Car users in Nghe An struggle to find diesel oil that meets Euro 5 emission standards

A 2023 American Ford Everest model using Euro 5 diesel fuel. Photo: Van Truong

Many car owners use substandard oil.

In Nghe An, at this time, there are about tens of thousands of cars that meet Euro 5 standards that have been sold to consumers, but most of them are using substandard oil, causing concerns about engine damage and not meeting emission standards. The reason is that there are too few gas and oil stores that meet Euro 5 emission standards in Nghe An province.

Mr. Nguyen Van Que in Phuc Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district is using a Ford Everest model. from the US bought in 2023, worth over 1.2 billion VND using level 5 emission technology, said: "It is very inconvenient to find a fuel station with 0.001SV oil to use for cars. Because every time I run out of fuel, I have to drive from Yen Thanh district to the gas station in Dien An commune, Dien Chau, nearly 30 km away, which is both time-consuming and costs extra travel expenses. Therefore, in the past few months, I decided not to fill up with 0.001SV oil anymore but to fill up with DO 0.05S oil in Yen Thanh district. I am very worried, if I fill up with substandard oil, if the car is faulty or damaged, will the company repair it under warranty or not?"

Most new car models use diesel fuel that meets Euro 5 standards. Photo: Van Truong

An owner of a Dmax-ISUZU pickup truck in Nghia Minh commune, Nghia Dan district, bought the car in 2023 and was advised by the manufacturer to use DO 0.001SV oil. However, this owner could not comply because to find that type of oil, he had to travel more than 45 km to Quynh Thach commune, Quynh Luu to find a store with qualified oil.

Through research, it is shown that due to the use of substandard oil, many cars are currently displaying errors on the screen, or affecting the engine. A Dmax-ISUZU car owner in Dien Doai commune, Dien Chau bought a car in 2022, did not have the conditions to fill in oil that meets DO 0.001SV standards, and the exhaust pipe became dirty, clogged, and covered with soot. Every time the engine started, black smoke billowed out, polluting the environment and affecting the visibility of the vehicles behind. Currently, this car is being taken to the dealer to handle the above situation.

In Nghe An, there are very few gas stations that sell standard 0.001SV diesel fuel. Photo. PV

Some car dealerships in Vinh City said: Currently, the number of cars with damaged exhaust systems due to using substandard fuel is quite high. If the car is still under warranty, it will be repaired free of charge; for cars that are out of warranty, the owner must pay for the repair costs. Some other car companies also refuse to support the repair of cars using fuel that does not meet the manufacturer's recommendations.

Up to this point, Nghe An has over 600 gas stations, however, only 8 gas stations in the Petrolimex system (belonging to Nghe An Petroleum Company) sell DO 0.001SV oil.

Mr. Cao Viet Dong - Head of Sales Department, Nghe An Petroleum Company said: In response to the increasing demand of customers for using standard oil, in 2024, Nghe An Petroleum Company will invest in expanding 3 more DO 0.001SV oil sales points in Ben Thuy ward (Vinh city), Thai Hoa town and Do Luong town (Do Luong district). To open DO 0.001SV oil sales points that meet standards is very difficult, in addition to having to import this oil, it is also necessary to invest in additional tanks and other equipment...

A Dmax -ISUZU pickup truck manufactured in 2022 in Nghe An using substandard oil, causing black smoke to be emitted, is being repaired at the company. Photo: Van Truong

Euro 5 emission standard requirement

According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), Euro5-compliant fuel is not yet widely available, and is only available in a few localities, making it difficult for consumers to find suitable fuel.

The reason is that the country cannot produce fuel of this level, so it has to import it. In addition, suppliers who want to trade in Euro 5 fuel will have to adjust the pump stations and prepare warehouses, which requires high costs.

Currently, some diesel car manufacturers recommend customers to use 0.001SV (DO-V) oil for the car to operate properly. The company even warns that using non-standard oil can void the car's warranty if damage occurs.

According to experts, 0.001SV diesel fuel is a type of diesel with a sulfur content (S-sulfur) of 10 mg/kg (the ratio is 0.001% sulfur). In Vietnam, this type of oil is not as popular as 0.05S (0.05% sulfur, which means the sulfur ratio is 50 times higher than 0.001S oil). Sulfur is added to diesel to increase the lubrication of machine parts. However, burning sulfur creates soot and toxic sulfur oxide gas (SO _x ), so the lower the sulfur content, the less toxic gas and fine dust will be.

One of the rare gas stations in Dien An commune, Dien Chau district with oil plants meeting DO 0.001SV standards. Photo: Van Truong

Vehicles equipped with Euro 5 but using fuel that does not meet the standards may cause errors or damage to some parts such as fuel injectors, DPF system (diesel particulate filter), A/F sensor (wide-band oxygen sensor), oxygen sensor... reducing engine life due to high sulfur content in fuel; forming _H2SO4 acid _that corrodes transmission parts in the engine... When the exhaust gas treatment system reports an error, engine power will be limited, causing engine weakness and increased fuel consumption.

Therefore, in the long term, there needs to be a solution to expand the number of Euro 5 fuel sales points, to both achieve the goal of protecting the environment and meeting customer needs, as well as to avoid causing damage to consumers.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nguoi-dung-o-to-o-nghe-an-vat-va-tim-dau-diesel-dat-chuan-khi-thai-euro-5-post287759.html