HOW TO DISTINGUISH QUALITY MOTOR OIL FROM FAKE
Motorists who carefully select consumables for their vehicle understand the importance of their quality. After all, it is the pledge of trouble-free operation, and mistaken once in the choice, you can cause irreparable damage to the most important elements of the chassis.
If you do not know how to distinguish counterfeit engine oil, the use of a liquid, reminiscent of its color and consistency, may end up in major repairs. Some experts argue that counterfeiting an expensive brand is simply not possible, because the cost of producing it would be prohibitive. Indeed, it is unrealistic to do this on an industrial scale, so abusers often produce an inconspicuous amount for the market, undercutting mid-range products.
The immediate task of this consumable is considered effective lubrication of all major engine components and reduction of friction between them.
MOTOR OIL AND Its DIFFERENCES To identify counterfeit motor oils, car owners should understand what they are and what types of these fluids exist. Motor oil is a complex mixture consisting of a base and a balanced set of substances that optimize it for certain engines. Types of oils Mineral or petroleum oils are mixtures characterized by high viscosity and are natural products of petroleum refining. They have a short service life and significant consumption, because they evaporate and oxidize quickly. This type is better suited for engines with a service life of more than 10 years.
Synthetic – oils of lower viscosity than the previous type. They are produced by chemical operations performed with petroleum products. Thus a high level of stability of operational properties is reached.
Semi-synthetic oils are mixtures of synthetic and mineral nature in a 30:50 or 50:70 ratio. They are used for modern engines with high mileage.
These tolerances for use for specific engine types are necessarily listed on the labels. They are written after the quality class and viscosity type. If this information is missing, it can only mean one thing: the mixture you are looking for is a counterfeit oil. It is known that use of low-quality consumables has such consequences, as fast wear or complete failure of the engine. Taking this into account, it is necessary to understand the ways that will tell you how to distinguish fake oil. The first way Since one of the main criteria, with which the examination of this mixture begins, is the viscosity, the impermissible consistency of the composition should alert the buyer at once. This indicates that the oil has reduced amounts of additives and thickeners.
Unfortunately, this flaw is not immediately noticeable, because at normal temperature it has a normal thickness. Deception is already detected during operation, when the engine is well warmed up, i.e. at high temperature. Second way Direct inspection of the label is considered quite simple, but very effective method of detecting faulty products. Particular attention should be paid to the date of manufacture. Available digital data indicate the number and time of manufacture, as well as the batch number.
All of the above information on the label and canister must match. If discrepancies are found, the buyer is in the hands of a fake and the probability of that is practically 99%. Third way Let’s say that a car owner wants to know if the selected Nissan 5w40 oil is fake or original. To do this, he should only familiarize himself with its oily properties. You can drop a few drops on your fingers, and then determine the structure and oiliness by touch.
Many experts recommend using a transparent container for this “home” testing, in which a little of the purchased product is poured. After 5-10 minutes in a dark place it is worth analyzing its structure: the consistency should be homogeneous, and there should be no signs of stratification with sediment in the form of dark particles. This indicates the high quality of the product, allowing it to serve the engine for more than a dozen years. Fourth way Paying attention to the color of the proposed product, you can prevent a rash purchase. Ideally, the engine oil should be amber in color. If its color is too dark, it is an indication of poor quality or violation of technological processes of processing. Video, how to distinguish fake oil:
The fifth way Checking the mixture for the quality of additives will allow you to know exactly how to distinguish engine oil from fake. Here you will need a sheet of paper, which is A4 size. Holding it at an inclination, a little bit of the product is poured out, so that it runs down and has time to absorb a little in the fibrous structure. If dark spots remain after such “passing”, then the buyer is expecting a lot of low-quality additives in the canister. The sixth way Of course the price is one of the evident ways to identify the defective product, and it does not apply only to the car oil. So, having come across a well-known branded product with a low price you should not rush to buy it. In most cases it is a high-quality counterfeit. The only way to prevent its purchase is to visit only the branded points of sale. Despite the fact that the price of the product is higher there, the buyer can be confident in the products purchased.
CONCLUSION Undoubtedly, high quality automotive oil is one of the fundamental factors of trouble-free engine operation. Its competent choice and the ability to distinguish counterfeit allows the owner of the vehicle not to worry about failures in the chassis for a long time. So it is like this. And on the last …
WARNING! FALSIFICATE! OR HOW NOT TO BUY AN ENGINE REPAIR WHEN CHOOSING AN OIL
Recently, the problem of counterfeit motor oil has become the most pressing. The shelves of small and even large stores are flooded with counterfeit products. Such outlets attract motorists with a very low price and additional services: free oil change, suspension diagnostics for purchase. In our article we will tell you how to buy real motor oil and avoid counterfeit products.
At first glance, it is very difficult to distinguish a fake canister from the real one. The counterfeit manufactures don’t let the global brands relax for a minute and constantly improve the quality of the packaging, making it as similar to the original as possible.
In this article we will tell you what you need to pay attention to when buying, and by way of example we will show how to distinguish counterfeit products from the real one, thus protecting you from unforeseen problems with your car as a result of buying counterfeit motor oil. Certainly, the most correct decision in such case is to buy oil in outlets of official dealers or, even better, distributors. But in our city there are not so much, except for the company “Sport Auto”, you can count a couple of those. The risk of buying fake oil in these stores tends to zero, since supplies are direct from the manufacturer and the seller is accountable for each unit sold.
DANGER OF FUCKED OILS Fake motor oils do not actually have even half of the properties of normal oils. Their disguise may be any substance that by consistency and color will not arouse suspicion in the buyer.
Buying a fake, you pour an incomprehensible substitute under the hood and, thinking that you have supplied your engine with an excellent product, drive it for many days or even months. At the same time you don’t even realize that your car, probably, has been running all this time without any lubrication at all. Most often the use of such surrogate leads to the fact that the car owner has to make an overhaul or even to replace the engine.
In order to avoid such disastrous consequences, it is necessary to know what distinguishing features original and counterfeit products have, and which engine oils are counterfeited more often.
WHICH OILS ARE MOST OFTEN COUNTERFEITED? Unscrupulous artisanal producers, engaged in the creation of falsifications, most often seek to enrich themselves on someone else’s name. That is why they use the names of the most popular brands in this industry on the labels of their questionable products.
But not only expensive oils become a subject of copying. The fact is that expensive products, as a rule, are produced in inexpensive containers. When products are supplied in small batches, it does not always pay off to buy such containers. Therefore, counterfeiters do not disdain cheaper products. Let us note that there is no exact statistics, since it is unknown how many drivers are currently driving with counterfeit oily fluids poured on their hoods.
But it is considered that the most “tasty” for the scammers is the middle price category of motor oils. Among them are such brands as Castrol, Shell Helix, Mobil, Zic, Toyota, and Total.
As you can see from the list, most often the most “promoted” oil brands are counterfeited. That is why be very attentive while purchasing popular brands.
Now let’s take a look at how you can tell that it is the original on the shelf in your favorite store.
HOW TO DISTINGUISH FAKE OIL? LUKOIL
It is believed that Lukoil products, particularly its popular Genesis line, are equipped with one of the most advanced anti-counterfeiting systems. A distinctive feature is the label. It is simply fused into the canister. It is impossible to peel at least a part of the label off. So far there are no masters who could repeat the technology in handicrafts. Lukoil is constantly complicating this task by introducing more and more degrees of protection. I am glad for the domestic producer!
One should understand that if a producer did not buy Lukoil packaging, it would be difficult for him to repeat all its nuances. At the same time Lukoil representatives claim that they recycle containers. Therefore, it is not so easy to find and buy used containers in sufficient quantity.
The Genesis canister is considered one of the most protected. The truest sign that you are dealing with original oil is that the label cannot be peeled off!
SHELL One of the leaders in the number of fakes is Shell products. It is related to the extreme popularity of their Helix line in Russia.
The first thing you should pay attention to if you have a Shell canister in your hands is the cap. In the original they come in smooth and rough, but necessarily with a swell in the pattern.
The next important difference is the cap and the o-ring. In the original they are always fused together.
Pay attention to whether the lid has been opened. If so, that’s an additional reason to question it. Before you pour oil into the engine, the moment the cap on the canister is already open – pay attention to another important point – the diaphragm on the neck. It must be very tight. Fakes often have no membrane or it is made of foil. There are parties where the membrane is made of similar paper, but of lower quality. On the face of the difference is enormous.
Another important feature is the membrane. Even though the intruders are approaching the quality of the membrane to the original – the difference is still visible and obvious.
By other elements of protection, such as the back code, it becomes almost impossible to trace the originality. Attackers almost learnt to copy the inscription on the canister (font, number of symbols, the order of its apposition), the only difference is the set of numbers on the back side of the forged canister bears no meaning.
CASTROL oil of this brand is one of the most favorite among swindlers. And no wonder – the products of this brand is also one of the most popular on our market. An expensive brand, well-known and trustworthy – a perfect combination so that the buyer does not suspect anything.
The original Castrol oil has seven degrees of protection. The product packaging was equipped with them back in 2014. All these measures are aimed at reducing the likelihood of product counterfeiting.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the logo. A real manufacturer extrudes the company logos on the canister lid and the laser ring. Moreover, in the latter case, the logo is placed clearly on the solder. If you notice that the signs don’t match there, it means that the package has already been opened before you.
The second item on your list should be the canister cap. Castrol only uses red caps with wide ribs. The cap has a foil inside. Scammers often fail to replicate the design of this part, thinking it is not that important.
The most interesting thing to observe is our third point. According to experienced motorists, cheaters never guess with the color of the canister. All original bottles have the same shade, but the fake ones may differ from each other a little bit. It’s easy to notice if you put two bottles next to each other: one with real oil, and the other with a surrogate. Most likely the fake will be half a tone lighter.
You should also remember that Castrol Company gave up using transparent or half-transparent bottles many years ago. But swindlers are still producing fakes in such canisters.
MOBIL Another one of the most popular brands on the Russian market is Mobil. With the definition of fakes among the products of this manufacturer is quite a question. To begin with you should pay attention to the canister itself.
Casting defects are always well traced.
But the most interesting is always at the top. And again we shall speak about a cover. Fake canisters often lack a scheme of opening the lid and an arrow indicating the place of opening (should be located on the left).
There is one more characteristic feature of jerrycans of most manufacturers – a measuring scale. Often, it is on it, you can determine the dubious origin of the content. In the image below, you can clearly see that on the fake (canister on the right), the measuring scale does not reach the bottom. Pay attention to such aspects.
CONCLUSION So on the example of several oil brands that are popular among car owners in the Vologda region, we tried to show the distinctive features that will help you not to make a mistake and buy only real and high-quality oil. We recommend you to use this article as a good guideline, but for the main thing – keep the rule “buy only in proven places and from official dealers!” This will help to avoid many problems.
