THE EDITOR, Sir:
MANY PERSONS I speak to seem to be unaware of the impact that the type of engine oil used in their vehicle has on fuel economy. For the last several years, I have experimented with a number of different brands of engine oil to ascertain whether they would produce different results in the performance of my engine. The results have been remarkable. I have found that without any adjustments to my driving style, pattern or routes, that different brands of engine oil deliver significantly varied fuel economy.
My experience has seen variations of as much as 5km per litre or 11.75 mpg, for a engine size ranging from 1500 to 1800 cc. What that effectively means is that on the low-end of the scale, one could only drive about 250km on a full tank of gas before needing to refill. While on the high end of the scale, a driving distance of 450km could be achieved.
In terms of dollar value, if a driver is paying $45/litre for gas, he or she could see savings of over $3.00 per kilometre depending which engine oil is in the car. This essentially means that for a driver who covers 300km to 400km per week (which is normal around town driving for many), he or she could lessen his or her weekly gas bill by over $1,000 - money which I am sure everyone would agree could be put to other important uses.
I would encourage drivers to find out what the rated mileage or fuel economy of their vehicle is supposed to be. There are several sites on the internet with such test results. If their vehicle is performing far below that rating and they have no reason to believe that it should be, such as an aged vehicle, then they should consider changing the brand of oil they use.
I am, etc.,
D. RICHARDS
deez@cwjamaica.com
Kingston 10
Via Go-Jamaica
