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Prices may varyThis product ranks #3 of 24 in Motor Oil.
Last reviewed May 25, 2026
TL;DR API CK-4 plus ACEA E9, with Cummins CES 20081, MB 228.31, Volvo VDS-4, Ford WSS-M2C171-E, Caterpillar ECF-3, and JASO DH-2/MA/MA2 · broad heavy-duty diesel coverage plus credible wet-clutch motorcycle compatibility. Shell publishes no mileage drain claim; the spec is "follow the OEM interval." California Proposition 65 warning applies for trace benzene in the petroleum base stock.
A full-synthetic heavy-duty diesel oil on a Group III hydroisomerized base stock with a low-SAPS additive package compatible with diesel particulate filters. API CK-4 with backwards compatibility to earlier diesel categories; ACEA E9; JASO DH-2/MA/MA2. Drain intervals follow OEM specification. Shell's TDS lists KV100 = 14.2 cSt (mid-range SAE 40).
Best for diesel-pickup owners (Duramax, Power Stroke, Cummins) and commercial diesel applications specifying API CK-4. JASO MA/MA2 makes it a credible 5W-40 option for wet-clutch motorcycles. Skip it for gasoline-only passenger cars that specify API SP + ILSAC GF-6A/GF-7A; the TDS lists API SM gasoline-side, superseded for modern GDI engines. Confirm Shell's current approval list before relying on it for warranty documentation.
SDS §2 is explicitly unclassified · no signal word, no pictograms, no health H-codes at mixture level · reflecting the highly refined base stock (DMSO-extract <3% per IP346). H304 aspiration does not apply: KV40 sits well above the 20.5 mm²/s CLP exemption threshold. SDS §15 carries the California Proposition 65 warning for trace benzene (0.0002%). SDS §12 affirmatively classifies the mixture as practically non-toxic to fish, daphnia, and algae. The SDS on file was last revised in 2018 · 7 years old; the H-codes here reflect that revision and may not capture additive changes since. Used oil goes to a collection facility, not down the drain or on the ground.
Yes · by industry convention. Shell's Technical Data Sheet markets Rotella T6 as full synthetic; the SDS §3 chemistry description ('highly refined mineral oils') reflects the post-1999 SAE/NAD ruling that Group III hydroisomerized base oils may be marketed as 'synthetic' in North America. The base stock is hydrocracked Group III, not Group II conventional. This is the same naming convention every Group III·based North American 'synthetic' uses, including Mobil 1 (in some grades), Pennzoil Platinum, and Castrol Edge.
Shell's Technical Data Sheet documents API CJ-4 backwards-compatible (CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4) plus API SM gasoline-side; ACEA E9; Caterpillar ECF-3/ECF-2; Cummins CES 20081; Detroit Diesel 93K218; Ford WSS-M2C171-E; JASO DH-2 (diesel) and MA/MA2 (motorcycle wet-clutch); Mack EO-O Premium Plus; MB-Approval 228.31; and Volvo VDS-4. The current the product listing further claims API CK-4 (which superseded CJ-4 in December 2016) plus expanded approvals (Cummins CES 20086, Allison TES 439, MAN M3575, Volvo VDS-4.5). Confirm the exact approval list for your engine manufacturer on Shell's current published TDS before relying on it for warranty documentation.
The TDS-documented JASO MA/MA2 certifications mean the formulation meets the wet-clutch friction requirements for motorcycle applications. JASO MA2 is the higher-friction tier suitable for sport motorcycles; JASO MA is appropriate for many cruisers and touring bikes. Verify your motorcycle's owner-manual viscosity and JASO requirement · many bikes spec 10W-40 rather than 5W-40, and viscosity matters for wet-clutch behavior.
Shell does not stamp a specific mileage drain interval on the bottle · Rotella T6 follows the OEM service interval for your engine. Diesel-pickup community UOA discussion on Bob Is The Oil Guy (BITOG) generally supports the OEM-recommended interval (Duramax 7,500·10,000 mi; Power Stroke 10,000·15,000 mi; Cummins 15,000+ mi) with adequate TBN retention. Long-haul commercial fleets routinely extend to 25,000+ miles with formal UOA monitoring. Two independently sourced UOA reports would be needed to credit a score above 6 on drain-interval performance · community-consensus references alone do not.
SDS §15 carries the California Proposition 65 warning verbatim: 'This product can expose you to chemicals including benzene, which is/are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.' Benzene appears at trace levels (0.0002% per SDS §15 Clean Water Act table) as an impurity in the petroleum base stock · common across nearly every motor oil derived from crude-oil refining. The exposure scenario during a routine oil change is materially below the occupational benzene exposures that drove the listing.
Marketing copy from Shell, via Amazon. Not editorial.
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