As some of you might have known, Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd recently held an oil change festival which saw them give out approximately 6,000 litres of their most technologically advanced engine oil to date, as well as 15,000 litres of their premium V-Power Racing fuel to 500 lucky participants.
The multinational oil and gas company’s objective was to share with car lovers the benefits of using their fully synthetic engine oil – Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology and maximising its operating potential by using the aforementioned fuel. This author was one of the 500 participants lucky enough to be given this ‘rejuvenating’ treat, but before telling you why I loved it, let us first go back to the basics of engine oils.
If you already know about engine oil and the meaning to what’s written on the bottle, then you may skip the following two paragraphs to read about my past week’s experience using Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology and V-Power Racing. For those who have no clue on what the 0W-40, 5W-40 or 10W-40 labels mean, it’s basically the viscosity grading developed over half a century ago to standardise oil changing routines during winter and summer.
Now, most commercial engine oils on the shelves today are multigrades, with the only stark difference between say, a 0W-40 and 5W-40 fully synthetic motor oils being its viscosity grade. The additives used to ensure optimal operating efficiency don’t vary much, if not at all. Allow me to break it down for you; the W in the 5W-40 simply stands for Winter – an indication of its viscosity at rest or room temperature. The lower the number (e.g. 0W-40 vs 5W-40), the thinner the oil. In most cases, we Malaysians use 5W-30/40 grade oils, but be sure to read your car’s instruction manual before grabbing a bottle or blindly sending it to your nearest workshop. It will go a long way in keeping your engine performing at its best.
The subsequent number (e.g. the 40 in 5W-40) represents the fixed viscosity limit it has to achieve at 100°C. Again, the lower the number, the thinner the oil at 100°C. We stress upon this highly – you must refer to your handbook on which engine oil to use. Your mechanic should not be a reference point, the handbook should. If both sources yield an unfavourable end result, you can always submit a used sample for a lab test, then get a recommendation from thereon. Viscosity grades and indexes aside, there’s more information written on the bottle, and Drivers Technology has just about all the information you need, such as API and OEM specifications. To understand viscosity better, click on the video below.
So, with that out of the way, I’ve got a confession to make. Like many new car owners out there, I’ve paid little to no particular attention when it comes to servicing my car. My daily driver is slightly over four years old now, clocking nearly 120,000km on the odometer. At every scheduled maintenance of 10,000 km, I send my car in to the authorised service centre and have them do their thing while I scour the net reading up and reporting about cars, occasionally straying onto Facebook (guilty as charged) and what have you.
Before you throw your judgements, bear in mind that many car owners of recent years tend to entrust their beloved new cars to the capable hands of authorised service centres, because if they don’t, their warranty gets voided. Four years and some 120,000 km later, I finally mustered the courage to kiss my warranty programme goodbye and take up the responsibility to give my car some personal care and attention. This led me to try Shell’s most advanced fully synthetic engine oil – the result of 40-years of research using a patented Gas-to-Liquid process.
Like the other 500 participants at Shell’s #LoveMyRide festival, my car had its engine oil drained before receiving 4-litres of Shell’s latest engine oil, followed by 31 litres of Shell V-Power Racing. Some of you may question the fuel choice, considering how most of us won’t even go near the RM2.90 per litre pump, but that’s just Shell trying to prove a point. Which they did, to some extent. It didn’t take me a week to realise the effects following the oil change, because believe it or not, the consequent result was immediate and impressive to say the least.
The point of ignition was noticeably quicker and the engine felt smoother during idle as well as climbing up the rev range. Vibration while idling was also largely subdued, to my surprise. As for fuel economy, I managed an average of 6.5 litres per 100km – not too bad a feat especially after several stints of spirited driving, courtesy of the premium fuel. More updates on this next week with Shell’s FuelSave RON95.
Update: Average fuel consumption improved considerably – nearly 10 percent more fuel efficient prior to using Shell’s most advanced engine oil! 
It’s absolutely imperative that you service your car at the recommended scheduled intervals, because that’s one key practice to keep your car running in its optimum condition. Picking the right engine oil for your car may prove to be a challenging task, but spare yourself some time to do a bit of research on some of the more popular brands on offer. This of course, comes after you’ve figured out which viscosity grade to go with, and this info is best obtained by going through your handbook. In case you don’t know which book I’m referring to, it’s the thick encyclopedia most commonly stashed and left untouched in your car’s glove compartment.
About Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology
This revolutionary gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology produces a clearer base oil with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil. This base oil delivers higher levels of cleansing and protection, hence, no other motor oil cleans your engine better.
GTL base oil blended with proprietary Active Cleansing Technology as found in Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology helps extend engine life, reduce maintenance costs, reduce oil consumption, maintain fuel economy and enable better cleanliness. As a result, you enjoy enhanced performance and superior wear and corrosion protection for your car’s engine.
The engine oil is tried and trusted by some of the world’s leading engine makers. The product has received OEM approvals from manufacturers including Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Honda, General Motors, Chrysler, and Hyundai. To experience the cleaning power of the revolutionary Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology, simply visit any of the authorised Shell Helix Workshops nationwide listed at www.shell.com.my/helixworkshop.
