ILSAC GF-8 engine oil development teams are continuing work on the next passenger car engine oil category for North America, with a target market introduction in the third quarter of 2028. However, that timeline depends on continued progress across several critical engine tests.
Those tests include a new test under development to replace the Sequence VH test for sludge control, as well as two existing fuel economy tests – the Sequence VIE and Sequence VIF – that a technical panel is working to extend and improve.
The American Petroleum Institute, which is helping administer the GF-8 development effort, said last month that teams have made good progress but emphasized that additional work remains. The timing of commercial introduction, the institute noted, depends on the successful completion of these testing initiatives.
“Collectively, these efforts demonstrate steady movement toward the launch of ILSAC GF-8, with technical progress continuing to shape the category’s final timing and requirements,” the Washington, D.C.-based association said Jan. 8.
Work on GF-8 began 11 months ago when ILSAC—the International Lubricants Standardization and Advisory Committee representing U.S. and Japanese automakers selling vehicles in North America—formally requested that the lubricant and chemical additive industries develop a replacement for ILSAC GF-7. That request specified that the new engine oil specification be ready for first licensing by the third quarter of 2028.
Automakers outlined a substantial list of performance objectives for the GF-8 category, including the replacement of the Sequence VH test with a method that more accurately measures an engine oil’s ability to prevent sludge and deposit formation. The proposed replacement test has been drafted, and test laboratories are currently running evaluations to verify its performance.
The original request also called for replacements for the Sequence VIE and VIF fuel economy tests, citing concerns that testing laboratories could eventually exhaust available hardware. Since then, the task force assigned to that issue has “made notable strides” in extending the life of the existing tests while also identifying opportunities to improve their precision, according to API.
The institute said ILSAC has accepted several of the task force’s recommendations, though additional refinement and validation work will be required before final approval.