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COST CUTTER

24th September 1998
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Page 50, 24th September 1998 — COST CUTTER
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The arguments about which is best—mineral or synthetic oil—have raged for years. The latest evidence seems to leave little doubt, so why are operators still so unsure? Chris Graham investigates.

Tile deeply ingrained penny-pinching nature which continues to persist through so much of the commercial vehicle industry is a handicap. It's a barrier to success and an outdated mantra which, when applied to vehicle maintenance, can do nothing but harm.

All hauliers want to save money and cut operating costs but doing so with only half an eye on the long-term effects is bad news. It's important to realise there are instances when spending more actually saves you more. Lubricating oil choice is a perfect case.

The arguments which back the use of a fully synthetic engine oil are convincing. They have been tried and tested, proven to save money and are backed by all-embracing guarantees Yet their use remains pitifully rare—perhaps 50.D of the commercial fleet market so far. So what is the problem?

For many it must be the simple matter of purchase price. Synthetic oils are about five times as expensive as their mineral rivals. In appearance they look the same and the common perception that "oil is oil" remains a thorn in the flesh of synthetic lubricant producers such as Mobil Oil.

The situation is not helped by the confusion sunDun ding modern lubricant marketing. Lots of oils now trade under the "synthetic" banner. This word is good for sales. lt conjures up an image of high-quality production, a premium product and, above all, durability and superior performance. All this is true of a genuine synthetic lubricant but what is "genuine" and which synthetics are genuine?

Clever terminology

All sorts of clever terminology and marketing speak is used to sell lubricant. There is so much ambiguity and more than a little distrust—and this is just among the producer& The customer is left very much in the dark. The fundamental problem is that currently there is no industry-defined classification of oil type. Consequently anyone can claim almost anything and there is no requirement to justify it. Joseph Corless. commercial vehicle lubricants technical manager at Mobil Oil, admits the purchasing decision can be a confusing one: "The customer can only take the word of the supplier. Short of chemically analysing an oil, there is no way of telling if the sales claims match the reality," he says. A good indicator can be the recommended drain intervals. A supplier selling a 'fully synthetic' oil and yet recommending a service life of 80,000km for long-haul operations should arouse suspicion. Mobil produces premium mineral oils that will achieve this with ease. Our Delvac product, a genuine fully synthetic lubricant, will run twoand-a-half times longer."

Corless adds: "Most operators these days are working on 45,000km drain intervals with conventional lubricants With our synthetic oil we extend this to 2(X),(X)Okm with complete confidence. The savings from this alone cover the extra cost of the product. Costs will also be cut by the more infrequent filter changing (Mobil says replacement is not necessary between drainings), reduced labour costs and downtime, without taking into account the really big benefit which is the reduction in fuel consumption.

"All of the aforementioned economies pale into insignificance when compared to the money which will be saved on fuel. The minimum we expect to see is a 3°0 cut in consumption—in some cases it has been 5% plus. This can equate to .£1.125 (at 3%) a year for a truck covering 200,000km. The level of these savings is dependent upon switching to synthetic lubricant in not only the engine, but the gearbox and rear axle too."

Important point

This is an important point to remember. Don't assume all the savings are derived from the engine alone. Mobil's research has shown that the benefits are split equally between the engine and transmission/axle.

Couple all this to the other more general benefits of specifying a fully synthetic lubricant—superior performance. constant viscosity, enhanced stability—and the odds seem to stack in its favour convincingly.

Soot handling is a particular speciality of synthetic engine oil. According to Corless: "Soot production within modern engines has increased significantly due to ignition timing changes which have been required to meet the latest emission limits Generally, as soot levels build, viscosity and engine drag increase and the oirs lubricating effectiveness is reduced.

"Our synthetic retains its original viscosity over its entire working life due to the action of soot dispersants within the formulation. These prevent the soot particles clumping together to thicken the oil and create sludgMg."

Even the waste disposal aspect, which is a matter for ever-greater concern, is improved with the much lengthened drain intervals producing less volume to be dealt with.

Warranty is another key issue which, traditionally, has always posed problems However, Corless has no doubts on the matter. He says: "We are totally confident about this too. For example, Scania is now telling its customers that they can run Mobil products up to 200,000km in engines, and 500,000km each in gearbox and axle. For everyone else using our products there is no problem either. We have too much of a reputation to protect to walk away from problems, should they occur."

The reality is that the use of synthetic oil in commercial vehicles remains in its infancy. Certainly the market is growing strongly and, ultimately, it seems likely that fully synthetic lubrication will become the standard. This will be driven primarily by the OEMs who are specifying these advanced lubricants on their latest vehicles Corless says: "A prime example is the .Actros, which MercedesBenz says should not leave the factory with a mineral oil in Is sump."

Over scepticism remains a hard thing to do. It requires patient re-education and careful management. The one factor that producers such as Mobil have in their favour is that the benefits of their products are now indisputable. The theories have been explained, the tests completed and the results proven. All that remains is for the customer to be convinced.

And the likelihood is that this will be a manufacturer-driven conversion as more and more engine producers begin to demand the predictable services of

synthetic lubricants in their state-of-the-art, highefficiency, low emission engines

WHAT IS SYNTHETIC'

Mineral oil is a complicated mixture of compounds refined from crude oil and has compromised properties. So-called "special base stock" is created by hydrotreating mineral oil to produce a cleaned-up product with enhanced performance. This is the lubricant which some manufacturers classify as "synthetic" or "semisynthetic".

A truly synthetic oil is a pure compound built from carefully selected molecules with tailored properties. Mobil's SHC synthetic lubricant is created from ethylene gas which is chemically synthesised into polyalphaolefin (PAO). This provides the base stock which, when combined with a selection of additives, creates the finished oil. In mineral products, molecule size and complexity varies enormously and this leads directly to its compromised performance. The smallest, lightest molecules are the ones prone to evaporation, leading to increased oil consumption and reduced lubrication. The larger, heavier ones cause problems when temperatures are low (poor start-up performance due to thickening( and will also promote the formation of potentially damaging sludge. A fully synthesised lubricant consists entirely of uniformly sized molecules and it is this fundamental difference which accounts for its superior performance. It literally flows more easily and thus reduces friction. The great advantage of the synthetic product is that it has a controlled molecule size so only the ideal remain. Sludging and evaporation are all but eliminated and product performance remains predictable right across service life and temperature range.


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