Oil Wise

A thin film of lubrication is all that ensures a long life for all those complex mechanical components on your 4×4. Oil specs have changed to match the many advances in technology, but often your local service agent finds it easier to stock just one or two standard oils. Bad idea…

Nobody ever does it, but this is one instance where you really should read the manual. And those marks on the oil container – not just pretty symbols…

Base oil quality is the key to understanding the terms mineral, semi-synthetic, synthetic blend, synthetic technology and fully synthetic.

Does the oil you’ve just bought meet OEM specifications for its specific purpose, or could you have done better by your engine and the environment?

That’s not as stupid as it sounds. Know the codes and know how to check that your 4×4 service agent is putting your interests first.

When your brakes fail, it is too late…

There is more to coolant than meets the eye.

POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE ( PTFE ) PTFE is the common abbreviation used for Polytetrafloroethylene, more commonly known by the trade name “Teflon,” which is a registered trademark of the DuPont Chemical Corporation. PTFE is a fluorocarbon solid.

We will be holding the next “Basics of Lubrication” seminar at our training centre, Observatory, Cape Town on the 16th of March 2016.

“In the 25 years I have been in the oil industry I have witnessed an astonishing and tremendous waste of resources and money. This due to the incorrect selection and use of lubricants as a result of inadequate levels of knowledge in this highly specialised area.