Be sure not to buy fake oil !

products that find their way on to the market to the detriment of our economy.
IT is our hope that the Petroleum Regulatory Authority Board will come to the party and stop this madness. The Petroleum Act empowers the board to look at petroleum products being imported into the country and the people that procure and sell them.the .
The Act also stipulates the type of products, people or companies that are of concern to the board. The Petroleum Act chapter 13:22 describes petroleum products as lubricants that are procured, sold or produced as by-products from oil.
A petroleum undertaking according to the Act, refers to any activity of a licensee undertaken in connection with the procurement, supply or production of any petroleum product. The petroleum industry is described as the persons in Zimbabwe who are engaged in the business of procuring, selling or producing petroleum products.
Having said this, we now wish to focus on feedback and questions from our readers. On this note, we wish to encourage you to keep the letters flowing. While we might not hold all the answers, we are happy to at least try to answer the questions.
One reader raised an issue with his car, more precisely, his automatic gearbox. The problem is that gears 1 and 2 engage slowly and make noise when shifting. But the noise is not deafening.
He recently changed the oil but this did not solve the problem. So he is now at a loss.
During our discussion with him, we asked where he takes his car for service and where he buys the oil from and whether he is a “do it yourself” person, how often he checks the oil and the colour of the oil in the gear box.
He indicated that the colour of automatic transmission fluid should be dark or black. Yet it was reported to be red or reddish in colour. He usually buys a popular brand and we inquired whether he buys from the source or from distributors.
He indicated that he buys from street corners. If the transmission is automatic you should use the correct ATF and if the gearbox is manual the manufacturer’s handbook will advise you on which type to use.
We will continue to make reference to the manufacturer’s handbook which is the guideline.
Usually, it is either DEXRON 11 OR 111, not SAE90. If you use this one, please note you are using manual gear oil.
Why we query this is because you cannot tell if its 85W90 or 80W90. You are at risk. It is these tit-bits that readers should know at all times.
We are coming from an era where we supply constraints and as such products were just being supplied without due regard of quality. That culture has continued with us into the third year of use of the greenback. Unless that culture changes and one hopes the intended regulatory body alluded to above ensures that it deos, this practice will soon be forgotten. It is very possible that some retailers could be selling these oils without knowing that they are phony.
We have previously talked about bearings and the cause of the wheezing sounds in the wheel bearings in these small cars. An incident was reported where one owner had this problem. They purchased what appeared to be genuine wheel bearings and these were fitted correctly but the noise continued.
This was the case even where the fitting was done by a professional garage, which then advised that the noise would eventually cease.
Incidentally, when the owner bought second-hand wheel bearings from a car breaker, the sound disappeared and the bearings fitted well.
What needs to be addressed is whether the manufacturers deliberately make sub-standard parts which they sold as genuine spares?
Or is it that they leave this to their agents or those that make imitations? In this regard, we proceed to look at kombis as an example of the use of wrong bearings.
Sales personnel are not knowledgeable about the products they sell and all they want is to make sale.
As a guideline when buying wheel bearings for vehicles that carry higher loads than normal and move at higher speeds than normal – for example, on a Dyna Clipper – you should go for ball bearings, whereas for heavier loads and lower speeds, use tapered roller bearings.
The consequence of using ball bearings is that they have a shorter lifespan. This is the type of information the sales people should be knowledgeable about.
There are products that are being produced or improvised without technical know-how that are being sold without undergoing requisite tests.
Some sellers will truly believe they are selling YOU a genuine oil product. One item of concern is the magnetic tape around your fuel line.
It is claimed that it will allow fuel to burn more easily and hence improve fuel consumption.
But the fuel combustion efficiency of most engine hovers around 97 percent, so only 3 percent is waste discharge. In simple terms fuel burns easily unless the vehicle has a problem. If the magnet had a beneficial enhancer, this could improve its performance.
Most magnetic tapes are said to have properties that cause a 20-25 percent improvement in fuel consumption. However, as we stated earlier, the wastage is about 3 percent. So how do you achieve an additional 25 percent? We believe that this is just a sales gimmick.
Tips on how to keep the automatic clutch in good working order
Check fluid regularly and take a drop of the fluid and apply it to a white surface or a paper towel. Brand that the new fluid from the bottle should look reddish/pink. But after it has been in the transmission, the colour should be darker and not black, as is the case with our reader’s experience.
Usually, if it is bright red, then it should not have dark shades. The brown colour indicates that there is a good possibility that there could be parts which were burnt. If that is so kindly rebuild the clutch or replace it.
Low levels of fluid ruin the transmission more than anything else. Hilly roads, frequent stops, hot weather conditions and towing could all influence the condition of the fluid.
Either it evaporates or is damaged more quickly than in any other conditions. A good clutch with no problems provides a smooth quiet ride and shifts gears without sound.
The transmission could have a flaw if the RPM jumps up before going down. The other tip is to observe how fast it shifts from PARK to DRIVE. If it takes several seconds, the car needs attention.
Simplicity is the answer. Verify and establish these facts on battery water and battery acid being sold in the town.
Visual inspection will reveal that the colour of the two is invariably the same and yet should be different as the other should appear thick and hazy due to the acid content.
There is no way the same containers should have the same weight as the battery acid is denser than the battery water.
This is achieved by putting correct proportions when producing the battery acid and yet these are found in town: most of them use tap water plus chloride tablets to reduce iron.
This is good as purified drinking water and not battery acid. You will notice the following badges or symbols for these cars: Mazda, Isuzu, Toyota and Nissan. What is striking is this: what have the cars got to do with the battery water and/or acid? It would be meaningful if it was shown the types of batteries such as Onion, Exide, Fnb or Taurus.
This makes proper reference: well-known batteries are made to strict specifications and therefore the battery water and acid should dovetail into these specifications. As we have alluded to, you check as they appear to be the same with a minor change in taste of some acid contained.
l You can contact us on above numbers or cellphones or through G.Mbeya on 0774215505, or through gmbeya @live.com. PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN.