With the introduction of the new FA-4 oil category, fleets, shops, and technicians may have to learn how to manage CJ-4, CK-4, and FA-4 oils in their shops. API offers the following suggestions to ensure the new oils are being installed as recommended:
- Engine Requirements – FA-4 oils may not be recommended for all new engines, so be sure to check with engine manufacturers to find out which engines are supposed to use FA-4 oil.
- Bulk Tanks – Replacing CJ-4 with CK-4 should be a simple transition because CK-4 is backward-compatible and an improvement over CJ-4. Oil change facilities and fleets should drain down their CJ-4 bulk tanks before adding the new CK-4 oil.
- Dispensing Oil – All dispensing equipment should be properly labeled with the product name, viscosity grade, and API standard to prevent misapplication.
- Education – Technicians should be made aware of the changes to the oil categories and the requirements for each.
