I recently made a statement at the Lagos Chamber Of Commerce Conference (late last year). I speculated that if you buy a vehicle between October 2010 and December 2012, there is no quality rated engine oil to service them. It was a big shock to everyone that listened to me. And it is the truth at that time.

Maintenance has many challenges in Nigeria, these are:

1. The quality and standard of Materials Used in Nigeria for vehicle maintenance.
2. The quality and genuineness of parts that is sold in Nigeria,
3. The skill to do the job and do it well
4. The quality and process management on routine maintenance in Nigeria and
5. The financial constraint that will permit quality maintenance in Nigeria.

On a bi-weekly release, I will highlight each topic and demand for advices on what we can do to help ourselves if the Government cannot help us. It will also be an eye opener to many forum trackers. First, I want to give insight to only Engine Oil in circulation and I will conclude on Material challenges next two weeks.

I will like to state that engine oil is what kept the vehicle power house moving. It is also certain that an obsolete oil or an under rated oil will kill the engine very fast and reduce performance to wasteful level.

It is actual but unbelievable that 92% of the engine oil that are available in Nigeria are either under rated for the engines or the engine oil are absolutely obsolete and sold at the same rate as imported engine oils.

The question is, why are the big brand oil makers are not producing the oil rate as demanded by the vehicle manufacturers? Why is the umbrella union of these oil producers allowing the production of under rated? Why is Nigeria Standard Organization not raiding the market to get rid of obsolete rated oil? Why do we have just about 8% of the rightly rated oil coming from just 3 outlets?

What should we do to reverse this trend? These people are killing the cars! like I use to analyze, it amounts to you accepting that a medical doctor should administer an expired drug on your child. What can we do?

Good one bro! Suscribed.

Good one @op, I'm waiting with my pen and paper ready.

Bros, i can't wait to read the continuation.

I have alot to learn here. Am subscribing to this thread.

I don't have a vehicle

3. The skill to do the job and do it well

There are qualified guys that knows exactly what they are doing. It just that most times, they do shabby jobs to drain the vehicle owner.

bros u 4 use season 4 d title instead of parts so dat it wil get to seasonal lik 24 or jumong

u try guy.

ONLY OIL I USE CASTROL OR PENNZOIL. THE REST IS GARBAGE. I REMEMBER ONE TIME USING AN ENGINE OIL CALLED MURPHYS. I COULD INSTANTLY FEEL THE REDUCTION IN ENGINE OUTPUT. I ALSO REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS BEING CHEAP, TOOK MY CAR TO THIS RUSSIAN GUY TO CHANGE MY OIL. THE I-DIOT USED OIL THAT WAS SO THICK THAT I COULD FEEL A DROP IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. SO ITS BEST TO BUY YOUR OWN OIL AND FILTER AND TAKE IT WITH YOU. THATS HOW YOU DO IT. BUY THE OIL, BUY THE FILTER AND TAKE IT TO THE GUY TO USE. DONT LET THEM USE THE CRAP THEY HAVE

Interesting!

Not finding it funny at all.
Can anybody talk to me about the pros and cons of owning (and maintaining) a powerbike? Thinking of getting a Kawasaki early 2014.

Absolutely agree with his post,my 07 camry engine just gave up last week here in Lagos(long story),i service my car @ a reputable toyota workshop every 5000 miles but was told the issue had to do with unrated engine oil.I have now bought a replacement engine ,the mechanics opened up the top of the old engine and it was all clogged up with dark oil.I have been advised to use only Mobil one going forward and reduce service intervals to 3000 miles.

obadiah777: ONLY OIL I USE CASTROL OR PENNZOIL. THE REST IS GARBAGE. I REMEMBER ONE TIME USING AN ENGINE OIL CALLED MURPHYS. I COULD INSTANTLY FEEL THE REDUCTION IN ENGINE OUTPUT. I ALSO REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS BEING CHEAP, TOOK MY CAR TO THIS RUSSIAN GUY TO CHANGE MY OIL. THE I-DIOT USED OIL THAT WAS SO THICK THAT I COULD FEEL A DROP IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. SO ITS BEST TO BUY YOUR OWN OIL AND FILTER AND TAKE IT WITH YOU. THATS HOW YOU DO IT. BUY THE OIL, BUY THE FILTER AND TAKE IT TO THE GUY TO USE. DONT LET THEM USE THE CRAP THEY HAVE

Seconded

@op, am subscribing

Make we kukuma begin service motor with palm oil

PortHarcourtBoy: Make we kukuma begin service motor with palm oil

Do u even own a Bicycle?
@topic: subscribing

Nice topic , i'm so interested....

nice thread, am subscribing..
however, i still have this question in my head, why is nairaland auto section filled with toyota this and toyota that? hardly can one find a good flashy american/european cheap car to buy. almost every car in that section is tokunbo/neatly used toyota ??

chatterly: Absolutely agree with his post,my 07 camry engine just gave up last week here in Lagos(long story),i service my car @ a reputable toyota workshop every 5000 miles but was told the issue had to do with unrated engine oil.I have now bought a replacement engine ,the mechanics opened up the top of the old engine and it was all clogged up with dark oil.I have been advised to use only Mobil one going forward and reduce service intervals to 3000 miles.

the service Interval should 5000km or 3000km and not in mileage rating because miles is higher than kilometer.

obadiah777: ONLY OIL I USE CASTROL OR PENNZOIL. THE REST IS GARBAGE. I REMEMBER ONE TIME USING AN ENGINE OIL CALLED MURPHYS. I COULD INSTANTLY FEEL THE REDUCTION IN ENGINE OUTPUT. I ALSO REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS BEING CHEAP, TOOK MY CAR TO THIS RUSSIAN GUY TO CHANGE MY OIL. THE I-DIOT USED OIL THAT WAS SO THICK THAT I COULD FEEL A DROP IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. SO ITS BEST TO BUY YOUR OWN OIL AND FILTER AND TAKE IT WITH YOU. THATS HOW YOU DO IT. BUY THE OIL, BUY THE FILTER AND TAKE IT TO THE GUY TO USE. DONT LET THEM USE THE CRAP THEY HAVE

cant u change your own oil?thats what i do.heck,i fix most stuff on my camry

991: nice thread, am subscribing..
however, i still have this question in my head, why is nairaland auto section filled with toyota this and toyota that? hardly can one find a good flashy american/european cheap car to buy. almost every car in that section is tokunbo/neatly used toyota ??

believe me,even on good oads,toyota beats most of these cars apart from just a few
if u want any of the dodge cars,go for a charger and nothing more but if u want a car to nlast u for ever,get yourself a toyota

milehigh06:
cant u change your own oil?thats what i do.heck,i fix most stuff on my camry

I DONT LIKE GETTING DIRTY. I AM AN AJEBUTTER

There is nothing to learn here, the OP has already started throwing figures around as if he actually knows the number of automobiles in Nigeria. Always saying the quality of oil in Nigeria as if he has been to 36 states+AbJ. Gosh!

There is one advise for vehicle owners: Take your vehicles to only the brand service centers, it doesnt really cost much. Fullstop!

@OP thanks for the post..wld be nice if you can mention some of the products that falls in d 8% rightly rated oil category and the 3 outlets where one can get em. My car is due for oil change n I currently use mobile 1 but i doubt it's d best oil around. Thanks

Am in LOve with my AutomObile, i just looove japanes vehicles, easy to drive, easy to maintain and a moving BOOM-BOX. Though its acceleration is wack.

I'm sure you're joking..to do it, you have to crawl under the car, you need the right tools and you'll be smeared with oil, grime, and grease...why would I take that trouble...to save myself N500? Or will that improve the quality of oil I use? My advice is that given a situation you have no trust in brands of motor oil on sale, if you have a prized car, consider using synthetic oil, It is less than 10k a gallon(4 ltrs)

milehigh06:
cant u change your own oil?thats what i do.heck,i fix most stuff on my camry