have recently been used also in modern petrol motors (referred to as GPF). This is required owing to increasingly severe exhaust fume emission standards.

A particulate filter is a device forming part of the exhaust system. It has the form of a spatial structure of sieves with a large surface area of walls (resembling honey combs a bit) which stop soot particles flowing through it. Walls of the channels are porous, thanks to which particular gases and particles can freely penetrate. The soot that settles down on the walls is burnt and transformed into carbon dioxide and water. It is the temperature which should be maximally high that is crucial in the context of effective combustion of soot. For that purpose, it is necessary to increase the dose of fuel which, burnt outside the combustion chamber, will considerably raise the exhaust fume temperature and this in turn will increase the temperature of DPF and in consequence the soot will be ignited. It is advisable to move with appropriate speed on the road to make this process take place as effectively as possible. Unfortunately, it is not always possible and sometimes the computer may launch the combustion procedure after coming to a standstill. This often ends with imprecise combustion - removal of the soot from the filter. Therefore, in the case of cars equipped in DPF, it is recommended to travel by the car from time to time along a transit road, by-pass road or express road to achieve the appropriate temperature of work of the filter to remove - burn the soot.

Each engine during normal work burns some small amount of oil. Part of the oil also evaporates from the combustion chamber. It is a natural consequence of the construction of piston engines. This unfortunately leads to penetration of oil and performance additives contained in oil to exhaust fumes and to their emission into the atmosphere. Phosphorus, sulphur, limestone and zinc combustion products are in fact ashes which settle down in the particulate filters. It is very hard to burn them and they block the porous structure, decreasing the filter life.

Thus, reduction of ashy additive content in oils is crucial to ensure long-term work of the particulate filter. As a matter of fact Low-SAPS oils have been created especially for this purpose with a new package of performance additives, ensuring appropriate lubrication parameters such as “normal” oils.

The Low SAPS oils ensure a set of performance additives other than the ordinary ones. They contain a reduced number of such elements as calcium, sulphur, phosphorus and zinc. The “normal” oil compared with the Low SAPS oil shortens the DPF life by more than a half!

The Low SAPS oils are divided into classes. The ACEA divided them into 5 groups: from ACEA C1 to C5. Each of them means the difference in the number of these harmful compounds, as well as impact of oil on fuel consumption. However, first of all, this resulted from different requirements on the part of car construction engineers. The higher digit in the specification code does not unequivocally mean higher quality but it simply means different technical requirements.

ACEA C1 - light oil - considerable impact on fuel savings > 3%, very low SAPS elements content (considerably lengthens life of DPFs and catalytic converters), oil intended for medium mileage, oils on special, synthetic bases. It may not be proper for some types of engines. Recommended by FORD, MAZDA, Jaguar, Land Rover for some Diesel motors.

ACEA C2 - light oil - considerable impact on fuel savings > 2.5%, medium SAPS elements content (lengthens life of DPFs and catalytic converters), oil intended for longer mileage, oils on special, synthetic bases. It may not be proper for some types of engines. Recommended by PEUGEOT, CITROEN, TOYOTA and FIAT for Diesel engines.

ACEA C3 - oil with inconsiderable impact on fuel savings > 1% for xW30 class oil, medium SAPS elements content (lengthens life of DPFs and catalytic converters), oil intended for longer mileage, oils on special, synthetic bases. Proper for the majority of types of engines of the most popular makes: BMW, VW, MB, GM, TOYOTA, HYUNDAI-KIA, FIAT for petrol engines.

ACEA C4 - oil with inconsiderable impact on fuel savings > 1% for xW30 class oil, very low SAPS elements content (considerably lengthens life especially of DPFs) but with an increased amount of phosphorus, oil intended for longer mileage, oils on special, synthetic bases. Proper for the majority of types of Diesel engines. The highest requirements concerning sediments in the engine and anti-wear properties. Recommended for Diesel RENAULT and NISSAN engines.

ACEA C5 – very light oil with reduced viscosity HTHS ensuring considerable fuel savings at the level of > 3%. Most frequently met in xW-20 viscosity levels or lower with medium SAPS elements content. Oil intended for longer mileage, on special, synthetic bases. Systematically introduced to the most modern Diesel, petrol and hybrid engines EURO 6d VW, PORSCHE, BMW, MB, PEUGEOT, CITROEN, LAND ROVER, OPEL, FORD, VOLVO. Owing to very low viscosity levels, they are not fit for use in older motors!

“There is a great number of specifications and type-approvals for Low SAPS oils. In the warranty period, we have nothing to choose from and we must use oils with the appropriate specifications or type-approvals stated in the instruction manual of our vehicle. It is also recommended to use a product that meets the relevant specifications or type-approvals of the manufacturer after the period of warranty. In the case of top-ups or breakdowns when we must fill oil as soon as possible but we do not have the oil advised by the construction engineer at hand, I recommend using the most universal and available on the market class i.e. ACEA C3. If we top up oil with specifications other than the ones recommended by the manufacturer of our vehicle, then it is necessary to considerably shorten the current oil interval - even by a half - and replace the lubricant earlier with the proper one. The TotalEnergies offer includes a whole line of Low SAPS oils – Quartz Ineo, which are applicable to most of the contemporary cars equipped with the particulate filters – advises Andrzej Husiatyński, Technical Department Manager at TotalEnergies.

TotalEnergies Marketing Polska has been present in Poland since 1992 and has an established position on the market of motor oils. It offers products of two well-known brands: TotalEnergies and Elf. The company has also been rapidly developing the sale of asphalts and has been present on the market of industrial special fluids since 2008. In 2010, TotalEnergies Marketing Polska started imports and wholesale of fuels. In December 2014, the company launched its first petrol stations in Poland, thus entering the retail market. www.totalenergies.pl

The business segment TotalEnergies Marketing & Services offers to its professional and private customers a wide range of energy products and services - petroleum products, bio-fuels, charging electric vehicles and related services, gas for transport by road and sea - to support mobility thereof and to help them reduce the carbon footprint. Every day more than 8 million customers visit our 16 000 fuel stations all over the world. As number four in the world in the field of lubricants, we design and sell high-efficiency products for motorisation, industrial and maritime sectors. So as to respond to the needs of our B2B customers best, we implement our sales forces, our international logistics network and our diverse offer. We operate in 107 countries where 31 000 employees of ours are close to all our clients.

TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company that manufactures and sells energy in the global scale: crude oil and bio-fuels, natural gas and green gas, renewable energy sources and electric energy. 105 000 our staff members are involved in generation of the increasingly cheap, pure, reliable and available to the greatest possible number of people energy. Being active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies focuses its activities on sustainable development in all dimensions thereof, in particular in the area of its business projects and operations that shall contribute to increased quality of life of people all over the world.

Bartosz Cyran | bartosz.cyran@proautomotive.pl | +48 662 454 679

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