When an oil manufacture builds a motor oil product, that product is put through several industry tests.
One of the most significant is the ASTM Sequence IIIf test.
The API (American Petroleum Institute) requires this test to enable a manufacturer to include the API “donut” symbol and/or the “starburst” on the packaging.
In this test, the oil is run in a 6 cylinder motor for 80 hours.  Among the many items measured at the end of the test is the viscosity. If the viscosity increases by more than 275 percent, it fails the test.
If the oil passes the test, then the manufacturer is permitted to display the API symbol on their bottle.

There’s two major components to oil. The base stock and the additive package. The additive package protects the base stock and the base protects the engine and its components. The base stock makes up approx. 15 percent of the cost of producing a quart of oil and the additive package is approx. 85 percent.
Because competition is so tough and if you buy a quart of oil, you expect to get a full quart, the only place they can reduce costs is in the additive package.
Now where do you think most oils on the market test at ?
How many oil manufacturers are so concerned about your vehicle that they greatly exceed the requirements of the API ?
That’s right – NOT MANY !!!
Most people average 30 mph, which means it will take 100 hours of driving to reach 3000 miles (that does not include the time your engine is running while at a stop light or while warming up before you begin to drive). That is 20 hours after the oil has failed.
OK, be honest, how many of you stretch your oil changes to 3500,4000,4500 – 7500?

With that said, there are two options you have.
1) Install an hour meter on your vehicle and change the oil every 50-60 hours.
2) Add an oil supplement at every oil change to help make up the difference. The best product on the market is BG MOA.

With MOA, a standard 10w-30 oil had only a 150 percent viscosity increase after tripling the length of the sequence IIIf test.
240 hours.
The moral is…. Ask for MOA by name.

 MOA, For the life of your engine !!!

Univers-oil

Once again, warmer days in the forecast have shifted our focus toward Climate Control. A year ago, we discovered the real market for unsurpassed performance lies in the newly developed, un-marked, glycol-derived oil. Then, we introduced BG Universal Frigi-Quiet®, Part No. 7018, the new di-capped Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG) oil due to its technological superiority.

POE vs. PAG Review

Polyol Ester (POE) oils are no longer the superior performer when it comes to compressor protection. Initial FALEX testing showed di-capped PAG to have a 66% advantage in wear protection over POE and ordinary PAG oils.

Di-capped PAG oils, or as it’s known in the biz ‘double end capped PAG oils,’ are patented and more compatible with future refrigerants like CO2, than conventional PAG oils. Di-capped is a chemical term relating to the process when a PAG molecule is altered by a reaction and the end result is a less hygroscopic (water absorbing) molecule.

BG Universal Frigi-Quiet® bears no resemblance to the PAG oils predominentely used in the field. It’s a new generation lubricant without the inherent weaknesses of other PAG oils, which are prone to moisture absorption and have poor high temperature miscibility with refrigerant gases.

Change is good

It’s typical for OEMs to void warranties on systems that show the use of POE oils. BG Unirversal Frigi-Quiet® will meet compressor manufacturer’s warranty requirements. “With a tighter tolerance in compressor design and durability, thinner and stronger oils will be the wave of the future,” says Mike Belluomo, BG Technical Services Manager. “Since the refrigerant R-134a is slated to become obsolete, more environmentally friendly refrigerants like CO2 are being developed: especially in international markets.”

BG Universal Frigi-Quiet® empowers A/C systems to provide better cooling, prevent corrosion and wear and extend component life. It was engineered with the future in mind and will keep BG ahead of the pack when it comes to developing a superior lubricant.

Source: Blend’r, BG Products, Inc.

Dexron® VI

General Motors has introduced a new ATF specification it has termed Dexron® VI. GM decided it needed to upgrade its ATF specification to accommodate the Hydra-Matic 6L80,
its first 6-speed automatic. This fluid is the new service fill and factory fill specification for all Hydra-Matic GM transmissions. It will be used as a factory fill for all 2006 MY Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions starting on April 4, 2005, and it will be mandatory service fill by January 2007. Dexron® III(H) or Dexron® VI can be used for service fill until January 2007. Dexron® III(H) approvals will be valid until December 31, 2006. Dexron® VI is backward compatible with previous Dexron® formulations. Dexron® VI will be offered through GM Vehicle Care products in dealerships and service centers in Summer 2005.

GM believes this new ATF is two to three times better than the best Dexron® III(H) fluid on the market, today. Some of the enhancements of the Dexron® VI include significantly improved shift performance and fluid durability as well as superior pitting protection, oxidation stability, foaming protection, and shear stability.

We DO NOT recommend using BG Universal Synthetic ATF, Part No. 312, in place of the new Dexron® VI ATF. We also DO NOT recommend using BG ATC+, Part No. 310, with the Dexron® VI at this time. With this specification from GM being brand new, BG 312 has not been tested against this new specification nor do we have any of the new Dexron® VI ATF
for fluid analysis at this time.

Dexron® is a registered trademark of General Motors Corp.

Formula Change for ATC Plus

BG ATC Plus, Part No. 310, has been upgraded and improved. In recent past, we issued Tech Tip 05-222 informing you that we did not recommend using Part No. 310 with General Motors latest ATF upgrade, Dexron® VI. However, after extensive research, we have upgraded BG ATC Plus to be completely compatible with Dexron® VI as well as Ford Mercon® SP and Toyota WS ATFs. This upgrade includes additive chemistry that provides greater frictional durability over the drain interval and chemistry compatibility with the new friction plate materials being used in the latest automatic transmissions. BG ATC Plus remains beneficial and compatible with all other ATFs as well. Be watching for new charts that display the characteristics of this formula improvement. The first fill date for the new formula is 12/15/06. The Dexron® VI compatibility will be reflected on the label as a running change. This change will most likely appear in February.

Selling maintenance requires aggressive efforts. How many of your customers walk through your doors asking for a brake fluid flush? We’re guessing not many.

But you don’t really know what you are maintaining until you have the car in the bay. Those succeeding in the maintenance business consistently told us that a multipoint inspection and maintenance schedule research are standard operating procedure for each and every vehicle that comes into their shops, regardless of what the work ticket says. Printouts of recommended maintenance schedules provide documentation to support inspection findings, as well as a credible second opinion.

“All OEM-scheduled maintenance is number one. The key is using the advice of the manufacturers. They spend millions of dollars developing and engineering vehicles. These schedules tell us what they’ve designed into the life of the vehicle,” says Starovich.

“We pre-sell the customer for maintenance. If a customer is coming up to a 30,000-mile scheduled service, we tell them in the shop,” explains Paras. At his shops, the mechanics note the mileage on the job ticket and flag what scheduled service is ‘coming soon.’ Seven days after their visit, a letter is sent to the customer as a reminder.

“When they call in for their next appointment, we ask them again. We have informed them before the visit, so they are ready to do this,” Paras said.

Another good strategy is a TSB and recall search on every vehicle. Shops employing this strategy say it gives the technician a ‘heads-up’ on any potential problem areas or pattern failures associated with a specific vehicle.

Be careful out there
Brad Hays, president and CEO of MyRepairShop, cautions shop owners from being over-enthusiastic when selling maintenance:

“You may get them in for OE-scheduled maintenance, and you may find that an alignment is necessary. You might find warped rotors. But shops need to be careful – the purpose is to maintain the vehicle, not always sell up.”
The customers that are most suspicious are females, adds Hays. They are a good sell for vehicle maintenance, but they are cautious.

He advises that the service writer show the customer exactly what was found. Then, discuss the safety and dependability problems associated and advise the customer if and for how long service can be postponed before it must be addressed.

Maintenance is the key to longevity. Your mother knew what she was talking about when she nagged you to brush your teeth after every meal. And to eat your vegetables. And to change your underwear daily whether you thought it was necessary or not. She knew that if you took good care of yourself, you’d be a healthier (and cleaner) person. Then at least you wouldn’t embarrass her in public.

The same holds true for lube, oil and filter changes. Change your oil and filters regularly, and your car or truck will last longer, run better and require fewer repairs as the miles add up.

One of the most important aspects of preventive maintenance is changing lubricants, fluids and filters when they need it – not when you get around to it.

Motor oil doesn’t last forever. The crankcase is a difficult environment. Blowby gases from the cylinders dump unburned fuel, soot and acids into the oil. Operating temperatures can soar to 250 degrees F or higher transforming the oil pan into a deep fryer. And to add insult to injury, the oil is hammered and squeezed with every pass through the bearings. Sheer stresses try to rip apart the long hydrocarbon molecules that give oil its lubricity. This is called viscosity breakdown.

To help the oil withstand this kind of abuse, various additives are blended into the basestock. Up to 25 percent of a quart of oil is friction-reducing additives, anti-wear agents, corrosion inhibitors, viscosity improvers, pour-point depressants, foam inhibitors, oxidation inhibitors and dispersant/detergents. These additives allow motor oils to meet certain quality standards established by the American Petroleum Institute (API) as well as performance requirements set by the vehicle manufacturers. But in spite of all the chemistry, motor oil eventually wears out. Oxidation and contamination take their toll, and if the oil isn’t changed often enough, the engine suffers the consequences.

It’s the same story with other vital fluids too. Automatic transmission fluid can oxidize and burn if the transmission is overworked. The corrosion inhibitors in antifreeze gradually break down and eventually have to be replenished by changing the coolant. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, which leads to a breakdown of corrosion inhibitors that allows rust to attack the calipers, wheel cylinders and brake lines. Gear oil in manual transmissions, differentials and transfer cases becomes contaminated with wear particles and loses viscosity as the miles add up.

As important as maintenance is, many vehicles today are seriously undermaintained. According to a 2003 report from the Car Care Council, nine out of every 10 vehicles that were inspected at free car clinics during National Car Car Month were found to need some type of maintenance or repairs!

• 38% had low, overfilled or dirty motor oil.

• 22% had low, overfilled or burnt transmission fluid.

• 15% had low coolant level.

• 13% needed a coolant flush.

• 21% had bad wipers.

• 25% has low or dirty power steering fluid.

• 10% had low brake fluid.

• 19% had at least one bad belt.

• 12% had at least one bad hose.

• 6% needed a new air filter.

• 6% needed a new PCV valve.

• 19% needed new battery cables or clamps.

• 10% had low battery water.

• 54% had underinflated or overinflated tires.

• 14% had one or more dangerously worn tires.

HOW OFTEN?
The aftermarket has traditionally recommended changing the motor oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles or every three months (based on driving 12,000 miles a year). This recommendation has not changed in spite of improvements in both engine designs and oil quality in recent years. Why? Because driving conditions have gotten progressively worse!

Traffic is gridlocked in most large cities for much of the day, and short-trip stop-and-go city driving produces the most blowby and oil contamination. Consequently, vehicles that are driven mostly in urban traffic still need regular oil changes. The same goes for vehicles that are driven on gravel roads, are used to tow trailers, spend a lot of time idling, or are operated in extremely hot or extremely cold climates. Also included are most turbocharged engines and diesels.

Many vehicle manufacturers have gone to extended oil change intervals to reduce scheduled maintenance costs for new vehicle owners. Some say the oil only needs to be changed once a year or every 7,500 to 10,000 miles – under ideal conditions. But if you read the fine print, many still recommend 3,000 miles oil change intervals for what they call severe-duty use. Unfortunately, many motorists who think they are normal-duty drivers are actually severe-duty drivers and need the more frequent oil changes.

Some vehicles today have no recommended oil change interval. A time/mileage schedule has been replaced with an oil life reminder light that tells the motorist when an oil change is due. On many of these applications, the powertrain control module monitors hours of engine operation, temperature, vehicle speed and other factors to estimate oil life. It’s all based on mathematical modeling developed from laboratory testing. Others actually monitor the condition of the oil using a smart sensor. The sensor measures the electrical conductivity of the oil. As the protective additives in the oil breakdown with use, the electrical conductivity of the oil changes.

Both types of oil monitoring systems may allow a vehicle to go as many as 10,000 to 15,000 miles or more before they turn on the oil change reminder light. How soon the light comes on depends on how the vehicle is driven. This is probably the ultimate method of accurately scheduling oil change (short of doing a laboratory oil analysis, which is the approach used by many fleets). But since most vehicles are not yet equipped with such fancy oil monitoring systems, the best advice is to follow the printed scheduled maintenance chart in the owners manual, or play it safe and have the oil changed every 3,000 miles.

THE COMPLETE “LOF”
Now that we’ve explained the importance of changing the oil and filter on a regular basis, the next question is what else needs to be checked or changed if your customer is doing a complete lube, oil and filter (LOF) job?

If you want to know what’s usually included, just visit any quick lube shop and read their menu. The lube/oil/filter service they provide typically includes all of the following:

• Change motor oil (choice of grades/brands).

• Install new oil filter.

• Lubricate chassis (if the steering and suspension has grease fittings).

• Inspect air filter (replace as needed).

• Inspect PCV valve and breather element (if equipped).

• Check automatic transmission fluid level and condition.

• Check manual transmission oil level.

• Check power steering fluid level.

• Check brake fluid level.

• Check battery water level.

• Check differential oil level.

• Check coolant level and condition

• Inspect belts and hoses.

• Check windshield washer fluid.

• Inspect windshield wiper blades.

• Check tire pressure and condition.

• Check all exterior lights.

They may also sweeten the deal by cleaning the windows and mirrors, vacuuming the interior and tossing in a new air freshener. The basic package usually sells for around $25, which is about $10 more than what it would cost the average motorist to buy five quarts of oil and a filter and do an oil change in the driveway or garage.

Quick lube services are quick (in and out in 15 minutes or less), convenient (no appointment needed) and affordable. Plus your customers don’t have to get their hands dirty and the quick lube recycles the used motor oil. Quick lubes have taken a big bite out of the DIY oil change business as well as lubrication services performed by full service repair facilities. Consequently, many repair shops have opened up their own quick lube bays while still offering a broad range of repair and maintenance services. They know that quick lube work often brings in additional repair work, and it gives them an opportunity to inspect items (like brakes, exhaust system, steering and suspension) that many quick lube shops often overlook.

Regardless of who does the work (the motorist himself at home, a high-school kid working in a quick lube shop or an ASE-certified technician in a full-service repair facility), the point is vehicles still need to be maintained. And the person doing the work needs to make sure everything that should be inspected or changed is inspected and changed – and at the recommended time and/or mileage intervals. That includes all vital fluid levels, all the filters, all the belts and hoses, the battery and battery cables, the cooling system, safety items such as the wipers, lights, tires and brakes, convenience items like cabin air filters and other parts that may need to be changed such as spark plugs and OHC timing belt.

Anyone who performs maintenance work also needs the proper tools to do the job. For basic oil and filter changes, that includes oil filter wrenches that can accommodate different filter sizes and locations (some need an end-cap-style wrench because there’s no room for a band-style wrench), a catch pan and a funnel for refilling the engine. Repair plugs may also be needed for oil pan drain bolts that have been stripped or are leaking.

For chassis lubrication, a grease gun is needed. Most ball joints, tie rod ends and universal joints on late-model vehicles are sealed and do not have grease fittings. But many older vehicles and boat trailers still need to be greased.

Most wheel bearings on late-model vehicles are sealed and do not require any maintenance. But on older vehicles, the front wheel bearings need to be cleaned, inspected, repacked with grease and readjusted every 30,000 or so miles. The grease seals should also be replaced when this is done (old seals often leak if they are reused.)

BEYOND THE BASICS
Quick lube shops don’t make much profit on $25 oil changes, so most offer additional maintenance services that cost extra. These include:

• Automatic transmission flush and fill (two years or 30,000 miles);

• Manual transmission drain and fill (50,000 miles);

• Differential drain and fill (50,000 miles);

• 4X4 transfer case drain and fill (50,000 miles);

• Radiator coolant flush and fill (two years or 30,000 miles with conventional antifreeze, five years or 150,000 miles with long-life antifreeze);

• Air conditioning recharge (as needed);

• Fuel injector cleaning as needed/every 30,000 miles;

• Engine “decarbon” treatment for intake manifold, valves and combustion chambers (as needed);

• Engine cleaning to remove sludge and varnish from crankcase (as needed);

• Replace fuel filter (two years or 30,000 miles);

• Replace cabin air filter (yearly or 15,000 miles).

For some of these jobs, special tools and equipment may be needed. A do-it-yourselfer can change coolant, transmission fluid or gear oil with nothing more than a wrench, a catch pan, a floor jack and a pair of safety stands. By comparison, many quick lube shops and full-service repair shops now use fluid exchange equipment because it is faster, easy to use and does a more thorough job than a simple drain and fill. Up to half the coolant remains in the block when the radiator is drained, and up to two-thirds of the fluid in an automatic transmission stays in the torque converter when the transmission pan is removed. Most exchange equipment replaces nearly all of the old ATF or coolant. Shops that don’t yet have this type of equipment should be encouraged to consider the many advantages it offers.

For cleaning jobs, a wide variety of professional and DIY products are available for dirty fuel injectors and fuel systems, for removing carbon from combustion chambers and valves, and for cleaning sludge and varnish from inside the engine. Many shops that perform these services, though, use equipment that is designed for professionals. This includes on- and off-car fuel injector cleaning equipment, engine decarbonizing machines and crankcase flushing machines.

So the next time you’re selling motor oil, filters or other maintenance items to a customer, whether he’s a professional or a DIYer, ask him if he’s doing a “complete” lube/oil/filter job. If he doesn’t know what that includes, rattle off the list of items that most quick lube shops include – then ask him what else he needs to do a complete job.

http://www.counterman.com/cm/cm100330.htm

Just because you offer a service, doesn’t mean it’s profitable. Here Are five top-sellers that shops say are among their favorites for boosting revenue.

Traditionally, independent service shops have been in the “repair” business. Your customers come to you with a problem, and you fix it. For the customer, this is not always a pleasant experience, especially when the work ticket climbs into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. And then there is the even more unpleasant situation of comebacks, when, regardless of actual fault, the customer perceives that the failure is linked to incompetence, or worse, greed.

Offering preventative maintenance service is one way to turn it around. Customers feel good when they realize they are extending the life of their sizable investment. Comebacks are few, if any, because the work is much less complicated, improving your shop’s professional image. And it establishes a dialogue between you and the customers, showing that you care about the work you perform, as well as their safety and well-being.

For the shop owner, maintenance work offers high profit margins and the luxury of scheduled bay time for slower periods. We talked with a number of shop owners who have recognized these facts and are successfully converting a substantial percentage of their business into maintenance work. And, they were eager to share their ideas on improving a shop’s bottom line through maintenance. Here are their ideas on the subject.

1. Fluids: the lifeblood of the vehicle
Fluid flushes came in as a resounding first place with everyone we spoke with. Statistics abound showing that fluids are the most neglected maintenance item by consumers, even though they understand how vital they are to the proper operation of the vehicle.

The experts concur: Bobby Likis, owner of Car Clinic Service, Pensacola, FL and radio host to the nationally syndicated “Car Clinic” radio show, shared the details of an interview he had with Larry Lyons, vice president, Small Car Platform Engineering, DaimlerChrysler Corp.

“What can we tell car owners to do to keep today’s cars running well for years to come?” Likis asked.

“[Maintain] fresh fluids, fluid levels, tire pressure. Use common sense. Follow the maintenance schedule,” Lyons responded.
Consistently, we heard from shop owners and industry representatives alike that fluid flushes are highly profitable, not only because they are necessary, but also because multiple procedures can be performed all at one time.

“If you can ‘couple’ services, that can be hugely profitable,” said Dave McKallagat, director of sales and marketing for BG Products. He explained that if a car needs four flush procedures done, such as brake fluid, transmission fluid, engine coolant and power steering fluid, then it’s merely a matter of hooking up the necessary equipment and letting it run. The entire job may take only one hour to perform, but the job is billed as four separate line items, each with it’s own fee, McKallagat added.
This strategy is one that is employed by many of the shop owners we talked with, too. To many of them, it is what makes it number one in their minds.

“We don’t do ‘services,’ we do ‘procedures,’” said Likis. “That is how it is billed. If there is a car in the bay, and the tech is performing three procedures, we bring in three times the shop’s rate because these are all being done simultaneously.”

And, for a side note, of all the flush/exchange services you can provide, shop owners consistently told us that brake fluid flushes were among their most profitable offerings, but it is one that is “most overlooked.”

2. Engine/fuel injection cleaning
The grocery list for engine and fuel injection cleaning services can range from sophisticated equipment to simple, inexpensive additives, but overall, they can have a tremendous first-impression with the customer.

“Normally, eight out of 10 times, we get a ‘seat of the pants’ difference with those canned treatments. If it is done properly, it cleans out the engine and allows the car to idle properly – something the customer can immediately recognize as an improvement,” said Drew Paras, owner, Honest-1 Auto Care, Beavercreek, OR.

“With the machine, it does this job even better,” he adds. “With the can, there is more profit margin: It is easier to do; there is no equipment cost. With machines, you do a better job and give the customer a better service.”

Paras told us that this is his number one favorite because the procedure can be set up in 10 minutes and left to run while his techs are working on something else. He calls it ‘free labor’: “My mechanics are free to do something else, so costs are minimal and profits are high, even with the initial equipment purchase.”

3. Belt and hose replacement
The numbers from last October’s National Car Care Month events were recently tabulated, and AAA is reporting that 8 percent of the inspected vehicles had hoses that were blistered, cracked or glazed. The Car Care Council reports that 16 percent of the vehicles inspected needed new belts.“AAA’s Car Care Month inspections confirm that motorists gen-erally under-maintain their vehicles, and this is the primary reason for the millions of roadside break-downs that occur each year,” said Marshall L. Doney, vice president of AAA Automotive.

Preventing roadside breakdowns is key to C&M Auto Service’s (Vernon Hills, IL) approach to selling maintenance: “For us, belts are another high-profit item. Most are single serpentine – not very difficult to replace,” says Mike Starovich, C&M president. “Customers love you when their belts don’t break.”

4. Tire rotation/balancing and wheel alignment
Starovich told us that his shop doesn’t do a great deal of this business, but he says it is quite profitable. And with the new technologies available today, balancing and alignments make even more sense for tires that aren’t quite ready to be replaced.
“How do we convince customers that a tire balance is a good idea? We advise them, ‘You have 30,000 miles on these tires, you might want to balance these. The tires will ride better, the car will ride better, the tires will wear more evenly and, ultimately, you will save the suspension from extra wear-and-tear,’” Starovich states.

A 2001 Frost and Sullivan report, “The North American Automotive Maintenance Service Market,” places wheel alignment service as one of the most popular service packages available, representing nearly 11 percent of maintenance revenues and 7.7 percent of the jobs performed in 2000. The report further states that this segment will see the second highest compound annual growth of revenue – 1.5 percent – through 2007, which is all the more reason to consider marketing it as “preventative maintenance.”

5. Filter replacement
Now replacing air filters may not qualify as a high-margin maintenance item, but there are plenty filters all around the car – air, oil, fuel and cabin air. Of those, cabin air filters appear to be the newest ‘hot ticket’ in maintenance service.
National Oil and Lube News publishes an annual survey full of facts and figures on the quick lube industry. The 2002 report, published last September, shows cabin air filter replacement being offered at 42 percent of the stores. For those respondents, it is the second most-profitable add-on service. In addition, 23 percent of the respondents said that they plan to add cabin air filter replacement to their service offerings in 2003.

It’s hard for anyone to argue with replacing a dirty filter, says Starovich. “When you get a car with 80,000 miles [on it] and pull out the filter, and it’s black, well, it’s a no-brainer.”

Motorage 2002