Member Article

Lubricants get thinner as fuel economy increases

The importance placed on fuel economy has never been greater. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), driven by European regulations and an increase in fuel prices, are trying to make their engines ever more cost-effective.

As each OEM releases its new engine, the lubricants industry must respond with a bespoke product fit for the job. What this has meant is lower viscosity or thinner oils, moving over a short period of time from 20W-50s and 15W-40s to 10W-40s and 5W-30s - and now into the 0W category.

Leading oil blender Morris Lubricants has seen its product range boom from one or two standard products to more than a dozen.

Adrian Hill, automotive product manager at Morris Lubricants, said: “Just a decade ago the standard product was a semi-synthetic 10W-40 engine oil – these days almost every OEM has a specific requirement.

“We are now manufacturing more than a dozen passenger car engine oils. Even as recently as 2005, that figure would have been as low as two or three.”

Along with vehicle design, choice of fuel and driving methods, engine oils play a crucial role in improving fuel economy. About a fifth of energy in fuel is used to overcome friction in cars. In heavy duty vehicles, that can be as much as a third. Using the right high-quality engine oil can help to lessen this resistance and reduce costs significantly.

But with such a wide range of oils and lubricants now available, picking the right product can be daunting, even for aftermarket professionals. Adrian warned that it is not a decision that can be taken lightly, with big technical problems for those who put the wrong oil in their vehicle.

“The days of one oil suits all are gone – and they’ve been gone for a long time,” said Adrian. “Using the wrong product, or selecting an inferior product to save a few pennies per litre, can be a very expensive mistake.

“It’s not 70,000 or 80,000 miles down the line where you’ll start seeing problems, it’s 2,000 and you’ve got significant problems.

“You’ve got problems with catalytic converters, you’ve got DPF blockages. It is absolutely vital that you are using the correct lubricant as recommended by the OEM.”

Some manufacturers claim to produce engine oils that can be used for a multitude of different tasks, but Adrian, who has almost 30 years of experience in the industry, said that is simply impossible.

He said: “If someone does offer a product that does everything, they’re not telling the truth. You cannot cover all the industry requirements with one product. It just doesn’t happen.

“All of our products have formal approvals. It enables us to sell into the market place and using our products will not invalidate a warranty. That is the important thing. It needs to be formally approved by the manufacturer in question.”

Morris Lubricants is preparing to launch a new website and smartphone app to help confused drivers and aftermarket professionals select the right product for each vehicle.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sean Wozencroft .