By Allan Perry
Technical Coordinator
ConocoPhillips Company
Today’s automobile owners keep their vehicles longer; in fact, approximately two-thirds of the vehicles on America’s roads have more than 75,000 miles on the odometer. Although high-mileage car owners are generally fonder of their cars and more likely to take special care of them, consumers may fail to recognize the importance of motor oil selection in helping their engines perform well after 75,000 miles.
Many consumers are learning that specially formulated high-mileage motor oils can be a better choice for high-mileage engines; however, many others are still unaware of the potential value in looking beyond a conventional mineral oil to protect their engines. Helping your customers understand the benefits of high-mileage motor oil can make it an easy sell — after all, who doesn’t want their engine’s performance maximized?
When a car or light truck/SUV has considerably more mileage, customers may notice some drop in performance. In high-mileage engines, gaskets may become brittle, buildup of engine sludge and piston deposits may appear, rings may wear and valves may not seal as tightly. Such deterioration in performance can lead to increased oil consumption, leakage, poor lubrication, diminished engine-cooling efficiency, decreased fuel efficiency and, ultimately, shortened engine life. Because these changes usually occur gradually, customers may not even be aware of them — until you bring them to their attention.
When customers come into your shop with high-mileage cars, ask them if they’ve noticed any of these “symptoms” or oil stains on the driveway or garage floor. If so, explain to them that crankshaft seals may have hardened and lost their flexibility, so they leak and may crack, especially at low temperatures. Helping the customer to understand why these problems might be occurring can give you the perfect opportunity to explain that it isn’t too late to give the engine the special care it needs.
High-mileage motor oils are typically formulated with conditioners that flow into seal pores to restore their shape while increasing their flexibility. These conditioners can help the seals swell, thereby preventing or reducing leakage. Properly conditioned seals may also reduce oil consumption, protecting customers’ engines while saving them money on additional oil purchases over time.
High-mileage motor oils also contain special detergents that can help to reduce the formation of engine deposits. While customers may not understand the effects of engine deposits, you can get their attention by stressing the benefits of preventing such deposits — let the customer know that using high-mileage motor oils can help to improve performance, prevent engine damage and extend engine life by controlling oil thickening, deposits and oil consumption. A more educated, skeptical or inquisitive customer may appreciate hearing about more specific technical benefits (viscosity index, shear stability, etc.), but be careful not to confuse customers with excessive scientific details.
Finally, you can explain to your customers how high-mileage motor oils represent a step forward in motor oil technology. These motor oils are formulated with a carefully balanced blend performance additive package, plus seal conditioning agents. The result is a specifically formulated product that can help remedy the effects of higher-mileage wear and tear. By simplifying the technical benefits of these motor oils and presenting them in layman’s terms, you can help make customers feel comfortable about purchasing high-mileage motor oils, such as Kendall GT-1 High Mileage Synthetic Blend Motor Oil with SealMax, while improving their customer service experience. This can build customer and product loyalty, which will surely benefit both you and the customer farther down the road.
For additional information, visit www.kendallmotoroil.com.
