SAE Publishes Specs for New Low-Viscosity Motor Oil

SAE International has formally codified a new low-viscosity grade SAE 16 for vehicle engine oil.

The thinner oil is intended to help improve the efficiency of engines built specifically to tolerate it none of which has yet been introduced. SAE cautions that using the new lubricant in other engines could result in premature wear.

The specs for SAE 16 were approved by SAE's fuels and lubricants council last December. They describe a high-temperature oil with viscosity lower than SAE 20, the previous low end for "summer" oils. (A separate set of SAE viscosity standards covers low-temperature winter oils, which are denoted with a W, that range from 0W to 25W.)

The organization groups all its engine oil viscosity specs under SAE J300, which covers both low- and high-temperature engine oils including multi-grades such as 10W-30.