Motor Oil Changed In 2025 - Here's What You Need To Know

TL;DR

The new ILSAC GF7 motor oil standard replaces GF6 with tougher requirements across four key areas: LSPI protection, piston deposits, chain wear, and fuel economy.

Key Points

• 1.GF7 replaces GF6 as the new ILSAC motor oil standard in 2025. It introduces stricter requirements across four test categories — low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI), piston deposits, chain wear, and fuel economy — to better protect modern engines.
• 2.LSPI testing now includes used oil, not just new oil. A sequence 9 test on a 2L turbocharged GDI engine runs 170,000 ignition cycles per cylinder; a key SAE study showed most additive packages degraded and failed LSPI standards once used.
• 3.Piston deposit standards have tightened progressively from GF5 to GF7. The sequence 3H test runs a 3.6L V6 at 3,900 RPM and 151°C for 90 hours; the minimum deposit rating rose from 3.7 (GF5) to 4.2 (GF6) to 4.6 (GF7), with no stuck rings allowed.
• 4.Chain wear limits are stricter under GF7, reduced from 0.085% to 0.080% elongation. The sequence 10 test intentionally introduces soot via excessive blowby in a 216-hour run, simulating real-world soot contamination that causes timing chain elongation.
• 5.GF7 requires a 4.3% fuel economy improvement over a 20W30 baseline, up from 3.8% for GF6. Brands like Mobil 1 may not have changed formulations if their existing oils already exceeded GF6 requirements, but any GF7-labeled product is confirmed to meet the new tests.