LEGISLATION
Making claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences
The Lubricant Marketer remains accountable for the lubricant supply chain, even when significant aspects are outsourced or contracted to other parties.
Claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences are self-certifying. This means that Lubricant Marketers must satisfy themselves that the development and production of finished lubricant has been carried out in compliance with the ATIEL Code of Practice and the provisions of the European Engine Lubricant Quality Management System, or EELQMS.
Claims against the ACEA engine oils sequences are also non-conditional. Products either meet the sequence claims or they do not. ACEA ‘approved’, ‘certified’ or ‘recommended’ are not valid ways of making an ACEA claim.
Partial claims are also not allowed. The ACEA Sequences state that ALL available tests must be passed in order to make a valid performance claim.
A claim such as ‘C2 (without fuel economy)’ is not valid against the ACEA C2 Category. A claim such as ‘C2 (without fuel economy)/C3’ is not a valid combined claim. There are also instances where the use of combined claims are technically impossible or highly unlikely, for example combining A3/B4 with C3 which are mutually exclusive due to the differing Sulphated ash limits.
Some OEMs require proof of ACEA performance as a prerequisite for claims made against their specifications. However, in these circumstances, it is not mandatory for an oil marketer to make an ACEA claim in addition to the OEM performance claim. Having an approval letter from an OEM that requires “demonstration of ACEA performance” is not suffcient to make performance claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences. If lubricant marketers choose to make an ACEA performance claim, they must follow the ATIEL Code of Practice which sets out the requirements for the development, production and, importantly, documentation of compliant engine lubricants.
Lubricant Marketers wishing to make claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences must ensure that their technology provider can support the claims being made and can provide evidence of performance test
62 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.186 APRIL 2025
data available within a Candidate Data Pack (CDP) to evidence that the necessary bench and physical testing required under the ACEA engine oil sequences, has been carried out on the technology to the required standard. The CDP should be made available to the marketer upon reasonable request.
Marketers remain fully liable for any claims made and so it is not suffcient to rely solely on additive companies who claim that ‘these performance profiles provide only an indication of the type of performance level desired and API/ACEA licensing and OEM approvals are not supported by this product’, or ‘ACEA claims are not supported through use of this additive technology’.
Lubricant Marketers looking to make performance claims against the ACEA engine oil sequences, must submit a signed Letter of Conformance to SAIL confirming that they have followed the requirements of EELQMS in the development and production of finished engine lubricants.
Submission of a Letter of Conformance (LoC) implies a commitment to develop and manufacture engine lubricants in accordance with the guidelines described in the EELQMS.
Registration allows signatories to benefit from competing in a market that has established high quality standards and ensured enhanced compliance: Only marketers signing the LoC can make product claims against the ACEA European Oil Sequences. LoC signatories receive a licence to use the EELQMS quality trademark on their product labels, documentation and other marketing materials. Regular independent quality surveys of products marketed by LoC registrants to strengthen the quality image and the credibility of the performance claims of signatories’ products.
The quality survey provides individual signatories with feedback on how their products perform. Signatories have privileged access to training and educational materials.
www.atiel.eu www.eelqms.eu
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