Local gasoline quality fuels problems and poses challenges
Local gasoline quality fuels problems and poses challenges
Wenda Wonoseputra
and
Eko Yulianto
Contributors Jakarta
The writers are respectively president director and head of after-sales service at PT Car and Cars Indonesia, the authorized sole agent for Volkswagen cars in Indonesia
In contrast to the huge automotive market here, along with its yearly growth in sales, local fuel quality is lower than that in developed countries. This affects the performance of car engines, however robust they may be, and their lifespan is reduced. By now, due to this factor, Indonesian customers know better than to put the blame on car brands or manufacturers.
A number of car manufacturers regularly send samples of local fuel to be checked accurately. The results have always been disheartening. Among the various unwanted components, gum, for example, exceeds what is allowed -- index 4 -- as local fuel contains gum with an index of 19.4.
The existence of gum in such large quantities causes bonding with certain other elements that eventually results in excessive carbon deposits in the combustion chamber of a car's engine. It also degrades the quality of oil in the engine as the oil turns to a sticky, muddy gel.
For most European cars that are manufactured to use fuel of Euro 4 emission standard, local fuel quality is really problematic. In fact, a "death sentence" for the engine lurks at hand. The plan to implement a higher emission standard, only Euro 2 -- still lower than Euro 4 -- is still a few years away, in 2006. Until then, automotive manufacturers here have to deal with existing problems in relation to local fuel quality and all its implications.
Communications is probably one effective tool to help customers get the best performance from their cars in a given situation. Some companies suggest certain additives when filling up with gas. However, not every car owner does this regularly.
Most manufacturers and authorized sole agents or importers have taken a precautionary step. The regular service is now more frequent; from the standard interval of every 15,000 kilometers (km) applied in country of origin, the authorized sole agent of Volkswagen cars in Indonesia recommends servicing every 10,000 km.
Volkswagen workshops in the country categorize the damage to engines caused by low fuel quality as critical and less serious. For less serious cases, the engine is flushed. Instead of filling it with four liters of oil, the mechanic uses three liters of oil and one liter of diesel fuel. After revving up the engine for about 30 minutes to reach a high temperature, the oil and diesel fuel are discharged. This process is repeated three times to ensure that the engine is perfectly clean. For engines in critical condition, in the worst cases they must be replaced.
With customer satisfaction uppermost in mind, the parent company of Volkswagen in Germany has decided that the entire network of workshops plus relevant paraphernalia have to be ready before any variant or model is launched. Again, this is to ensure that from day one a customer has no worries over any problems affecting the latest model he may purchase.
Major car makers have incorporated excellent after-sales service into their corporate business and global marketing strategy, as after-sales service to the highest international standards set by the parent company is the order of the day. Hence, training, again of international standard, is given to every tier of engineers and mechanics, who are then referred to as service specialists in certain aspect of engine maintenance. Not only technical expertise, these specialists are provided with the necessary intangible skills, like communications and customer care, to ensure customer satisfaction.
Most leading players in the automotive industry, like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Volkswagen and several others, have equipped their workshop network with sophisticated gadgets that are connected online even with the parent company in its country of origin. Next to professional specialists who are also computer-savvy, diagnosis and trouble shooting are much helped by computers.
Apart from the preparedness of workshops-cum-sales centers to provide the best "3S" (sales, service and spare parts), which is a basic requirement, today they are also required to have ready the latest intranet system. This means huge investment for them compared with years back when almost anyone could type up a proposal and submit an application to be appointed as an authorized workshop costing comparatively less.
In the case of the creme de la creme with a prestigious vehicle, taking the car to the workshop is the least of their worries. Their drivers do it. From the moment they have purchased their expensive vehicle, they have already assumed that workshops, with an entire regimen of specialists and state-of-the-art equipment, will solve each and every problem. Here lies the challenge for each car maker, along with the workshop: To prove to the customer that whatever the problem, including the existing low quality of local fuel, they can meet any challenge and that their car is up to the job.