"SAE" is the abbreviation of "Society of Automotive Engineers". This society of engineers of the American automobile industry presents an independent association taking responsibility for the standardization and classification in the American automobil construction. Among other things, the "SAE" also has taken over to lay down the car motor oils and gear oils into viscosity grade worldwide.
The SAE viscosity grade are only a measure for the viscosity of the lubricant oils and do not give any statement about the quality and compounds of the motor and gear oils.
There are the following viscosity grades:
Viscosity grade |
Field of application relating to climatic zone or season |
Field of application relating to approx. outdoor temperatures |
SAE 0W |
Winter oil |
below -35°C |
SAE 5W |
Winter oil |
below -30°C |
SAE 10W |
Winter oil |
0 to -20°C |
SAE 15W |
Winter oil |
-15 to +20°C |
SAE 20W-20 |
Winter Ð summer oil, acc. to climatic zone |
-10 to +20°C |
SAE 25 |
Winter oil in climatic mild zones |
0 to +30°C |
SAE 30 |
Summer oil |
0 to +30°C |
SAE 40 |
Summer oil, application in southern countries |
+15 to +40°C |
SAE 50 |
Summer oil, application in tropical countries |
above +40°C |
Viscosity grade |
Field of application relating to climatic zone or season |
Field of application relating to approx. outdoor temperatures |
SAE 0W/30 |
All-season oil |
below -30 to +30°C |
SAE 0W/40 |
All-season oil |
below -30 to +40°C |
SAE 5W-30 |
All-season oil |
below -20 to +20°C |
SAE 5W-40/50 |
All-season oil |
below -20 to +40°C |
SAE 10W-30 |
All-season oil |
-20 to +20°C |
SAE 10W-40/50 |
All-season oil |
-20 to +40°C |
SAE 15W-40/15W50 |
All-season oil |
-15 to +40°C |
SAE 20W-50 |
All-season oil |
-10 to +40°C |
Viscosity grade |
Field of application relating to climatic zone or season |
SAE 70W |
Special oil for Nordic countries |
SAE 75W |
Winter oil |
SAE 80W |
Winter oil |
SAE 90 |
Summer oil |
SAE 140 |
Summer oil for special application |
Viscosity grade |
Field of application relating to climatic zone or season |
SAE 75W-90 |
All-season oil |
SAE 75W-140 |
All-season oil |
SAE 80W-90 |
All-season oil |
SAE 85W-140 |
All-season oil/summer oil |
Remark:
At car gear oils the choice of SAE classe is rarely choosen according to the climatic zone or outdoor temperatures but according to the method of gears, for instance gearbox, driving axle, outer planet axle etc.
Therefore, the service instructions have to be kept strictly.
Single grade oils are designed for only one SAE field. Multigrade oils contain several SAE fields.
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