China Consumer Reports compares five international and domestic brands in a comprehensive analysis
Lubes put to the test Image: China Consumer Reports |
The watchdog, which analyses anything from baby milk formula to washing up liquid, pitted five foreign and local lubes brands against each other to assess which performed best.
From the domestic market, CC Reports tested Kunlun’s Tianyuan and Great Wall Justar, as well as Shell Helix, Mobil 1 and Castrol Edge from abroad.
The lubes were tested for viscosity, cleanliness, anti friction and overall effectiveness in an independent Chinese laboratory.
The watchdog ranked Mobil 1 as the highest performing lube, followed in second and third place by Shell Helix and Castrol, respectively. China’s Great Wall Jin Jixing and Kunlun Tianyuan came fourth and fifth.
According to the independent testing, Kunlun’s offering failed to meet API standards for cleanliness and was found to leave a sticky film and excessive sediment build up after sustained usage.
According to API standards, SM 5W-30 lubricants should leave no more than 35mg of sediment in hot weather conditions, compared to the 62.4mg left by Tianyuan. The lube, which is labelled SM 5W-30, also fared poorly in extreme weather conditions.
The study also found that Castrol and Kunlun lubes faced the same problem in extreme weather conditions.
According to a spokesperson from ExxonMobil most producers make their lubes compliant with API/ACEA standards, but in practice many have differing characteristics. For example, Castrol’s API SN has the Q/CSCL 001 standard, while CNPC uses the Q/SY RH2017-2010 standard, meaning the quality of lubes can differ greatly from brand to brand.
The findings almost immediately follow a report from Guizhou province’s official testing body, which found 16 different lubes-makers were producing lubricants that did not meet the standards printed on the labels and required by the local government.
All sixteen batches, purchased from local 4S dealerships, were designed for use with motorcycles and had serious safety and quality issues, despite often bearing API and above credentials.