Engine oil and fuel additives can make most feel wary and uneasy. While situations are typically case-by-case experiences, where some see the benefits of an increase in fuel economy or decrease in wear and friction and others don’t see any changes in the slightest, Brandon Green shares his perspective and clears the air of skepticism surrounding Lucas Oil.
MWS: CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE SKEPTICISM AND CLAIMS SURROUNDING THE VALIDITY OF LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS?
BRANDON GREEN: Some may think engine oil additives and fuel system additives are like snake oil, but there is real technology behind them. This may come from a lack of understanding of what engine oils and fuels are expected to do, and the fact that many OEM manufacturers don’t promote them. Following a proper maintenance schedule will provide great longevity. The incorporation of engine oil additives will certainly help promote an even longer, more efficient life of the engine.
Engine oil is designed to reduce wear and friction on engine parts, and is expected to remain in grade, even under the hottest conditions. It’s also expected to keep the crankcase free from the byproducts of combustion. These are tough jobs for any engine oil by itself. Let’s say we add an additive to the engine oil and help with just two of the functions, like reducing wear and friction. If we can increase an engine oil’s ability to do two things better, you can expect the engine life to increase. Many Lucas Engine Oil additives do that, producing small gains in efficiency.
It’s a fact that engine oils breakdown over time. If we can keep them closer to the grade recommended by OEMs, this will help promote longevity. Lucas Engine Oil additives can help with that as well. This is just one aspect of our product line, but we could apply the same mindset to fuel additives. Everyone is looking for quick gains in fuel efficiencies when discussing additives, but the real win is the long term. If we reduce the negative, long-term effects of burning poor-quality fuel by adding a fuel additive that helps lubricate and clean with detergents on a regular basis, this will reduce the maintenance costs.
MWS: HOW WOULD YOU REASSURE PEOPLE WHO QUESTION THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PRODUCTS? WHAT ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS WOULD YOU OFFER THEM?
GREEN: I would recommend that they keep an open mind and to do a test of their own. There are many simple, low-cost ways to do this, like running an in-house test of a single fleet vehicle. Pull oil samples of this vehicle and send them to a testing lab to establish a baseline of how the engine oil performs without additives. Then run the same test on this vehicle with an additive and do another lab analysis to see if there are fewer metal deposits in the oil or if viscosity is being maintained for a longer period.
This can help a fleet or maintenance manager decide if using additives in the fleet is the right choice for them. We have experienced that many of our customers who are managing modern fleets that oil consumption is a major concern. Many reported that one of our engine oil additives has helped to dramatically reduce oil consumption.
MWS: CAN YOU GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE TESTS THAT ARE CONDUCTED TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS?
GREEN: Lucas Oil has always made the quality of its products the highest priority. Lucas believes in producing the finest engine oils and fuel additives in the world, along with many other automotive products. We source raw materials from leading manufacturers, and our in-house lab of chemists and lab technicians work daily to test and verify incoming raw materials to ensure they’re meeting our specifications. This is the first step in guaranteeing the finished products are of the highest quality.
The lab team to continues to test our products throughout the manufacturing process and specifically look for certain properties in each of our products—viscosity, pour point, specific gravity, flash point, viscosity index, and many others. These measurements are then compared to industry and Lucas Oil-specific standards to ensure all products meet the mark and perform the way it’s supposed to. The bottom line is that products are inspected and verified throughout the manufacturing process, from blending to bottling.
MWS: ARE THERE ANY OTHER PRACTICES OR METHODS LUCAS OIL IMPLEMENTS IN THE QUALITY PROCESS?
GREEN: Yes, Lucas Oil has many quality control and assurance processes in place. The details matter to us. We look closely at the simplest of things in each production run, like ensuring the correct boxes, bottles, caps, bottle seals, labels, and, most importantly, the correct fluid is going into each bottle. We have quality managers that work daily on each of our manufacturing lines to ensure everything is correct.
MWS: IS THERE ANYTHING CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS THAT FLEET MANAGERS/OPERATORS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR?
GREEN: I think fleet managers have an overall awareness of our product line as it relates to the types of vehicles in their fleet. We offer one of the best engine oil additives in the world, but we also offer a very high-quality heavy-duty engine oil that’s gaining traction and has become the engine oil of choice for several fleets. While formulated for today’s modern diesel engines, Lucas CK-4 Heavy Duty Engine Oil is also backward compatible for older diesel engines. It’s available in popular weights and several varieties, including a Petroleum 15w-40, a Synthetic Blend 10w-30, two Full Synthetic weights, and a 15w-40 and 5w-40 for cold climates.
The other thing to consider is we’re beginning to offer bulk fuel treatments for fleets to treat their onsite bulk fuel storage tanks. The reality is, the quality of diesel fuel available today varies greatly. A bulk fuel treatment could offer many benefits, like less downtime due to mechanical issues related to fuel systems, reduced maintenance costs, better fuel efficiency, and improved protection from the elements when fuel is stored in bulk tanks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Brandon Green is the vice president of customer solutions for Lucas Oil. For more, visit www.lucasoil.com.
