Originally Posted By: MateoTorgy
In the spirit of BITOG, I'll be argumentative, priggish, and hypertechnical, and say that "suitable," an adjective meaning "right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation," does in fact mean it is "approved."
It's not the same thing at all. Reputable oil companies, Red Line included, make that distinction. Approved means the tests have been conducted by whomever wrote the spec designates as appropriate, that the results have been presented to required parties, that licensing fees, if any, have been paid, and so forth.
In other words, to be approved, you follow the requirements of the specification to the letter, including the administrative side. Suitable for is not the same thing, and is often very useful, particularly when speaking of expired or obsolete specifications, or, indeed, simply meeting a spec without paying fees or undergoing all the testing.
And, there is nothing wrong with Red Line. The lubes just aren't approved. They claim they're suitable. You trust them or you do not. I have a fair bit of trust in Red Line. Mobil claims that Mobil Delvac Elite 222 0w-30 is suitable for CJ-4, but has no certifications. I'd tend to believe them. Now, if it's something I bought off a pier in an unlabeled pail, or from City Star, that's another matter.
That's the reason formal approvals exist, so you don't have to pick and choose who to trust all the time.
