The good news for the UK aftermarket is that the car parc is ageing. But along with the increase in work comes added responsibility to ensure customers’ cars run as smoothly as ever. Here, TotalEnergies outlines how age resistance technology is helping preserve older vehicles.
As the rising cost of living bites, seven out of 10 independent garages and workshops believe that vehicle owners will be less able to afford routine maintenance in the year ahead and are likely to put off essential repairs. Coupled with the fact that the UK’s car parc is ageing fast, it has never been more important to get the ‘basics’ right – including engine oil quality.
According to research conducted by GiPA for TotalEnergies, three quarters of the cars registered in the UK are more than five years old. Meanwhile, last year the RAC Foundation found that the average car was around 10 years old – with GIPA’s analysis suggesting that almost one in two cars on the road will be 10 years old by 2028.
Anti-ageing properties have always been the hallmark of the high-quality oils manufactured by TotalEnergies and these qualities are likely to become even more essential with vehicles being kept on the road for longer and with potentially lower spend on other maintenance.
A look at the tech behind it all
In 2023, the ACEA – which sets the benchmark for lubricant standards in Europe – reintroduced the OM646LA test for certain legacy oil specifications (broadly, those applying to all but the most modern engine types). This essentially assesses lubricant impact on engine wear – making it a key indicator for how a lubricant product can help protect vehicles against the risks commonly associated with ageing.
Total Energies’ R&D teams have developed Age-Resistance Technology which feature in Quartz engine oil products including Ineo (for vehicles equipped with particulate filters) and 9000 (for vehicles without particulate filters).
When set against ACEA baselines and lubricant standards, Age-Resistance Technology provides:
- Up to 74 per cent less total engine wear
- Up to 18 per cent improved protection against sludge build up
- Up to 6x less cam wear
- Up to 30 per cent reduction in high-temperature piston deposits
In addition, compared to the API SN test baseline, Age-Resistance Technology has been shown to achieve a 3x improvement in resistance to oil oxidation.
Taken together, selecting a high quality lubricant can help keep vehicles on the road and performing at their optimum capacity for longer and more efficiently.
By ensuring deposits and sludge are removed from engines and friction between mechanical parts is reduced, lubricants prevent the engine from clogging and becoming damaged.
Effective lubrication using high quality products ensures parts last longer, helping the engine perform better and extending the vehicle’s lifespan – all of which adds up to a cost-effective yet powerful intervention to help to reduce the cost of motoring for drivers.
As drivers increasingly demand more from their vehicles and keep them for longer, with Age-Resistance Technology at its heart the Quartz range from TotalEnergies is built to help mechanics respond to the requirements of modern motoring.
