Do not risk it: Industry players warn that these ‘oils’ were not of the same quality and using them would mean ‘clotting’ the vehicle’s engine. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
Fake oil will spoil your car engine, motorists warned
PETALING JAYA: When sales executive Roger, 39, came across a well-known brand of engine oil being sold at half the price, he was hooked.
He didn’t hesitate. He immediately ordered the product, which cost RM60 on an ecommerce platform, and topped up his engine as soon as the oil arrived.
It was a deal that was too good to be true. And it wasn’t true.
Just days later, his car engine started heating up, and producing a burnt smell.
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“The car felt extremely heavy so my first instinct was to send it to the workshop. The mechanic told me the engine oil caused the problem.
“The repair work took four days and it cost close to RM2,000,” he said.
Fake engine parts and motor oils are flooding the market, especially on ecommerce platforms, and industry players are warning motorists to be extra cautious.
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They say motor oils are now available at half price on ecommerce platforms and many of them are fake.
Checks on several ecommerce platforms showed several motor oil products, supposedly from well-known brands, being sold at slashed prices.
Industry players warn that these “oils” were not of the same quality and using them would mean “clotting” the vehicle’s engine.
The vehicle would become “heavier”, have poor acceleration and consume more fuel.
The increased sludge from its use can also lead to engine failure, industry players warned.
Low Soon Seng, a lubricants dealer for an engine oil from Britain, said it could be difficult to tell the difference between original and counterfeit products.
“However, the smell could be a giveaway. They are recycled, so they tend to have a ‘burnt’ smell,” he said.
These products, he added, were not only found on ecommerce platforms, but also in vehicle spare parts shops and automotive workshops.
“The retail price of genuine products can range between RM100 and RM400 depending on whether it is fully or semi-synthetic but the fakes are sold at half the price,” he said.
Low, who also owns an automobile workshop in Klang, said that when using the fake oils, the vehicle would feel more rough when in idle condition.
“This is because the oil does not contain detergents, which are available in authentic products, to cleanse the engine, resulting in sludge build-up.
“This causes increased friction and heat leading to excessive wear and tear, and even mechanical failure,” he added.
He said that vehicles using these counterfeit products would also need to be overhauled after about 100,000km of usage, compared to 300,000km for those using genuine products (depending on the type of vehicle and adherence to servicing schedules).
The sludge build-up would also make it difficult to resolve any problems.
“We need to flush the engine multiple times to clear it,” said Low.
Wgim Wai Chin, a salesperson of a high-end engine oil, said counterfeits were hard to trace because they were packaged to look like the original.
“Only when you do a side-by-side comparison can you tell if it is original or not,” she said, adding that among the things to look out for were the fonts used on the packaging.
The colour of the “fake” oils could also be made to look identical to the original, she added.
“It’s the additives in the oil that make the difference. The fake ones usually don’t have much additives in them. Even if they do, it does not comply with international standards and can damage engines,” she shared.
Araz AmirulRahim Ashraff, the director of a lubricant supply company, said the quality of these fake oils was low.
“It also takes a longer time for it to be channelled towards other engine components, causing higher wear and tear,” Araz said.
Alvin See, a lubricants technical adviser at Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd, said the company had formed a team to handle issues related to counterfeit products, besides working with government authorities.
He said authentic Shell products bore the “For Malaysian Markets (Untuk Pasaran Malaysia)” labels on them alongside a specific QR code for each product.
“Consumers can scan the code using the Shell Advantage Rewards (SHARE) application to verify whether a product is authentic or not.
“Counterfeit packages may also have the code, but if the user scans it, it will show either an ‘Invalid’ or ‘Used’ code when scanned.
“Those with doubts on the authenticity of their product can send a complaint or enquiry to generalpublicenquiries-my@shell.com,” he said.
