My owner’s manual states that my car requires API SG quality oil. Can I still use API SN quality?

Using motor oil that meets all automobile manufacturers’ warranty requirements is a key factor in developing repeat customers and safeguarding against unhappy customers with damaged engines. With all the changes in engine designs and oil formulations, determining which engine warranty requirements a given oil meets can be a frustrating experience.

The API engine oil classification system is divided into two major categories. The “S” category designates oils for gasoline passenger car engines, and the “C” category designates oils for diesel-powered commercial truck engines. The “S” series is composed of SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ, SL, SM and SN. SN oils provide higher levels of performance than all the other “S” oils. API Categories SA through SH are obsolete, and oils labelled SN can be used in their place.

All Ultra multigrade gasoline engine oils meet the highest API specification (API SN), these oils have been tested and proven to provide the optimum protection and performance for today’s modern engines.