How to get the most out of additives
Additives have long been an essential component in vehicle maintenance, but are they sometimes overlooked and are there healthy margins to be made? Motul Head of Business UK, Andy Wait, has his say.
At Motul, we have long recognised that additives represent a real opportunity to enhance the customer service offer. We have looked at all of the variables that would help make them even more attractive too. We have a first-rate knowledge of what additives can deliver – both for the trade and for the end-user. Our additive product offer provides targeted solutions for numerous automotive requirements.
Once seen as ‘dark art product’, nowadays our fuels and our lubricants owe much to the additives within them, to help provide the performance they offer. As more people understand how additives can help ensure their vehicles run optimally and extend efficient engine working life, the automotive additives market has continued to grow. Our clever thinking and technology means the selection of additives is simple, with clear divisions in the additive categories.
Our additive range allows professionals to provide customers with efficient solutions to fulfil their desire for increased engine performance and covers engines and related parts, which range from transmission to cooling system.
Fuel system additives
Motul Injector Cleaner Diesel & Gasoline is a curative injection system cleaner, which efficiently cleans deposits and clogging. It provides perfect lubrication during its cleaning phase and prevents the micro-particles it has removed from reaccumulating.
Oil system cleaning solutions
Engine fouling – due to incomplete fuel combustion in the engine – is not limited solely to the combustion chamber. It can also contaminate valve lifters and the rest of the cylinder. This fouling hinders interaction of metallic parts and increases abrasion, causing abnormal wear. This can mean more frequent oil changes and even cause engine failure. This wear can also damage the oil system and cause leaks. Our oil additive range offers a wide choice of product solutions.
Engine Clean dissolves contamination and deposits in the oil system, while Engine Oil Stop Leak helps to regenerate engine gaskets, keeping them soft and supple. Hydraulic Lifter Care prevents pressure loss and reduces worrying noises caused by friction.
Additive kits – the pre-test opportunity
Seeking to enhance the potential offer at point of sale, we have also looked at driving needs and habits. We have developed additive ‘kits’ that are designed to offer customers a product ‘bundle’, which will take care of their requirements in a variety of situations. These are, however, particularly relevant to vehicles that are coming up to their annual inspections.
The Emission Reduction and Engine Clean Kits are designed to help ensure vehicles are in as good a shape as possible for the various requirements of the MOT test. Both kits come in petrol and diesel versions.
These not only offer an additional sales opportunity, but should give you a larger revenue and margin, as well as giving the customer an attractive added value offer.
New one-stop shop solutions provide further potential
Looking at providing further sales opportunities in the additives sector, we have created a number of single-solution products, called Motul Ultra. These new additives should prove attractive, should you be looking for a product to help solve a number of different fuel system issues.
Motul All-In-One Ultra Gasoline is a concentrated multi-action additive for cleaning petrol engine fuel systems. It cleans carburettors or injectors, prevents the formation of deposits and varnishes on inlet valves and in-combustion chambers, and disperses water condensation in order to avoid fuel system oxidation and corrosion. This ensures the reduction of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions; the restoration of original engine power and performance; an increased lifetime of fuel injection systems and exhaust after-treatment systems, as well as an easy cold start and better driving comfort.
Motul All-In-One Ultra Diesel is a concentrated multi-action additive for cleaning fuel systems in all diesel engines. It removes deposits and fouling, prevents micro-organism formation in inlet valves and combustion chambers, and disperses water condensation to prevent fuel oxidation. This leads to reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions, restored engine power, improved fuel injection and exhaust system longevity, easier cold starts, and enhanced driving comfort.
Alongside this, we are also launching Motul Fuel Saver Gasoline, a petrol additive, specifically formulated to deliver fuel economy benefits for all types of petrol engines. It is compatible with a wide range of engine technologies – including turbocharged or naturally aspirated engines – engines with or without catalytic converters, and all types of fuel injection systems.
It removes deposits and disperses water condensation to prevent oxidation and protect the fuel injection system, ensuring a cleaner system for optimal efficiency. The additive optimises engine combustion, reduces fuel consumption by up to 5% and helps restore the engine’s original performance. Additionally, the additive stabilises fuel which has been stored for long periods between refills, providing long-lasting protection and preserving engine health.
Technical back-up and point-of-sale
We have a dedicated technical back-up, which includes an increasing number of technical training webinars about Motul products. We have also produced some point of sale and marketing material to accompany the range.
Ultimately, additives offer good margins and have plenty of potential, and at Motul, we aim to make it easier than ever to make them a profitable revenue stream.
