Do you have a universal 5W-30?

Engines are evolving. Each generation is smaller, cleaner and more durable. Add the after treatment system that modern engines sport and you can see that these engines need new types of oil to cover these diverse needs.

It’s, however, even more complicated. Car manufacturers create their own specifications, i.e. standards that an oil must meet in order to be suitable for their engines. The viscosity of an engine oil might be the same but the difference is in the additives. This means that an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) approved oil will often not be suitable for another brand. A “universal” 5W-30 is just not possible.

The good news

Do you need a separate oil for every brand then? Not necessarily. Official and international standard, such as ACEA or API, make up most of the OEM specification, with the addition of a few OEM specific tests. This means you can use some 5W-30 oils for other car brands.

Here’s an overview:

(Note: See individual product pages for more detailed Specification Levels and compatibility.)

Example: OEM SPECIFIC 5W30 LLIII meets VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz specifications

Our own Champion OEM SPECIFIC 5W30 LLIII has the VW 504 00/507 00 specification. But if you look at the Specification Level on the product page, you’ll see that you can also use it for engines where an ACEA C3 is prescribed.  It’s also a fit for BMW (Longlife-04), Mercedes-Benz (MB 229.51) and even when API SN is prescribed.

Mutual compatibility

The bottom line is: we cannot offer a universal 5W-30 because manufacturers have their own standards. However, some 5W-30s can be used to service multiple cars, so there is no need to buy a separate oil for every single brand.

Search for our 5W-30 oils on our website to see the Specification Levels for each product.

In short:

• Every manufacturer has its own engines with its own specifications.
• As a result, every engine needs its own specific 5W-30 oil.
• However, some 5W-30 oils can be used for multiple brands.