If a lubricant needs to be replaced or topped-up, then in many
situations the most readily available lubricant is used, whether it is the
right oil for the application or not
Attempting to estimate the commercial
vehicle parc is no easy task because clear
and reliable data can be difficult to confirm.
However, conservative estimates suggest that
the commercial vehicle parc in Africa is in the
region of 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 vehicles. This
creates a total African vehicle parc in the region
of 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 vehicles – yet little is
understood of this business or industry outside
of Africa.
With so many vehicles in use in Africa, and
all global vehicle manufacturers actively being
represented (including North American,
European and Asian manufacturers), the
vehicle types and technologies are becoming
more varied and diverse, which requires a
broader understanding of modern vehicle
maintenance and service requirements.
Larger African cities have the luxury of
having ‘Manufacturers’ Service Centres ‘and
’approved workshops’ along with training
centres and specialist support to ensure that
Septmber 2015 • | Lubezine Magazine
vehicles receive the most appropriate care and
maintenance.
However, because of the sheer size and
geography of Africa, many African vehicle
owners in certain regions are unable to access the
OEM-approved service centres in larger cities,
these vehicles may never receive the dedicated
support and preventative maintenance that is
required for reliable operation for years into
the future. For these vehicle owners, often the
only time lubricating oil is changed is after a
component failure. Typically, repair work
is completed using outdated methods and
operating practices which cannot provide
adequate support and protection to modern
vehicle technology and component designs.
The preventative maintenance model is a
foreign concept to many vehicle owners even in
parts of the developed world and it’s unfamiliar
to wide portions of the emerging markets.
Yet, this preventative maintenance model is
arguably most important to the remotest parts
of Africa where vehicles are an important
lifeline for communities.
Preventative maintenance and routine
servicing is far from reality for many
community and individually owned vehicles,
especially where unadditised oil or previously
used oil is the standard replacement fluid when
repair work is carried out. These vehicles may
have never been driven on a tarmac surface and
are often overloaded.
Operators use lower quality fuel than they
were designed to run on and the vehicles
experience harsh conditions over severe terrain,
without access to proper service. Repair work
can be creative and imaginative, as technicians
use any means necessary so that the vehicles can
continue to be used for another day.
If a lubricant needs to be replaced or toppedup, then in many situations the most readily
available lubricant is used, whether it is the right
oil for the application or not. An inappropriate
lubricant can usually provide some component
protection for a period of time, but there is a
huge risk. Without the proper lubricant, failure
is inevitable; however, the use of an incorrect
lubricant may not be identified as the cause
of the problem, so the cycle continues and
incorrect oil may continue to be used again and
again, causing further damage.
With numerous global powerhouses of the
lubricant industry already established across
Africa, knowledge and understanding of
automotive lubricant requirements is increasing
outside of larger cities, yet the sheer scale and
infrastructure of the African continent makes
this task impossible to complete as quickly as
ideally required.
Much of the lubricating oil used in some
African regions is either unadditised or
formulated with minimal additives that cannot
provide many of the performance attributes of a
lubricating fluid. Without proper additives, the
oil will be more prone to degradation through
deposits and sludge formation, which can
overheat the oil and an increase its acidity. The
level of protection provided by unadditised or
poorly additised oil is constantly decreasing as
technology and equipment design progresses
and the requirements of the lubricating fluid
are further and further increased.
At one time, basic oils may have provided
some level of component protection and
performance, but that time has passed. Today’s
vehicles have a far higher requirement of the
lubricating fluid, based on increasing power
densities, the wider variety of materials used
in engines, and complex transmission and axle
component.
Automotive developments and advancement
over the past 75 years have seen the introduction
of higher power and torque being