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-   -   Fake Engine oil racket busted (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/174566-fake-engine-oil-racket-busted.html)

Bangalore City Police team bust spurious engine oil racket involving a few fuel stations, automobile stores and garages.

Link to the Bangalore Mirror article -

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/banga...w/51605420.cms

Engine Oil is one of the most important consumable required during your vehicle's service. It is recommended that you buy engine oil yourself from a trusted source or be vigilant when your vehicle is being serviced.

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Good, but the crime is across the nation, and quite frequent, no a one off. It is said that any oil you get in the highway shops is guaranteed fake.

Glad to hear this, but this has been an open secret countrywide for decades. One reason why there is such a thriving market for used/refurbished centrifuges in regions around ship-breaking yards. These centrifuges are subsequently used in the grey market to process used/dirty lubs. of various grades which have been landed ashore by ships (quite legitimately I may add!) to shore facilities. And also disposed of by shore based industry. As can be imagined it is a gigantic business - and how many interested parties are involved is best left to one's imagination.

Disposal of used oils from ships is something all Ch. Engrs on board are familiar with, specially those vessels on liner runs to mainland China - the reprocessing of used lubs (and subsequent "re-entry" of the same into the legitimate market) there is a far bigger industry than in India.

Kudos to the Bangalore police, but this is a multi-headed hydra and an end to it is unlikely.

Damn scary that the fake oil packets made their way to petrol pumps :Shockked:. No car owner would doubt the authenticity of a lubricant bought from a petrol pump! Good thing that the synthetic oils I use aren't available at pumps :D.

Engine oil is the lifeblood of your car. Best to buy it from trustworthy / authorised sources. For instance, I get my engine oil straight from the dealership, distributor (know one personally) or Shetty Motors @ Opera House.

This is why I have been buying oils only from distributors for many years. Its funny how every damn shop has Castrol Magnatec anywhere you go.

When Castrol was the only independent lube maker, fake Castrol was even more rampant. The options were the PSUs or Castrol. The joke was for every litre they make, a least ten litres are sold. I remember getting Castrol Engine oil in 1 litre metal cans just to be sure.

Is there a place I can get the oil checked? (In Bangalore, and other cities ) I still have some unused oil in the can I bought and I was suspicious at the time, and now this news! It is supposed to be Motul, I wonder if each brand has their own office where we can send them fake samples.

I bought a Shell 15-50 Fully Synthetic from 99rpm.com. I Called Shell and verified the Serial number with them and they said it is authentic.

Anyone has any experience in buying oils from 99rpm.com?

The duplicates are too difficult to distinguish based of the visual properties. As an experienced dealer was telling me, the fakes during prolonged usage form sediments at the base of the engine block. Only when we drain the used oil for a change, the fake takes time to trickle down after the drain plug/screw is unplugged due to clogging of the sediments.

The packing is so slick that it is too tough to distinguish the fake from the genuine. And it is a thriving racket that rakes millions of Rupees for the racketeers.

You can give it to a good chemical test lab. But you will need the actual specifications of the genuine oil to compare it to.

I'd just like to add a small correction to avoid any error in interpretation! The above should read - " ...And also, used oils disposed off by shore-based industry...."

Buy from a trusted source, even if you have to pay MRP. Don't look for "deals", over looking this aspect. I always buy my oils from my trusted Shell station, though I pay MRP. Else, from my MASS.

I buy my engine oils directly from the Shell or Mobil distributor in Pune. No compromises on engine oil even if I have to pay a few hundred extra compared to some offers at lower prices. I value peace of mind and reliability over the so called 'deals'.

Guys,

A small question - I am the kind of car user who does not change engine oil by himself. The oil change is usually done when the car is given for servicing. How can we make sure that we are protected against such things?

Should we buy oil from a shop personally and give that to the service centre for putting it in the car? Do they allow such a thing because it would mean a revenue loss for them?

Can I be 100% sure that the oil being used at service stations are checked by the technicians?

Hey R2D2, which dealer do you buy from in Pune? Can you share his details?
Thanks!