Can oil be counterfeited? Motor oils: protection against fakes

Toyota cars are well-deservedly popular all over the world. They are distinguished by good reliability and comfort for passengers. For their cars, the manufacturer produces the original engine oil - Toyota 5W30. This product has several varieties, including a mixed type oil composition.

Japanese quality

Japanese car engines are very susceptible to engine oil. That is, they require exactly those oil formulations that are produced by Toyota. To track and classify the qualitative composition of Japanese oils, American experts in this field, together with Japanese manufacturers, have created a new standard - ILSAC. The classifier monitors the compliance of the composition of the product with the inherent characteristics. Only if there is such a match, the manufacturer receives a license for his product.

That is why the oil, according to this standard, receives indices - for example, CN, CF, GF. There is also indexing by 5 levels - for example, GF-5, as well as other differences. Toyota has a wide range of oils produced - for every taste. All products are manufactured by ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha Co., Ltd. What is the difference between the Toyota 5W30 oil line and products from other manufacturers?

These oils have some of the most pronounced qualities. This:

The basic composition of the oils is made by deep hydrocracking. Their uniqueness lies in specially developed and patented additive packages that give the products their properties and qualities. Toyota oil is universal, it is suitable for all types of power units. It can be filled in both cars and trucks, buses.

Unfortunately, counterfeiting of Toyota original motor oils is widespread today. The reason is the great popularity and the need to use this particular lubricant for machines of the same manufacturer. When buying, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the original from the fake.

When using low-quality lubricants, machine engines shorten their life and quickly fail. This is evidenced by the numerous negative reviews of car owners who have filled in fake grease.

We determine the original by the type of canister

There are a lot of different brands of fake Toyota oil on the market, including 5W30. The first distinguishing feature of fake oil is its price. It should be remembered that it cannot be low, although many buy into it. Another point to remember is that liter canisters are not faked. Therefore, it is best to purchase them, although it will cost a little more. But, as they say, a miser pays twice.

Fake containers into which oil formulations are poured differ from the original. Consider, for example, the difference in plastic canisters with a volume of 5 liters, into which Toyota Engine Oil 5W40 engine oil is poured.

If you compare fake canisters and original ones, you can find several main differences.

1. The quality of the plastic - in fake and original canisters, it can be distinguished. Pay attention to roughness. The original Toyota 5W40 canister is made of smooth and even plastic, which cannot be said about a fake. There plastic is rough and roughly made. The seam at the junction of the two halves of the body may have small defects.
2. Adhered labels can also be distinguished. The originals are of very good quality. The colors are saturated, the font is clear and even, without any defects. Fraudsters do not achieve this quality, defects remain. The Toyota emblem on the original is without a pink tint, the fake has such a color. You can check with a degreaser - it is applied to a rag and the label is rubbed. The original does not lend itself to such an effect, but the paint peels off on a fake.
3. Canister lids. Everything is simple here - on the original, the lid has an engraving, which shows the scheme of its opening. The fake has a lid with a smooth top.
4. The back labels are also different. If you carefully read the text, you can find errors or typos, which is unacceptable.
5. Another important point is the country in which Toyota Engine Oil 5W40 engine oil is produced. This product is made in Europe. Therefore, there should be an inscription Made in EU, and the country of origin is indicated through the dash. Typically, this is Italy (I). There may also be such inscriptions: Made in EU: Italy. A fake, as a rule, has the designation that it was made in France, although there is no such production there. So far, oil production has been established only in Italy.

If Toyota oil has already been purchased, you can distinguish the real product in another way: it is freezing. Place a small amount of product in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then check it for fluidity. The fake should thicken a lot, the original should not. This is explained by the fact that scammers, as a rule, pour the cheapest and low-quality oil into canisters.

Metal containers

Toyota oil is produced both in cans and in metal cans. This, first of all, refers to the composition of Toyota 5W30 - it is produced only in metal containers, painted in two colors - silver and red. The volume is usually 4 liters. The first thing you should pay attention to is who the manufacturer is. Without fail, this is ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha Co., Ltd, Tokyo 108-80005. The container may contain two types of oil: Toyota 5W30 SL (synthetic) and Toyota 5W30 SM (semi-synthetic).

On the market, you can also find Toyota 5W30 SN oil liquid manufactured by Singapore; 3-liter and one-liter cans are used for its spill. Toyota 5W30 API SN ILSAC GF-5 is also a 100% Japanese product - no fakes of this oil have been found in metal containers so far.

Recently, elongated cans (3 liters) have appeared on sale. Everything seems to be the same, the inscription is the same - Toyota 5W30 SN GF-5, but there is one nuance that buyers do not pay attention to. Fanfaro is written on the container in small letters. That is, under the guise of Toyota, a completely different lubricant is sold. To distinguish this fake, you need to turn the jar - on the top side wall you will see this inscription (see photo below).

All eminent motor manufacturers value their reputation. It is completely unprofitable for them that the quality of their products falls, a large number of negative reviews and dissatisfied customers appear. Therefore, they try to do everything possible to prevent such situations. ZIC is no exception. One of the main problems is a large number of counterfeit products. In the case of fake oils are not uncommon, companies also have to deal with underground manufacturers. It is almost impossible to eradicate the scammers themselves. Therefore, the only effective solution to the problem is the creation of reliable protection against fakes. For this, special packaging production technologies are being developed, certain product characteristics are given so that buyers have the opportunity to distinguish the original from the fake even before purchasing a canister of liquid.

The buyer should be able to distinguish the original fake ZIC oil.

Authentication

The desire to fake ZIK oil is due to the popularity of this lubricant. This is the main source of problems for large and well-known companies. The higher the demand for the product, the more likely it is to encounter a fake. This situation is explained very simply. Fraudsters are interested in counterfeiting products that can be easily sold. After all, if consumers trust a particular brand, they will definitely buy it. But little-known firms that have not reached the peak of their popularity or are just entering a large market are often not interested in fraudsters, since the level of demand for such products will be very low. The first thing the buyer must check in time is the authenticity of the container in which the working fluid is sold. There are several ways to check the oil for authenticity in just one container.

The buyer should pay attention to:

• polyethylene provided on the lid in the original packaging;
• container material;
• quality of plastic and its casting;
• label;
• hologram;
• engraving;
• identification code;
• measuring scale.

Let's go through all the characteristic features and distinctive features of the container separately. This will allow you, even before the very fact of buying for a car, and not pay in vain for counterfeit products.

Distinctive characteristics

Every motorist knows how important consumables play for the correct, safe and trouble-free operation of the machine. Therefore, when choosing ZIK oil, you should carefully study the packaging and rely on all the characteristic distinguishing features of the original container. If you fill in a fake, which happens not so rarely in our time, despite all the efforts of the manufacturer, the elements of the car increase, its breakdown and further expensive repairs.

In order not to run into a fake ZIC oil, try to give enough time to the process of choosing a working fluid. Take your time, do not hesitate to ask the seller questions and refuse to buy if something bothers you. This is your legal right as a consumer. As well as the right to return goods in case you doubt the quality or authenticity of the purchased product.

Now let's look at the main characteristics of the ZIK oil container, by which you can identify a fake and find a real original working fluid of a well-known brand.

1. Manufacturing material. To begin with, remember that after the rebranding carried out in 2015 at ZIK, it was decided to abandon the use of metal. Therefore, only the old canisters that were stale on the shelves of sellers are made of metal. All modern containers, with the exception of the largest canisters for wholesale buyers, are made of plastic. If you see a standard 4 liter metal container, then you have a fake or an old, stale product. It is better for you to refuse both options, since it is recommended to fill the car with only the freshest possible working fluids.
2. Manufacturing quality. Experienced motorists do not have any particular problems with how to distinguish fake ZIC oil in plastic. Often scammers do not really think about the quality of the packaging, leaving various irregularities on the packaging, inaccurate soldering points of two halves, burrs and other defects. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is take ZIK oil in your hands, feel the canister, check it for workmanship. If you find different irregularities, then you have a fake. All original canisters undergo rigorous quality control, therefore, on real ZIC containers, such irregularities are excluded.
   
3. Thermal film. A fake ZIC oil can be identified by it. The presence of polyethylene on the lid is necessarily provided by the ZIK plant. The thermal film is placed on the neck of the container and the logo is always applied. If there is no SK Lubrikans inscription on it, then we hasten to upset you, because this is an obvious fake. The advantage is that you can check the presence of the film without buying a product. This film allows you to protect canisters from forgery and additionally prevent accidental unscrewing of the lid. Dual functionality aimed at customers.
4. Disposable skirt. It is provided on the lid of the canister. When unscrewing, this element remains on the neck. And already under the lid you will find a special foil. The logo on it is the same as on the thermal film. Its presence is mandatory. If the foil is missing or there is no inscription, this is not the original, but a fake composition. Therefore, it is better to refuse its use.
   
5. Labels. Suppose that you bought yourself a canister of oil from the South Korean manufacturer ZIC, found a lid with all the engravings, a metal container. And it has a label on it. Gently glued, evenly located on the surface of the package. And here you need to stop and put the canister in place. There are no paper labels in the original packaging applied to the container with glue or any other materials. For real containers of this oil manufacturer, information is applied directly to the material of the canister itself. And it does not matter whether it is metal in large containers or modern plastic that appeared after the rebranding.
6. Inscriptions. Often scammers rely on the inattention of buyers and the sellers themselves, through which the goods are sold. Therefore, the label must be studied not only by the method of its application, but also by the very information that is provided there. It happens that in non-original containers there is no information on expiration dates, the letters in the names change, or the original product name is supplemented with additional characters. We recommend that you study the data on the packaging and compare the product names with the information provided on the official website of the company. See what oils ZIC produces and how they are spelled correctly. If you see that the data does not match even one letter, you have a fake.
   

At first glance, most of you will think that the presented distinctive features are enough to identify counterfeit products and original ZIK engine oil. But the manufacturer does not stop there, because fraudsters regularly find new solutions and workarounds to counterfeit the product anyway and present it on the market under the loud and sought-after name ZIC.

Additional protective measures

In order to protect customers from non-original goods as much as possible, ZIK specialists are developing new methods of protection against fakes. You must understand that only the care and responsibility of the buyer himself can avoid buying counterfeit oil. Yes, ZIC enterprises try to make the maximum number of security signs and distinctive features. But if you do not pay attention to them, then avoiding the use of low-grade oil will be problematic.

It is easy to guess that the original ZIC oil works much better, ensures reliable and long-term operation of all engine components. If you fill in a fake, this leads to rapid wear, serious damage and costly repairs. If you know how to distinguish fakes from original formulations, then all this can be avoided.

The following can be distinguished as additional protection measures by which the original is determined.

If the authenticity check has been successfully passed, you can start filling ZIK oil into the crankcase of your car's engine. Some doubt to the last whether they have chosen the right oil and whether the words of the seller correspond to reality. Indeed, it often happens that we trust store employees, and do not try to verify the originality of the oil on our own. This is a common phenomenon that is difficult to deal with.

In order to finally verify the complete safety and originality of the selected working fluid from ZIK, we will conduct a few more simple tests and tests. They will let you know if you did everything right, or if you have a well-made fake in your hands.

1. Price issue. All kinds of promotions, unique offers and reduced prices always play against the buyer. Blinded by discounts, we buy a product and do not think why the manufacturer suddenly showed such generosity. The very fact of shares from ZIK cannot be ruled out. But their oils are by no means cheap, so if the price is too low, you should have suspicions about the authenticity of the product. If the price is reduced by more than 1/4 of the original cost, then it is better not to take this oil. It may turn out to be original, but old, stale on the shelves. The seller just needs to implement it. Or it is a fake, for the sale of which customers are "blurred" with a low price.
2. Color. If the package is already open, you can identify the original by smell and color. We have already talked about the aroma. As for the color, in the original it is always golden or light yellow. If you find darker shades, there is a high probability that you have counterfeit products.
3. Frost resistance. The test can be carried out at home if it is possible to create an appropriate temperature regime. The real composition from ZIK begins to become cloudy only at temperatures from -32 degrees Celsius, but the fluidity remains unchanged. When the oil darkens earlier or begins to thicken, it is definitely a fake.
4. Bursts. The test is extremely simple and can be carried out in the store itself. Take the container in your hands and shake it. If you hear splashes, then you should not buy such oil. In the original container, the composition cannot flop.

All these tips will help you make the right purchase and fill your engine oil sump with original oil from a well-known manufacturer. Always count on yourself, come to the store prepared and do not think that the sellers always understand everything, and they are not interested in selling counterfeit products. It is best to buy such consumables for a car in certified stores, through official representatives who have the relevant documents for the sale of ZIC products.

It is believed that the quality of engine oil can be determined by the bank. Or rather, according to the material from which this jar is made. If the oil is poured into a metal can, it means that it is of high quality and is protected from fakes. 100% counterfeit guarantee - this is an iron can.

Is this true or another myth? Let's see what the vaunted iron can hides.

Who produces oils in iron cans

Many manufacturers pack motor oils in metal cans: Motul, Toyota, Mitasu, Honda, Eneos, XADO, Janan Oil, Mobil, Zic, Nissan, Subaru, Selenia. According to this range of oils sold in Ukraine, we can say that most of them are made in Japan. Of course, these are high quality oils. There are also European oils, the quality of which no one will dispute. These are Motul and Selenia. But XADO and Zic cannot be put on a par with such products, despite the fact that these oils are also filled in iron cans. The inconsistency turns out, the can is metal, and the quality is not at all the highest ...

Japanese oils: what is good and what is bad in them

Each motor oil has its own shelf life. On average it is 1.5 years. From Japan, oils are delivered by sea, since sea transportation is the cheapest, shipping costs are minimal in terms of a unit of production. But transportation by sea has one significant drawback - time. It takes at least 3 months for the goods to arrive from Japan to Ukraine, and sometimes longer. Customs clearance of cargo can last from a month to six months. The peculiarities of the work of our customs are still far from civilized, but that is another question. In total, in the best case, from the date of production of high-quality engine oil to the date of its entry into retail sales, at best, 4-5 months pass. At worst - 9 months. Calculate how much you ride on such oil, if, for example, you change the oil once a year? It turns out that Japanese oil is not as good as they say. What to do for those who drive Japanese, and for whom exactly Japanese oil is the best option. Of course, you need to fillwhat suits the engine, but when buying Japanese oils, it is very advisable to carefully check the production date so as not to buy a delay or oil that was released a year ago. This definitely won't last long, unless you drive in such a way that a replacement is necessary every couple of months. It turns out that the quality of Japanese oils is impeccable, but its shelf life can be significantly reduced.

As for counterfeit, it is impossible to predict every move of scammers, and is it worth it to torment yourself with guesses about whether scammers will pour car oil into an iron canister or not? The main protection against fakes is the purchase of engine oil in a reliable store, where there are certificates .. And an iron can is a rather unreliable reference point, and it is hardly suitable for assessing the quality of motor oils.

In September last year, in Khakassia, more than 1.3 thousand liters of motor oils with signs of counterfeiting were seized from a large store with a total value of 790 thousand rubles.

In December, in the Solnechnogorsk district of the Moscow region, employees of the GUEBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia stopped the activities of four clandestine factories producing counterfeit motor oils from leading world manufacturers. It was one of the largest operations in recent times: about 70 tons of oil products and more than 80,000 containers of finished products were found at the enterprise.

As you can see, the statistics are disappointing. Everyone suffers from counterfeiting - both manufacturers, who lose profits, and consumers. Counterfeit engine oil can cause serious engine problems, which means enormous damage to the motorist's budget.

Oil harmful to engine health

To understand how fake engine oil can harm your car's engine, let's remember why it is needed in principle. Usually, oil performs several functions at the same time: it reduces friction between rubbing parts, reduces their wear, protects against corrosion, cools, and also cleans engine parts.

Fake motor oil is, at best, a cheap analogue with reduced quality characteristics, at worst, a mixture of industrial oil and cheap grease for trucks and tractors, or even completely used motor oil.

It is not difficult to guess that the surrogate causes great harm to the engine. Firstly, due to low-quality additives (if they are present at all), the fake becomes liquid at high temperatures, so the parts are poorly lubricated and wear out quickly.

Secondly, a fake contributes to the corrosion of internal parts, which causes engine pollution and a fairly quick (after 20–30 thousand km) failure.

Choice without risk

How to protect yourself from fakes and choose high-quality motor oil? When buying, you should focus on several important criteria.

Package. It must have all degrees of protection, which can be found on the website of the engine oil manufacturer. But here it is necessary to remember that expensive well-known brands are counterfeited most often. A fake may look like the original, because for the sake of the huge profit that this business brings, scammers are ready to master security technologies.

In addition, most brands of motor oils are sold, and therefore faked,in plastic containers. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to metal packaging,which is almost impossible to fake. By the way, there are not so many products in such packaging on the shelves.One of the few is a manufacturerRolf Lubricants, which represents a line of motor oils under the ROLF brand.The release of products for the Russian market is carried out only in metal cans. And this a balanced decision of the manufacturer, who understands that it is in Russia that the problem of fakes is acute. It is impossible to repeat or fake a metal canister of ROLF motor oils. Such packaging guarantees 100% the purchase of a high-quality product.

Price. The more promoted the brand, the more expensive it is and the more confidence it should inspire in the consumer. This means that such a brand is the main target for criminals. The buyer should always be wary of the too low cost of expensive oil. However, an adequate price for the reasons described above does not always guarantee that you are not a surrogate. And there are two ways out: buy elite motor oil only from trusted sellers and at the appropriate price, or pay attention to the middle price segment, which is of less interest to counterfeit manufacturers. In this sense, ROLF engine oil is also a good alternative to expensive brands.

In no way inferior in terms of technical characteristics to branded counterparts, ROLF perfectly copes with all the functions of engine oil and ensures productive engine operation for a long time.

ROLF Products complies with certifications API (American Petroleum Institute) And ACEA (Association des Constracteurs Europeens des Automobiles).The manufacturer's line includes both summer and winter, as well as all-weather oils, products for gasoline and diesel engines. To date, there are 12 basic positions of ROLF oils.

The most important thing is that when buying ROLF engine oil in a metal canister, you can be 100% sure that the product is genuine.

In a tin container. And so, in 2016, many supporters of this really good oil could not get it. Visiting online stores and offline points of sale, instead of the long-familiar packaging, buyers saw ZIK oil in plastic canisters. Naturally, many wondered: what is it, original or fake? And what is this transformation about? In this article, we answer these questions and reveal all the secrets of the new ZIC packaging.

Video review of the new containerZIC. The original or a fake?

At the end of 2015, the management of the concern SK Lubricants It was decided to rebrand the packaging of their products. According to the head of the marketing department of the SK concern, this is due to the development of a new proprietary synthetic base oil. YUBASE+.

The new plastic canister, which replaced the tin packaging, has got two handles - one on top, the other on the side. Now pouring oil has become much more convenient. From the end, the container has acquired a measuring scale. In different parts of the canister, we see plastic of different textures.

In order to protect our products from fakes, the following elements have been developed:

		The protective foil with the printed ZIK logo prevents oil from spilling when the canister is overturned and serves as additional protection against counterfeiting.
		The neck of the canister is sealed in thermal film with the SK logo.
		SK Lubricants patented hologram labeling system. If you tilt the canister at a certain angle, you can see the SK lubricants holographic logo on the yellow strip, which is not normally visible. Also, the SK holographic logo is placed on the letters of the ZIC brand.
		Engraved inscription ZIC on the bottom of the canister.

The elements of the ZIC label include the following relevant information:

		Product name
		Fuel economy symbols
		oil viscosity, base oil composition
		Main specifications andapplication area

It also has an identification code.

The changes also affected the color of the packaging: gold, gray, blue and red colors are now used for ZIK canisters. The numbers in the product name help the consumer to easily determine the quality level of the oil.

The flagship ZIC product line is labeled TOP. These are fully synthetic oils from the best grades of base oils, made according to the most modern recipes with the addition of polyalphaolefins. The composition of the oil includes an improved package of additives.

Engine oil ZIC TOP 5W-30

X9 - range of synthetic oils based on YUBASE+ hydrocracked base oil with the addition of an improved additive package.

X7 - synthetic engine oils based on YUBASE+ hydrocracked base oil with a standard additive package.

X5 - semi-synthetic oils- made on the basis of YUBASE base oil with the addition of additives and mineral oils.

X3 - line of mineral motor oils. ZIC X3 will not be delivered to Ukraine. This oil is produced specifically for the markets of some Asian countries.

As you can see, ZIK has optimized its engine oil line and rebranded it. There was a complete update of ZIC engine oils, not only inside but also outside.

Let's summarize. ZIC oils are now bottled in plastic canisters. They will no longer be supplied in iron containers, with the exception of oils for commercial vehicles in 20-liter packaging, which continue to be poured into tin buckets. All oils in plastic cans are truly original. Just in the future, when buying ZIK oils, pay attention to the features of the canister that we have given in this article.

And lastly, buy oils only in specialized stores. Enjoy the shopping!