A new survey has highlighted that many technicians still do not fully understand what oil specifications and marketing claims mean, with many selecting lubricants based on price, not suitability.
As part of its latest white paper, Managing Conformance, Assuring Compliance, the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS), with the support of Comma, surveyed the attitudes of UK workshops by sending a web-based survey to over 12,000 businesses.
The study has found several areas that can make it difficult for technicians when it comes to understanding oil specifications, alongside factors that could guide them down the wrong path when it comes to choosing the right lubricants for a vehicle in service.
Language barrier
Language in lubricants can be complex and confusing. As part of its white paper survey, VLS asked technicians: “In your own words, what do you think is the difference between ‘OE approved’ oils and oils that ‘meet the requirements/specifications of a manufacturer’?”
In total, 30% of respondents either did not understand the difference, did not think there was a difference, or adopted the view that there was no difference, just price.
This means that most respondents understood these terms, identifying that “OE is the right oil according to the dealer. Meet the specification/suitable for use means it meets the requirement but is not the original oil” and “One is generic, and one is specifically designed for those engines”.
However, the result highlights that VLS still has work to do, to help educate the industry on the importance of these different terms, and what their impact could be.
When asked to rank oil specification descriptors in order of which they thought was ‘best’ and ‘worst’, the majority identified OE approved as superior, seeing little difference between the other claims.
Figure 1: Question 6: Place these oil specification descriptors in order of which you think is ‘best’ (top) and which is ‘worst’ (bottom).
The opinion amongst workshops when it came to whether “engine oils that meet the specification of are just as good as OE approved oils”, was split.
Whilst 51% agreed, many were unconvinced, and 27% disagreed. Lubricant manufacturers invest significant sums in gaining OE approvals for their oils, yet many technicians seem unconvinced.
| Strongly Disagree | Slightly Disagree | Neigh Agree Nor Disagree | Slightly Agree | Strongly Agree | |
| Engine oils that ‘meet the requirements’ of an OE are just as good as ‘OE approved’ | 9.76% | 17.07% | 21.95% | 21.95% | 29.27% |
Is quality oil worth paying more for?
According to the survey, most workshops said they used online oil selectors or Autodata to find the correct oil. Quality and suitability were the key factors driving their product choice. However, several workshops did rank price as the most important consideration. According to, that is a cause for concern.
“We know that workshops are under pressure, trying to save money wherever possible,” commented VLS Chairman Harald Oosting. “However, using cheaper, poorer quality oils or ones that do not meet the correct specification risks the protection needed for owners’ vehicles.
“Poor quality or the wrong oil can cause damage to emission control systems, accelerated wear in gears and bearings, and the formation of piston deposits, leading to increased maintenance costs and, if left unchecked, eventual engine failure.
“Modern vehicle engines require sophisticated lubricants using advanced chemistry. Even the slightest change in the formulation has the potential to reduce performance over the short term and cause engine damage over the long term. Compared to standard formulations, cheaper products might contain reduced quality base oils, fewer additives or even untested additives. This can significantly affect the lubricant, resulting in poor or possibly even dangerous performance compared to genuine products.”
Figure 2: Question 9: Thinking about your workshop and the oil you purchase, how would you rank these considerations?
Over 80% of workshops source their engine oils from motor factors. Whilst some were stocking 60-litre drums and barrels, 37% kept 10 or more five-litre packs on site at any one time, highlighting the complexity of product requirements and the dominance of the smaller pack size to cater to different engine requirements.
Are you aware of VLS?
As expected, the data showed a high degree of awareness of Trading Standards, with whom VLS has a Primary Authority relationship and ACEA, the European Association, which sets engine oil specifications.
Figure 3: Prompted Awareness
| Not heard of them | Heard of them but not sure what they do | Heard of them and have a rough idea of what they do | Heard of them and am very familiar with their work | |
| Trading Standards | 0% | 2.53% | 40.51% | 56.96% |
| IMI – Institute of the Motor Industry | 5% | 2.5% | 31.25% | 61.25% |
| SMMT – Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders | 23.75% | 12.5% | 28.75% | 35% |
| IAAF – Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation | 15.19% | 17.72% | 46.84% | 20.25% |
| ACEA – The European Automotive Manufacturers Association | 17.95% | 15.38% | 44.87% | 21.79% |
| UKLA – UK Lubricants Association | 51.25% | 16.25% | 20% | 12.5% |
| VLS – Verification of Lubricant Specifications | 55.56% | 13.58% | 19.75% | 11.11% |
| ATIEL – Technical Association of the European Lubricants Industry | 64.56% | 15.19% | 16.46% | 3.8% |
| UEIL – Union of the European Lubricants Industry | 70.67% | 12% | 14.67% | 2.67% |
Just 12 years ago, VLS did not exist. Now, over 33% of survey respondents have heard of the industry body, representing a significant shift.
Work continues through events like Automechanika Birmingham and key industry publications to reach the rest of the workshop audience so that all technicians become aware of VLS’s role in protecting and upholding standards in the lubricants industry.
You can find out more about VLS and keep up to date with the latest case investigations at the VLS website: https://ukla-vls.org.uk/
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