Steve Haffner

SteveHaffner@lng.com

Recent Articles

GF-6 Timing Still Unresolved

GF-6 Timing Still Unresolved

While automakers are now pushing for an April 2020 debut of the ILSAC GF-6 passenger car motor oil classification, some …

Asia-Pacific Shifting Faster to Light Oils

Asia-Pacific Shifting Faster to Light Oils

The Asia-Pacific region will shift to lighter viscosity grade engine oils faster than the North American market did in t …

Shearly Staying in Grade

Shearly Staying in Grade

As engine oil viscosity trends downward, shear stability is more important than ever. Extending the use of one bench tes …

The Crowded World of Engine Oils

The Crowded World of Engine Oils

Engine oils used to have room to breathe on retail shelves, but the proliferation of subcategories and viscosities has b …

Progress on Tests, Test Limits for GF-6

Progress on Tests, Test Limits for GF-6

Work continues on a variety of tests, test parameters and engine and bench test limits necessary for completion of the I …

GF-6 Takes Major Step Forward

GF-6 Takes Major Step Forward

The Sequence IVB wear test was accepted into ILSAC GF-6 on May 10 despite lingering concerns about its validity. The act …

Running through the Cold

Running through the Cold

Gone are the frigid mornings of yore when engine oils were as sluggish as shivering drivers. But can the latest low-visc …

Provisional Licensing Invoked for CK-4, FA-4

Provisional Licensing Invoked for CK-4, FA-4

The American Petroleum Institute invoked provisional licensing last week for its two newest heavy-duty diesel engine oil …

Low-viscosity Engine Oils Gain Footing in North America

Low-viscosity Engine Oils Gain Footing in North America

Starburst or none, Toyota is recommending SAE 0W-16 for the 2018 Camry. Will others in the North American market follow …

Sequence IVB Test Suffers Setback

Sequence IVB Test Suffers Setback

The last engine test for ILSAC GF-6 failed this month to gain acceptance into the passenger car engine oil classificatio …

Toyota Recommends 0W-16s

Toyota Recommends 0W-16s

The next big, official push toward lower-viscosity passenger car motor oils in North America may still be several years …

Wear Test Gets Vote Despite Debate

Wear Test Gets Vote Despite Debate

The Sequence IVB engine test, the final test for the much-delayed ILSAC GF-6 engine oil category, cleared a major hurdle …

API Proposes SN Plus Delay

API Proposes SN Plus Delay

API staff members recommended last week that first licensing for the API SN Plus supplemental engine oil specification b …

ILSAC GF-6 Could Face More Delays

ILSAC GF-6 Could Face More Delays

A proposed engine test that is key to the ILSAC GF-6 engine oil specification is failing to discriminate between referen …

Asia Expected to Use SN Plus

Asia Expected to Use SN Plus

North America may be the home of API, but the organizations next engine oil category, API SN Plus, should also spread to …

Testing in Texas

Testing in Texas

The engine test labs at Intertek and Southwest Research Institute are inextricably intertwined with lubricant developmen …

SN Plus Date Still Up in the Air

SN Plus Date Still Up in the Air

The American Petroleum Institutes Lubricants Standards Group formally adopted API SN Plus last week but still has not se …

ASTM Passenger Car Panel Gets New Leader

ASTM Passenger Car Panel Gets New Leader

General Motors Angela Willis has succeeded Valvolines Thom Smith as chairman of the Passenger Car Engine Oil Classificat …