Ceramic Protection Sized for Compact Diesel Cars, Crossovers & Light Vans

Important distinction: Cermax Ceramic Synthetic Motor Oil is formulated to meet API CK-4 heavy-duty diesel performance specifications. Many European diesels — especially VW/Audi TDI with DPF, newer BMW diesels, and Mercedes BlueTEC — require specific OEM low-SAPS specifications such as VW 504.00/507.00, MB 229.51/229.52, BMW Longlife-04, or ACEA C3. API CK-4 and ACEA C3 / VW 507.00 are not identical specifications — CK-4 is engineered primarily for heavy-duty diesel applications with broader ash tolerance, while the European specs target specific drain intervals and aftertreatment compatibility profiles on European emissions hardware. If your vehicle's owner's manual specifically requires VW 507.00 / MB 229.51 / BMW Longlife-04 or an ACEA C3 rating, call us at 239-344-9861 before ordering to discuss whether Cermax is appropriate for your specific drain strategy. Conservative approach for European TDI/diesel owners under warranty: run your OEM-spec low-SAPS oil on your manufacturer's intervals, and apply just the Cerma STM-3 Engine Treatment (the 2 oz bottle is compatible with your existing OEM-spec oil during the 1,500-mile break-in). You get the ceramic wear protection without disrupting your OEM oil specification compliance.

Yes — Cerma STM-3 Engine Treatment and Cermax oil are both compatible with all TDI engines regardless of emissions modification history. Whether your TDI was fixed under the emissions settlement (SCR system retrofit, software update), purchased pre-fix, or remains in its original configuration, the Cerma ceramic bonding reaction works the same way on the engine's internal ferrous surfaces. Cerma products are emissions-safe (DPF/DOC/SCR/EGR/DEF compatible), so they will not interfere with your SCR or DPF system in post-fix trucks. Two practical notes for TDI owners: (1) the 1,500-mile break-in period is especially important for short-trip TDI drivers — make sure you include some highway driving to reach full operating temperature and let the DPF regen complete naturally during the bonding period; (2) if your TDI had known issues before the fix (HPFP concerns, injector deposits), consider adding Cerma Diesel Fuel Treatment for fuel-side support alongside the engine treatment.

Cerma is a wear-protection and friction-reduction technology — it will not directly address DPF regeneration frequency, which is caused by duty cycle (short trips where exhaust temperature doesn't reach the 600°C+ needed for passive soot burn-off) and fuel quality more than by anything inside the engine oil system. That said, two indirect benefits can help: (1) a Cerma-treated engine runs modestly cooler internally under sustained load, which can slightly extend time between active regen cycles on freeway driving; (2) the 30,000-mile drain interval means less frequent oil-change-related soot disturbance in the DPF flow. If your primary issue is DPF clogging from chronic short-trip driving, the most effective fix is a weekly 30+ minute highway drive to let the DPF complete an active regen. Cerma is a complement to that habit, not a substitute.

Order the base Diesel Value Package (15W-40 or 10W-30, no Trans variant). The DSG is a dual-clutch transmission and uses specialized dual-clutch-specific fluid — it's not compatible with our Automatic Transmission Treatment (which is formulated for torque-converter automatics). Your engine and turbo still get full ceramic protection from the engine treatment and Cermax oil; only the DSG itself is outside scope. For DSG-specific care, stick to your factory-specified DSG fluid and service interval. This same guidance applies to any other dual-clutch-equipped 1.0–2.8L diesel (Mercedes 7G-DCT in some CDI variants, BMW DCT in some 2.0d performance variants).

Quick visual check inside the cabin: if there's a clutch pedal (3 pedals total), you have a manual — select Manual Trans variant. If there's no clutch pedal (2 pedals) and the shifter has typical P-R-N-D positions for a conventional automatic, you most likely have a torque-converter automatic — select Automatic Trans variant. If the shifter is a smaller "stumpy" paddle-style or electronic toggle, or if the vehicle is branded as having "DSG," "S-Tronic," "PDK," "7G-DCT," or similar — you have a dual-clutch (DCT) transmission, which is NOT compatible with our treatment. Check your window sticker or VIN decoder to confirm. VW/Audi TDI can come with either a 6-speed manual, a torque-converter automatic (Tiptronic on older models), or a DSG — pay attention to which one your car has before ordering. When in doubt, call 239-344-9861 with your year/make/model before selecting a Trans variant.

Yes. The 2014–2015 and 2017–2019 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel uses the 1.6L LH7 turbo-diesel engine, which takes approximately 5 quarts of oil. Select the Diesel Value Package with 5 quarts of Cermax in the viscosity your owner's manual specifies (typically a low-viscosity formulation for cold-start protection and fuel economy — check your manual). The Cruze Diesel pairs its engine with a 9-speed automatic (2017–2019) or 6-speed automatic (2014–2015) on the automatic variant, or a 6-speed manual. For the automatic — torque-converter, not dual-clutch — select one of the Automatic Trans variants. For the manual, select one of the Manual Trans variants. The Cruze Diesel is fully emissions-controlled (DPF/SCR/DEF) and Cerma products are compatible with all of that hardware.

Match your owner's manual specification exactly — this matters more on compact diesels than on heavy-duty applications because European OEMs engineer around specific viscosities with narrow tolerance. 10W-30 is typically the better choice for modern 1.0–2.8L European diesels with emphasis on fuel economy and cold-start behavior — VW/Audi 2.0 TDI (common TDI manuals may specify lower-viscosity grades depending on model year), BMW 2.0d, and Mercedes 2.1 CDI in moderate climates often call for equivalent low-viscosity grades. 15W-40 suits older diesels (2.8L Jeep CRD, 1.9L TDI PD-era), warmer-climate operation, and engines with higher mileage where slightly heavier film strength is preferred. Critical: if your owner's manual specifies a viscosity we don't offer (e.g., 0W-30, 5W-30 low-SAPS), or requires a strict European OEM approval (VW 507.00, MB 229.51), contact us at 239-344-9861 before ordering to confirm Cermax is appropriate for your specific vehicle.

Yes, with Cermax oil. Every modern 1.0–2.8L diesel is turbocharged — many with VGT (variable-geometry) turbos on European diesels — and Cermax Ceramic Synthetic Motor Oil carries built-in SiC protection for non-ferrous turbo components: aluminum housings, bronze bushings, compressor wheels, VGT vanes. The moment you switch to Cermax after the 1,500-mile break-in, your turbo begins receiving continuous non-ferrous ceramic protection with every oil change. This is why this package doesn't include a separate Turbo Nano Treatment the way our gas-engine racing packages do — the turbo protection is already present in the oil. If you have a higher-mileage compact diesel (150K+ miles) and want an extra layer of targeted turbo-bearing protection, you can add the standalone Cerma Turbo Nano Treatment (1 oz) to your order — apply at the same time as the engine treatment during break-in.