Oil 101: Motor Oil Trends for Passenger Cars

In previous segments of our Oil 101 blogs, we went over the basics of oil, from the essential functions right down to the chemistry behind it. In this segment, we are going to focus more specifically on oil designed for passenger vehicles.

If you’ve ever browsed through our Gregg’s catalogue you would have noticed all the varieties and combinations of different motor oils we carry, which can seem pretty endless. If you need to take some time and go back to review the previous installments, you can look through all our Propel Oil 101 blogs as well as watch their corresponding YouTube videos!

What’s Considered a Passenger Car?

A passenger car is a vehicle designed for use on highways and streets and seats no more than a single driver and eight passengers. Essentially any small car, truck, or van is considered a passenger vehicle. It's important to keep in mind that the average commuter car is much different than a heavy-duty (HD) truck, right down to the motor oils they require. The volume of the required motor oil for HD engines is significantly larger than that required for passenger car engines. HD engines are usually designed to be lubricated with a 15W40, 10W30, or, in rarer cases, a 5W40 oil. While modern passenger cars usually need a 5W30, 5W20, or 0W20 oil. Check out the first blog in our Propel Oil 101 series if you want learn more about the different weights of oils.

Motor Oil Through the Years:

Passenger car oil hasn’t always been the motor oil we know it as today. Let’s go over a quick timeline to catch us up to speed.

1900 – 1930’s

From 1900 to 1930, straight mineral oil was used as a lubricant, which if you remember, is a single grade oil meaning that people with vehicles had to change the oil “weight” seasonally. Speaking of weight, cars around this time weighed an average of 2,200 lbs. with 4 cylinders and speeds up to 100km/h (62 mph). Talk about serious speed back in the day! The average recommended oil change interval was only every 1,000 miles, as conventional oils that are single weight break down much faster. And in the year 1900, only about 4,200 cars were sold in the United States. However, by 1930 there were 35 million cars in service! Also, in the 1930’s, ZDDP, Pour Point Depressants, Antioxidants, and Corrosion Inhibitors were introduced as new engines became influenced by the need for more power.  

1940 – 1960’s

In the 1940’s through to the early 1960’s, there was an ever-growing demand for engine oils, which was met with new and improved additives. New engine designs, like the V-8, had more power and speed and new luxury features like air conditioning and automatic transmissions. That meant that more people started driving longer distances. Oil consumption and quality were up and so was the recommended oil change interval, which hit about once every 4,000 miles (or for us Canadians, that was once every 6,500 km). In the 1950’s, there were over 40 million registered cars out on the road.

1960 – 1980’s

Throughout the 1960’s to 1980’s demands on engine oil continued to increase. Original equipment manufacturers developed a new multi-cylinder engine test referred to as “Sequence” tests to better assess an oil’s performance. Oils that were required to protect against short trip sludge and high-temperature oxidation were introduced, along with unleaded fuel and catalytic converters. Even better yet, almost 90% of all engines built in the late 1960s were V-8s, now that’s some horsepower! The recommended oil change interval jumped to about once every 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and by 1988 there were over 122 million cars out on the roads.

1990 – 2000’s

From the hair band 80’s into the ’90s and early 2000’s, the focus of engine oil took a hard shift towards increased fuel efficiency and lower environmental impacts. During these times we see engine oils move to lower ZDDP levels, lower viscosity for fuel economy, and an increase in friction modifiers. And today there are an estimated 35 million cars registered in Canada alone. Now that’s a lot of cars that require a lot of oil.

Our Propel Motor Oil Line

Here at Gregg’s, we carry a line of passenger car motor oils from Propel Lubricants!

Semi-Synthetic motor oil

First up is Propel’s line of Semi-Synthetic motor oil. This semi-synthetic oil is formulated to provide some of the best engine protection under all operating conditions. With a blend of high-quality base stocks and premium additives, you are guaranteed to received protection at an affordable price. This motor oil not only reduces friction it also resists thermal breakdown and reduces deposit formations better than conventional oils. These semi-synthetic motor oils are available in SAE 30W, 10W30, 10W40, 5W20, and 5W30. We even offer a variety of package sizes for both at-home use and commercial.

Full Synthetic motor oil

Next is Propel’s line of Full Synthetic motor oil. Propel’s full synthetic motor oils boast the title as their purest most advanced oil formulations. Not only does this motor oil improve fuel mileage, but it also provides longer and better engine protection due to its strong and uniform synthetic base oils and advanced molecules. This motor oil is best suited for the extreme hot and cold driving conditions you can be sure to encounter here in Canada. Propel’s full synthetic 0w20 and 5w30 oils are also Dexos I Gen 2 approved and they meet or exceed industry standards requirements. The Propel full synthetic motor oils are available in SAE 0W16, 0W20, 5W20, and 5W30, and just like the semi-synthetic oil, we offer a variety of packaging sizes.

Full Synthetic Euro motor oil

And finally, Propel also offers a Full Synthetic Euro motor oil. European vehicles require specialized oil as the EU places harsher restrictions on vehicle emissions, therefore resulting in engines that are more environmentally conscious. Propel’s Euro full synthetic motor oil features many of the same specs as the full synthetic oils previously mentioned. However, it has been specially formulated for both gasoline and diesel-fueled European cars, including those with turbocharged engines. That means that you’ll get longer, better engine protection, and improved fuel mileage especially in higher RPM and turbocharged engines. Propel’s Euro Full Synthetic motor oil is only available in SAE 5W40, however, just like with the previously mentioned motor oils, we have various package sizes available.

Indicators of the Motor Oil Quality

API (American Petroleum Institute) and ILSAC (International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee) designations are true indicators of the quality of the product in the bottle. The updated tests required to achieve these designations are in line with advancements in engine technology, which continue to drive a shift towards lightweight oils and higher demands for increased fuel efficiency. The recently updated ILSAC GF6A16B specifications address demands for increased fuel efficiency, low-speed pre-ignition protection (LSPI), improved cam chain wear performance, and improved deposit protection, just to name a few.

As performance requirements continue to evolve, Propel Lubricants remains committed to ensuring all products continue to meet or exceed current performance demands. If you want to know more about Propel’s specifications take a look at our Propel brochure! There you can ensure your OEM requirements are covered by Propel’s product offering. It should also be noted that only API Group 2 and Group 3 virgin base stocks are used for the blending of Propel’s passenger car motor oils. When you start with quality building blocks, the end result is a product line you can put your trust into.

Next time on Gear Up with Gregg’s Propel Oil 101, we’ll cover how Heavy-Duty and Industrial oil has changed over time. You’ll get to see even more of what Propel Lubricants has to offer! If you’ve liked what you’ve learned so far, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel? You can find the video that goes along with this blog on there! If you have any questions, you can give us a call! See you in our next Propel Oil 101 blog!

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