Ask the Mechanic
The damage caused by the fuel adulteration and poor engine service may not be reversible by fuelling with premium Shell V-Power Unleaded petrol. Photo /DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
After inspection, my mechanic says the previous owners used adulterated fuel so much that the engines are not in a good condition
Can a damaged engine be revived by premium fuel?
I am considering buying a low budget car (third hand): A Kruger or X-trail. After inspection, my mechanic says the previous owners used adulterated fuel so much that the engines are not in a good condition. However, their price tags are so good that I am beginning to think that I buy one, then use balance to deal with the engine issues later. Do you think such engines can be revived, especially if I use good fuel like Shell’s V-Power? What’s your advice on this?
Jotham Musiime
Hello Jotham buying a used (3rd hand) low budget Toyota Kluger or Nissan Xtrail with an engine damaged by fueling with adulterated petrol and poor engine oil maintenance may cost you much more, due to costly breakdown and repairs, soon after the purchase. The damage caused by the fuel adulteration and poor engine service may not be reversible by fueling with premium Shell V-Power Unleaded petrol.
It is important to pay attention to the mechanic’s declaration that the low budget car engines inspected are ‘not in a good condition’. Adulterated fuel is usually mixed with kerosene by unscrupulous fuel dealers to make more profit. Whereas the car will be able to move, the mixture of petrol with kerosene will not allow prompt and total combustion hence causing poor engine performance and damage.
In the short term the car will experience hard starts, increased fuel consumption and harmful emissions. Use of adulterated fuel can cause serious damage to vital engine components in the fuel system (fuel pump and injectors), intake system (valves), combustion system (pistons) as well as the emission system (catalytic converters and oxygen sensors).
On the other hand, whilst premium gasoline fuel Shell V-Power Unleaded is designed to clean, protect and enhance performance of a petrol engine’s intake, fuel, combustion and emission systems it cannot revive an engine whose vital components mentioned are damaged.
Poor engine oil service implies irregular engine oil change. Good engine oil is designed to protect and enhance engine performance by preventing corrosion damage, overheating, seizure of fast metallic components such as the valves, pistons and chain driven timing kit and evacuating soot and metal debris for filtration. Failure to service the engine oil on time will cause serious irreversible damage to the metallic components above.
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