The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has regularly expressed a desire to promote the adoption of high quality lubricants in Asian markets. While much of the world waits on ILSAC GF-6, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), the Society of Engineers of Japan (JSAE), and the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) have been developing a new JASO standard to complement the ILSAC GF-6B specification.

JASO 0W-8 will allow for extra low viscosity engine oils such as SAE 0W-8. SAE 8 was specified by SAE J300 in January 2015. On the other hand, ILSAC GF-6B’s new Sequence VIF engine test will only evaluate fuel economy of SAE 0W-16 oils and is not applicable for SAE 0W-12 oils or below.

While providing an update on the status of JAMA’s Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) Working Group’s activities on automotive lubricants, at F+L Week 2018, Kazuo Yamamori, leader of the PCMO working group and chairman of the Engine Oil Sub-Committee of JASO, announced a target release date of April 2019 – ahead of the likely release date of ILSAC GF-6.  To achieve this date, development must be completed by October, says Yamamori.

A new fuel economy (FE) test requires proper FE evaluation, and durability type tests will be borrowed from ILSAC GF-6, he says. Though, Yamamori expressed concern over whether ILSAC GF-6 tests can satisfactorily bear SAE 0W-8. The new JASO FE test will be proposed for ILSAC GF-7B.

During his presentation, Yamamori also outlined the establishment of a new JASO Diesel PCMO Specification (DL-0) that will provide a good quality, reasonably priced, low viscosity (SAE 5W-30) engine oil option suitable for the light trucking engine market.