Spectro Scientific’s MicroLab oil analyzer provides automobile repair shops, quick oil change shops and fleet repair shops with a comprehensive diagnosis of the condition of the oil, the engine and the transmission of a vehicle in less than 15 minutes. “Oil analysis converts an oil change from a loss leader to a profit maker,” said Mike Phillips, owner of Flextune auto repair shop in Bloomington, Indiana. “Even more importantly, it enables me to give my customers the information they need to make the right decision on whether to invest money in an older vehicle. So they keep coming back and bring their friends and family.”
MicroLab integrates three laboratory instruments in a single package to measure key properties for oil chemistry, viscosity and concentration of wear metals and sources of contamination in engine and transmission oils. The MicroLab has a computerized expert system which translates all of the analytical data into a diagnosis and maintenance recommendations. The oil analyzer is designed so that any service technician can run the test and interpret the results.
For example, one of Flextune’s customers brought in a 2000 Ford Ranger with 175,000 miles. The truck needed $2,500 worth of work. The customer wanted to know whether the engine and transmission were in good shape before she invested in the repairs. She gladly paid $180 for oil analysis to find out that both were in good condition. Flextune secured the oil sample sale and pulled $2,500 of shop work forward in time. The customer was elated to keep her favorite truck running.
Another customer had badly overextended the oil drain interval of an older Monte Carlo which he uses every day for commuting. The car came in with no oil on the dipstick. The customer spent $90 on an oil test to make sure the engine was not damaged. The test showed the oil life was completely exhausted but the engine was still in good working condition. The customer authorized $1,000 of other work and agreed to bring the car in more frequently for service.
In summary, the fast and simple oil analysis provided by MicroLab provides auto repair and quick oil change shops with a new source of revenue while increasing shop repair business by giving customers the confidence to continue investing in aging vehicles.
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