There are some very basic but important things that every driver needs to know when choosing a lubricant for his car. By using the correct lubricant, you extend the life span of your vehicle in the long run.
Specifications- there are two basic classifications of a lubricant; the SAE and API classifications. SAE denotes Society of Automotive Engineers and API denotes American Petroleum Institute. These are the two major bodies that give the specification of your lubricant. The manufacturer of your engine will give the specification of the lubricant you are supposed to use.
OEM approvals and recommendations – OEM denotes Original Equipment Manufacturer. Every equipment manufacturer will give the specification of the lubricants that meets the performance of their machine. These OEMs further give approvals to lubricants blenders and certify their product. If you drive a BMW, the next time you visit your oil supplier, demand for a BMW approved product. Get your equipment’s user manual and look for the column of recommended fluids.
Application – this calls for using the right product for the right application. Don’t use your manual gearbox transmission oil in your automatic transmission gear box.
Drainage intervals – the OEM will specify at what interval you should change your oil. There are other factors that will determine the drainage interval like tropical weather, terrain and nature of roads and general driving habits. If you are not sure about this, you can consult your trusted technician.
Origin/ blending plant – It is always important to find out the source of your lubricants. This is very important as in as much as there are known and reputable manufacturers of lubricants worldwide, there are also blenders who produce sub-standard products.
Hopefully, with this information the next time you are choosing a lubricant you will know what to look out for. If you are not sure, just ask for ENOC lubricants.
About the author
Nicholas Muli is the lubricant business Manager at Galana Oil Kenya Limited. With a background in Chemical engineering, he has worked in a blending plant, in technical support, in sales and marketing, has experience in managing the lubes business from end to end.