fully synthetic oil Archives

Honda Malaysia introduces new Genuine Engine Oils, upgraded to API SN standard

Honda Malaysia has introduced an upgraded range of Genuine Engine Oils, recommended specially for Honda vehicles, of course. The oil now has an API SP grade which provides stable performance and better fuel economy while prolonging engine lifespan as well as offers greater engine protection.

The new engine oil will replace the existing SN Grade range with mineral (Bronze), semi-synthetic (Silver) and fully synthetic (Gold) formulations. However, the SN grade 0W-30 viscosity fully-synthetic oil will still be available for cars with high performance engines such as the Civic Type R.

Suitable to be used for most petrol and turbocharged engines, the SP Grade engine oil is approved and recommended by Honda Research & Development (R&D). The new engine oil range is formulated to fulfil all operating requirements of Honda engines and also meet the latest standards issued by the American Petroleum Institute (API). It enhances protection against low-speed pre-ignition, an abnormal combustion phenomenon that can cause significant damage to the engine.

The SP Grade engine oil also comes with a timing chain wear protection to minimise timing chain elongation. In addition to improved high temperature deposit protection for pistons and turbochargers, it provides better sludge and varnish control, valve train and intake lifter wear protection, higher oxidation stability as well as emission control system protection. The lower-viscosity of 0W-20 fully-synthetic oil allows the engine to operate with maximum efficiency while very good protection for key engine components, even at extreme temperatures.

More information on the new Honda engine oil is available at any authorised Honda service centre, or at www.honda.com.my.

Why use a Genuine Oil?
There are engine oils and there are Genuine Oils but to the average motorist, it is hard to understand what can be so special about Genuine Oils sold by some car companies. It may seem like such products are created just to give the car company an extra source of revenue by using the brand name. After all, an oil is an oil, right? As long as it is from a reputable producer and meets the requirements of the carmaker (specified in the Owner’s Manual), it should be okay to use.

You won’t go wrong picking an oil produced by any of the reputable oil companies, but you may not get 100% lubricating performance with the engine in your vehicle. This is because each engine has its own characteristics and design features; some may have unique combustion chamber designs, more complex valvetrains or special oil passages. These are known to the engineers who design the engines but may not be understood by those in the oil companies who try to come up with an oil which ‘suits all engines’.

This is where the specifications for a Genuine Oil come in and they may have specific requirements to ensure proper lubrication in certain areas. In other words, the Genuine Oil will have a unique formulation which will work best with the engine for which it is recommended, and it will perform better than other oils [for that engine].

More customized for specific engines
The best analogy to this issue would be to think of clothes. You can go to a department store and buy a shirt with a famous brand name. You may get a choice of S/M/L/XL and one of the sizes will fit your body. Maybe you will be lucky and the sleeves will also be just the right length and the collar is not too tight. However, it is also possible that your arms may be just a wee bit longer and the sleeve length for size ‘M’ is not exactly matching for you.

Now you could also go to a tailor and made a shirt with a similar design but you would be able to have the sleeves just the right length to suit your arm and the collar will be comfortable instead of choke you each time you have to wear a tie. You feel comfortable wearing the shirt and its ‘specifications’ are exclusive to you.

That is basically the difference between a Genuine Oil and other oils: customization. While it may be that 99% of engine designs are similar, there may still be that 1% which is unique to each engine and only a Genuine Oil would be able to cover the lubrication needs of that 1% so you get optimum performance.

This is not to say you must use only Genuine Oil for your vehicle and that other oils are not good enough. As a consumer, you always have choices but as a Honda owner, if you want to give your vehicle the best at all times, then Honda Genuine Engine Oil would be the best to use.

Honda Insurance Plus owners can get up to RM1,500 allowance if their vehicle was damaged by floods

BHPetrol Syngard 8000 Eco meets latest API SP service standard

Engine technology is constantly advancing and improving, not just as an ‘evolutionary’ process but also to meet consumer demands and also increasingly strict regulations. Consumers want to have better economy and better performance, while regulators want to reduce pollution and set tougher exhaust emission standards. As engines become more advanced, the oil for lubrication also needs to make technological advancements and reformulated to ensure that the new targets are met.

The petroleum companies are therefore constantly conducting R&D to improve their products and they are guided by the various standards that technical organizations like the American Petroleum Institute (API) set. These standards or service ratings are developed in consultation with engine makers (usually the carmakers) to determine what the oil needs to do for the improvements or changes.

Boustead Petroleum Marketing, which has been marketing BHPetrol fuel and lubricants since 2006, is also constantly monitoring the changes in the industry. It ensures that its products are up to date technically and meet the latest standards in the industry. Last year, the API upgraded its familiar service classification to the new ‘SP’ designation and BHPetrol quickly began to discuss with its additive supplier overseas on upgrading the formulation for its SynGard engine oil for passenger vehicles. This led to the new fully synthetic Syngard 8000 Eco that is now available which meets the new API SP standard.

The new standard is in response to the new generation of engines and technologies and help the carmakers to meet tougher environmental standards. There was the issue of Low Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI) that can occur in turbocharged petrol engines with direct fuel injection technology. Such engine technology is adopted as it allows for an engine with a smaller displacement – and the industry has been downsizing – to develop roughly the same output as a larger one.

*Engine with direct injection fuel delivery.*

However, these engines can have LSPI which is abnormal combustion. LSPI occurs when the engine is under high load but driven slowly. In such a condition, the spray of fuel from the nozzles can lose its atomization and the petrol will enter as a large droplet rather than a fine mist. These droplets will then ignite at the wrong time and the effect can become damaging over time. In extreme cases, connecting rods and pistons can be severely damaged. Specialized additives, used in Syngard 8000 Eco, can prevent LSPI and prevent shortening of engine life.

The other issue in many modern engines is due to the use of Start/Stop Engine Technology. This technology allows the engine to stop automatically when idling is long and then start again automatically when it is time to move off. The aim is to reduce idling which is one of the periods when fuel consumption is at its highest because the engine is burning fuel but the car standing still.

The constant starting and stopping, especially in today’s congested traffic conditions, can lead to increased sludge formation and varnish deposits. Both of these are not good for the engine and another group of additives help to control this, along with better oxidation stability.

Each new API standard has provided improved protection and reduced wear of parts. One area that received much attention for API SP was the timing chain. Carmakers are shifting towards the use of timing chains instead of timing belts as the chains, which are of metal, are more durable. However, they tend to wear out too and stretch over time, affecting the precise timing of valve opening and closing. The new standard requires the engine oils to minimize timing chain elongation.

Companies which market their products stating that they meet API standards are required to have their performance verified by the organization which will then licence them to use the API markings and wording. Besides the usual tests for certification, the API added 7 new tests for this more stringent new standard – all of which the new Syngard 8000 Eco have passed.

After studying the Malaysian market, BHPetrol chose the 0W-20 viscosity for its new SynGard product. This is a viscosity that will be suitable for many modern engines, as specified by carmakers. The new SynGard 8000 Eco has a recommended price of RM196.

Although the new SynGard 8000 Eco is ‘backward compatible’ and can be used for engines that require API SN oil, there may be engines that cannot due to the viscosity issue. In this case, BHPetrol has Syngard 8000 which is also a fully synthetic oil with a viscosity of 5W-40. This meets the API SN Plus standard which is an enhanced SN standard to provide better performance with turbocharged engines and also address the LSPI issue. Another alternative of equally high quality is semi-synthetic Syngard 6000 Eco oil which meets the API SN standard.

Along with other BHPetrol lubricants and ancillary products, both the new Syngard 8000 Eco and Syngard 6000 Eco can be purchased from BHPetromarts, selected workshops and spare parts shops. The engine oils are also available at selected shops in East Malaysia.

For more information on BHPetrol lubricants and fuels, visit www.bhpetrol.com.my.

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