How to spot fake Shell Helix motor oil

Filling with counterfeit Shell Helix oil is extremely dangerous for a car engine. Fake does not provide lubricating properties and does not provide anti-corrosion protection. At the same time, it quickly oxidizes and loses its functions. As a result, this leads to accelerated wear of rubbing surfaces, reduces heat dissipation and does not allow the creation of a normal protective oil film. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to distinguish counterfeit Shell Helix oil.

Shell Helix engine oil

Canister

When inspecting a Shell Helix canister, you first need to check its color.
For many years, the brand has been pouring lubricant into containers that have their own shade depending on the viscosity of the oil. You can check the corporate color using the table below. Table - Canister color depending on the oil series

The original canister is made of a material with a metallic overflow. Fraudsters are extremely rarely able to recreate it. Usually it all comes down to shagreen with orange peel.

Metal overflow

It is advisable to look at the canister “into the light”. Branded packaging is not transparent. The packaging of the fake makes it easy to determine the level of lubricant inside.

Branded canister for light

Oil level when inspecting a fake

Even though the original canister is not translucent, it has good softness. Even the handle bends with the force of your hand. Fraudsters use harder plastic. Therefore, it will be possible to compress only the middle of the canister.

Handle squeeze

The serial number and production date are stamped at the bottom of the canister. Fraudsters use low-grade paint, so it quickly wears off even at the stage of packaging and transportation. Therefore, the lack of information indicates the origin of the lubricant is counterfeit.

Erased information

• Shell helix hx7 10w-40 motor oil, semi-synthetic

Even if the data is present, it is printed in solid font on the counterfeit. In the original, information is depicted in a matrix way. At the same time, all the points are clear and even.

Solid font

Applying information using a matrix method

In some cases, the bottom of the canister allows you to identify a fake. The applied marks on branded packaging are perfectly clear. On a fake, they are blurry, missing or do not match in size.

Bottom inspection

Comparison of icon sizes on the bottom

There is also a difference in the ends of the measuring strips. The ruler of the fake goes all the way to the handle. With a genuine canister, the strip ends earlier.

Comparison of measuring rulers

Protective sticker

There is a single or double sticker on the cover of the branded Shell Helix. The lowest-grade fakes do not have it. Therefore, if there is no sticker on the cover, then it is better to avoid such lubricant.

Cover without sticker

Even the presence of a label does not guarantee the authenticity of the oil. To check the brand sticker, the brand used special protection. Therefore, you must follow the instructions below.

1. Look at the large numbers on the sticker. They must duplicate the last characters of the barcode. The numbers on the branded sticker are white.

White numbers

2. Wet your finger with water.


Wetting the finger

3. Moisten the white numbers. They will change color to red. If this does not happen, then the oil is fake.

Redness of numbers

Shell Helix products are as well protected as branded lubricants from Motul, Mobile, Toyota, Elf, Zeke and Idemitsu brands. This confirms the presence of another protection. It is implemented using the image of a drop.

A drop

In the original, the image of a drop changes its color depending on the angle. A green tint is required. The fake is not able to change color. Some counterfeit products vary in color from dark red to brown.

Green drop at an angle

Burgundy drop on direct inspection

Drop at the fake

No color change

Drop at an angle

Drop comparison

Another check will require an ultraviolet lamp. Under its light, part of the label changes color.

Label in daylight

Sticker under UV light

Original Shell Helix oil has a double sticker or label with writing on both sides. There is a unique individual serial number. You can check it using the brand's official website. If you do not want to enter 16 digits, you can use the specified QR code as your smartphone.

Unique number

Entering the number on the official website

Successful serial number verification

If the unique code has been checked multiple times, information about this will be displayed. In this case, the chance that the oil being tested is a fake is 99%. Fraudsters often print the same branded serial number.

Label

Among the entire range of the brand, the most common counterfeit oil is Shell Helix Ultra. The reason for this is its high price and demand in the market. Therefore, you must be very vigilant when purchasing Ultra.

The label of the entire Shell Helix range is glued perfectly evenly. Distortions, air bubbles and other defects are unacceptable. The print quality is always high. The presence of spelling errors in the original is unacceptable.

Original label

Bent label on fake

Unevenly applied label

• 
  Shell helix ultra 5w-30 oil: characteristics, approvals, articles, price

After examining the front side, it is recommended to look at the back. The sticker contains text in several languages

It is important to check that the description is correct and that there are no spelling errors. Incorrectly written letters can give away a fake

Letters from the original

Two different “f”s for a counterfeit

If possible, check the font used

All languages ​​need attention. So, for example, the fake in question has a difference in the letters “f” in Kazakh

On a fake, the symbol is crossed out with a line.

Crossed out “f” on a fake Letter “f” on a branded label

It is convenient to evaluate the quality of printing by the image of the piston. On fakes it doesn't shine enough. The branded label never has a pronounced graininess.

Piston

• Shell helix hx7 5w 30

What is fake car oil made of?

Fake auto oil is generally a mixture of industrial lubricant with cheaper lubricant of poor quality for trucks. With all this, the viscosity index of the oil is only approximately adjusted to the characteristics of the original product. Shell Helix Ultra is most often counterfeited, since this oil is famous for its popularity and quality among consumers. In addition, on the market you can come across used oil, which is simply reconstituted and presented as standard. Such a lubricant either does not contain the necessary additives at all, or additives are present, but in very low concentrations. And yet, additives take up approximately 10% of the total quantity, but at the same time make up more of the cost. In this regard, it is not surprising that by making counterfeits, fraudsters seek to save money, in particular on additives.

Lid

Inspection of the cover must begin with inspection of the appearance. The original must not have:

• cracks;
• traces of an autopsy;
• divorces;
• air bubbles;
• influx;
• casting defects;
• inclusions.

Interspersed

The fixing ring of the branded Shell Helix has a small gap relative to the canister. In fakes, it either fits too tightly or dangles loosely. There are counterfeits even with a couple of security seals.

Original fixing ring

Security seal on a fake

The scammer cover may come off along with the retaining ring. With genuine Shell Helix, the protective seal always breaks completely.

Comparison of removed covers

Registering a check on the website

Having saved the cash receipt from refueling your car, you must register it on the website www.shell.com.ru/vp-promo. Enter its address into the browser line or click on the active link and click the “Register check” button.

Register a check

If you have not previously participated in the promotions of this gas station, click the button as a new participant. If you were previously registered, go to the authorization form as a “Registered Participant”.

Registration for the promotion

• FULL NAME;
• Email;

Questionnaire
We take a photo of the receipt with a QR code and upload it to the page. At the same time, we agree with the rules of the promotion, once again confirm that we are a resident of the Russian Federation over 18 years old and click the “Registration” button.

Loading a receipt

Next, you need to confirm your mobile phone number. To do this, fill out his data in the form and confirm the correctness of the entry with the four-digit code received in the SMS message.

Code

After confirming your phone number and sending a receipt, your data is verified, upon completion of which you are assigned a code number for the draw.

How to check the authenticity of oil after purchase

Checking Shell motor oil after purchase does not pose any particular difficulties due to the fact that the company is actively fighting counterfeit products, offering customers an official system for checking the originality of the purchased motor oil.

Important! To check Shell oil for authenticity using a code, you need to scan the QR code with your smartphone. To determine the originality of products, you can use special online applications or visit the company’s official website.

Enter the identification code on the main page of the company website - if the car oil is genuine, the system will provide detailed information about the series and characteristics of the oil. If you enter a fake ID code, you will be immediately redirected back to the main page of the site.

If you enter a fake code or a code that has been used many times, you will see the message “Code has expired” on the screen.

Checking the identification code of Shell automobile oil can be considered the most accurate and effective. It is never counterfeited by scammers, since it is not economically profitable for them.

What points should you pay attention to first?

There are several signs by which you can distinguish real oil from counterfeit:

pay attention to the product labeling; The shade and configuration of the cover may differ; look carefully at the fixation ring and protective film; the label must have clear printing without washouts or other flaws; the fullness of the canister is an important point when purchasing.

And now about each of the points in more detail.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing an oil, you should start checking by inspecting the outside, that is, checking the container and labeling. Poor-quality lubricant can put the unit out of working condition, so we check the release date of the product, which should be indicated on the canister. Keep in mind that new Shell oils were released a couple of years ago. And at service stations and retail chains you sometimes find old versions. Considering the shelf life of the oil, which is five years, an outdated container cannot have a recent date

So, if you see that an old-style canister has a recent release date, it means they want to deceive you and offer you a counterfeit product. Next, pay close attention to the size of the canister, it is slightly different and looks larger compared to the original. In most cases, “leftist businessmen” do not care about affixing the “not for food” sign.

On a container with a fake, the location of the casting designation of this form will always be visible. The canister lid of the original is made of high-quality plastic, and its shade is identical to the main color of the container itself. The retaining ring is an extension of the lid; when you open the lid, it should come off without problems, without effort. Look at possible defects; if the ring is uneven or breaks, it means you are holding a fake in your hands. There may be no protective film on some modifications of Shell oil, so do not focus on this point. It all depends on the specific batch and country of the manufacturer. If there is a protective membrane, pay attention to its smoothness and white color, as well as the density of the structure. The label of genuine Shell oil is an excellent print made through mirror coating; in the absence of a special mirror effect, the quality and originality of the product can be questioned. The logo and inscriptions that are present on the canister with truly high-quality oil should not be blurred or washed out; they are all perfectly readable and visible. There must be a two-layer label on the reverse side. When removing the top layer, there should be no glue left on the bottom. The plastic from which the original canister is made is smooth; there should be no chips or other defects in the form of uneven seams or sagging. In terms of color, the line of Shell engine oils is presented in three options: blue; light gray; gray. There is a metallic effect in the color structure. It is impossible to see the oil level through the walls of the canister; they are dense and therefore cannot be seen through. But counterfeit versions of canisters may well allow this; in addition, the bases of such containers are often wider, this is another important point in recognizing counterfeit motor oil.

Such a thorough visual inspection will help every motorist find out the authenticity of the branded product; as for the composition of the oil, everything is much more complicated here. The qualitative composition can only be determined by laboratory tests.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of Shell Motor Oil

Shell oil has the following benefits:

• Active Cleansing technology, which allows you to completely clean the power unit from dirt and carbon deposits.
• Maintaining the protective film at optimal thickness under conditions of sudden braking and starting.
• Reducing fuel consumption and, as a result, saving money.
• Easy cold starting of the engine. Harsh winter conditions are not scary if there is Shell under the hood.
• Increasing the period between filter and oil changes.
• Minimum content of harmful substances in exhaust gases.
• Increasing engine life.

The disadvantages of Shell oil are presented below:

• The high popularity of Shell oil has caused an increase in counterfeit products in the fuel and lubricants market. Competitors, trying to lure customers to their side, have learned to craft the packaging of a global brand quite skillfully. However, they were not able to achieve the required quality level. As a result, a low-quality fake poured into the engine can simply damage the entire power unit. Firstly, a counterfeit film that does not meet the required astringent and high-temperature properties will not provide the required level of protection. If the base is too astringent, the operation of the mechanisms may stop. Too liquid a lubricant will drain, increasing the friction force of the structural elements. Secondly, low quality fuel and lubricant will clog the working surface with carbon deposits and soot.
• The high price of Shell products can hit the pocketbooks of thrifty drivers. The average cost of a 4-liter container in car dealerships is 2-4 thousand rubles.

Distinctive features of the fake cover:

External seals have defects, which means the oil is fake. For example, the lid sits lower than the original container. In counterfeits, the retaining ring may be torn off, and double seals may occur.

The integrity of the packaging must not be compromised. On original containers there is always a control skirt at the bottom of the lid (also known as a tear-off/fixing ring/seal). It should be as one piece with the lid.

Double seal for counterfeit Shell oil

There is a gap between the ring and the lid on the fake

The original container has plastic ridges on the top of the lid. The fakes have straight lids. The color of the container and lid must be the same.

True, this is a very rare occurrence, especially for stores in Russia. Products that are supplied to stores from Hamburg (Germany) have such lids; such lids are found abroad.

Sagging on the lids of original productsDifferences between counterfeit and original Shell oil based on the protective film

The design of the original canister - corrugated handles and neck. Such updated containers began to be produced only in 2016.

Rules for replacing fuel and lubricants

Changing the engine oil

When changing Shell oil, you should adhere to the following rules:

• Before filling in a purchased lubricant that differs from the previous one in technical characteristics and manufacturer, it is necessary to flush the engine.
• Each replacement of engine lubrication must be accompanied by replacement of the oil filter.
• When filling the oil, it is necessary to control its level inside the engine with an oil dipstick - the liquid level should be halfway between the min and max marks.
• If the liquid stains the valve cover or other automotive parts, it is necessary to clean the surface from contamination. Otherwise, while the engine is running, the oil will begin to evaporate and smoke.

In order to prolong the operation of the engine, do not forget to regularly check the oil level. If the amount of working fluid is small, a protective film will not form on all components, resulting in severe wear of the mechanisms.

Checking via the Internet

In the modern world, people have access to many tools and means that make it easier to solve certain problems. In particular, there are many applications for smartphones with which you can check the originality of goods according to the ShK. As for motor oil, a number of companies have created their own applications tailored exclusively for their products. These include brands such as Castrol and Motul.

Having access to the Internet, you can use the CC check online. It should be remembered that you will not be able to get accurate information about whether the product is original. The ShK shows only the date of manufacture, place of manufacture and plant.

Let's look at a couple of examples:

• Code G472405 - Mobil 1 Fuel Economy, manufactured on 07/25/2014 in France.
• Code N560429 - Mobil 1 New Life 0W-40, 4 liter canister, manufactured on 06/08/2015 in Finland.

If you don't have the opportunity to test it when purchasing a product, you shouldn't rush to use it. You can find out the main differences between specific brands of oils online. Also examine the packaging, which will help you identify a fake.

What are the dangers of using non-original Shell oil?

Few car owners think about the quality and authenticity of the transmission materials they purchase, based on the belief that even fake oil will lubricate the rubbing components to the required extent. However, such statements are not only erroneous, but also extremely risky for the functional areas of vehicles. At the initial stage, motor oil performed one task - reducing friction between engine components. Over time, the scope of his “responsibilities” expanded and currently includes:

• reduced friction between components;
• prevention of rust formation;
• reduction of component wear;
• cooling of functional units;
• cleaning the coating from carbon deposits.

Manufacturers add various additives to good lubricants to meet today's needs. Such a mixture can maintain the functionality of vehicles. Compared to original products, counterfeits are produced using low-tech methods. Most often, industrial oil is used to create a fake, and sometimes oil for rural equipment is much worse in quality, despite even very inexpensive additive materials. As a result, fake oil can cause irreparable damage to the engine.

You can identify a counterfeit product by the signs accompanying the operation of the power unit:

• increased noise from the operation of the engine, bad oil loses its density during use and stops lubricating the components to the required extent;
• difficult engine starting in winter;
• rapid wear of parts, formation of soot and carbon deposits on components due to the absence of anti-corrosion additives in counterfeit products.

If you do not take any action first and do not replace the fake lubricant with a genuine one, the engine will become unusable after 20 - 30 thousand kilometers. However, there is absolutely no guarantee that its major restoration will not be needed.

Signs of counterfeit by the label on the canister and lid

There should be stickers on the lid and container. The official dealer uses labels only with high-quality printing. They must be clear.

The black color on labels should be exactly black, that is, not with a yellow or green tint, or even gray. Fake Shell helix containers have stickers, but the print quality is usually not clear.

For example, there is a sticker on the SHELL helix HX8 container - it shows a piston and active cleaning agents. The original has a high-quality sticker and no yellow stripes.

Label for fake and original Shell Helix oil

The original has a mirror layer of the sticker. If you look at it up close, it will reflect the fingers and face of the person holding the container. Fake stickers do not reflect objects well; usually you can only see the shadow of the object, and this is not always possible.

Reflective sticker for Shell Helix Ultra

The Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40 canister shows a piston on the sticker. On original products it sparkles, has a special coating and the inscription “pureplus technology”, and reflects the surrounding objects well.

Back label on the canister

The back label of the original shimmers in the light and has color transitions. The fake has no shimmer, the label is monotonous and darker.

Back sticker on Shell oil canister

Text is written on the sticker in different languages, including Russian. It should be clearly printed and easy to read.

Stickers on the back of the container on original products do not peel off or peel off at the edges. They consist of two layers, the first top layer is easily and completely removed.

There should also be a sticker on the lid. With real Shell helix oil, it is covered with a protective mesh layer. The grid should shimmer - change color from green to gray when the viewing angle changes. For fakes it always remains green.

Sticker on the canister lid

For fakes, it wears off quickly, may not be printed clearly or may be partially erased. This marking is applied in small and clear dots on the original, but in large ones on fakes. The batch number, time and date of oil bottling are indicated.

The matrix code is erased from the fake

Final table of differences

When reviewing the differences between the original and the fake Shell Helix, it is recommended to use the table below.

Table - How to distinguish the original Shell Helix