The European automotive market is undergoing a quiet revolution. Instead of buying new cars, Europeans increasingly prefer to extend the life of the ones they already own. This trend presents car owners with an important question: how can they keep their vehicles reliable for many years?

“I have been observing the European market for over 30 years, and today’s situation opens new opportunities for the lubricants industry,” says Juri Sudheimer, founder of SCT Group and owner of manufacturing plants in Klaipeda (Lithuania) and Dubai (UAE). “When people keep cars longer, maintenance quality and the right choice of oils become critically important. Our job is to offer solutions that extend engine life well beyond the manufacturer’s typical 250,000-km limit.”

Products of SCT Group under the brands MANNOL, PEMCO, and FANFARO are supplied to more than 160 countries. And it is Europe—where the average vehicle age continues to rise—where the company’s technological solutions find an especially appreciative audience.

Europeans are buying new cars less frequently. Instead, they choose to drive their existing vehicles longer. Statistics show that the average age of Europe’s passenger car fleet increased from 10.6 years in 2016 to 12.3 years in 2022, indicating a clear aging trend that carries implications for the environment, safety, and the economy.

The reasons are largely economic—higher costs that complicate new-vehicle purchases, as well as shifting consumer preferences toward long-term vehicle ownership. What, then, should the average European driver do to keep their car in good condition? And what should be done to ensure that the most important part of the car—the engine—remains “like new” at 250,000 or even 350,000 km?

Manufacturers design modern engines for an approximate service life of around 250,000 km. After that point, major engine overhaul becomes necessary (and extremely expensive), or replacement becomes the only option (even more costly). It’s also worth noting that many modern engines cannot be overhauled at all.

“The production capabilities of UAB SCT Lubricants in Klaipeda allow us to react quickly to the needs of the European market,” notes Juri Sudheimer. “We follow the data, understand the trends, and develop products tailored specifically to the operating conditions of Europe’s aging vehicles.”

Can Lubricants and Automotive Chemicals Extend Engine Life?

The answer is yes, they can.

This article outlines a comprehensive set of measures—both general and specific—that help extend the life of your engine and therefore your entire vehicle.

1. Proper Operation

Avoid overloads, maintain optimal engine temperature, and change coolant on time.
 SCT offers the full range of antifreeze types required by the average European car owner—IAT, OAT, HOAT, and Lobrid, including:

  • MANNOL AG11 Antifreeze MN4111

  • MANNOL AF12+ Antifreeze MN4112

  • MANNOL AG13 Hightec Antifreeze MN4113

  • MANNOL AF13++ High-performance Antifreeze MN4115

  • And the newly released high-tech carboxylate coolant MANNOL 4016 DEX Coolant/Antifreeze

2. Prevent Contaminants from Entering the Engine and Oil

Avoid dust, sand, water, and high-sulfur low-quality fuel.
 If the car operates in dusty environments—change the air filter more frequently.

SCT manufactures a wide range of air filters suitable for such conditions, including: SB 2434, SB 2508, SB 2462, SB 2487, SB 2214, SB 2218.

You can select the correct filter for your car at sct-catalogue.de.

If you suspect poor fuel quality, or simply wish to extend oil life and improve detergency, use SCT’s unique products that support oil TBN (Total Base Number):

  • MANNOL TBN Booster Low Saps 9933

  • MANNOL TBN Booster 9941

3. Use High-Quality Motor Oil and Reduce Change Intervals to 5,000 km

This is especially important for:

  • cars with over 150,000 km

  • vehicles frequently driven in cities, traffic jams, or start/stop cycles

Always use oil that meets the specifications in your owner’s manual.

SCT produces an extremely broad range of engine oils. To navigate it, SCT created SCTApprovalControl, where in the Search via specification section you can select oil based on viscosity, API, ACEA, and OEM standards.

4. Cars with GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) Engines Need Special Care

These engines have delicate high-precision fuel systems. Injectors and pumps are expensive and extremely sensitive to fuel quality and deposits.

Use only high-quality fuel filters and replace them at the first sign of contamination.

SCT offers a wide range of fuel filters, such as ST 302, ST 314, SC 7079 P, ST 6061, ST 6519, with full compatibility information on  sct-catalogue.de.

To prevent deposits and protect precision components, use fuel additives like:

  • MANNOL Diesel Ester Additive 9930

  • MANNOL Benzin Ester Additive 9950

  • MANNOL Burning Booster 9939

These small investments can save thousands of euros in repairs. With proper care, your engine may remain like new not only at 200,000 or 250,000 km—but possibly even at 500,000 km.

The Science of Combating Wear

Wear is the main reason vehicles require repairs. It results from friction, corrosion, fatigue, and environmental factors, which alter component dimensions and geometry.

“Fighting wear is not just a marketing slogan,” says Juri Sudheimer. “It is the result of many years of research and investment.”
 Since 2004, SCT Group has invested over €90 million in development, and in 2024 alone allocated €3 million to R&D. Laboratories in Klaipeda and Dubai work relentlessly on additives and formulas that genuinely extend engine life.

The SCT Chemicals FZE plant in Dubai, launched in February 2022, became the center of innovation. With 188 employees, state-of-the-art equipment, 101 tanks, 6 blenders, and 10+ filling lines, its production capacity reaches 140,000 tons of lubricants per year. ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certifications confirm uncompromising quality standards.

Start-Up Wear — The Most Dangerous Type

Start-up wear occurs when engine parts begin moving before oil reaches friction zones. During cold starts, especially in winter, this is catastrophic—one cold start can cause as much wear as 100 km of driving.

The solution is to ensure a lubricating layer remains on metal surfaces even when the engine is off.

SCT offers both liquid and solid friction modifiers—and their combination.

SCT Ester Technology (2019)

SCT developed a technology using synthetic esters, which attach to metal surfaces like tiny magnets. Only 3% ester content in motor oil reduces wear by 20% and nearly eliminates start-up wear.

Most MANNOL motor oils now contain esters. For oils that do not, use:

  • MANNOL Ester Additive 9929

Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN): The Ultimate Anti-Wear Technology

Even more effective is h-BN, a ceramic additive known as white graphite.

Key properties:

  • Extremely low friction (≈0.16, like graphite; steel-on-steel ≈0.8)

  • Friction does not increase with temperature

  • Can withstand oxidative environments up to 900°C

  • Excellent thermal conductivity

  • Layered structure that allows smooth sliding between sheets

  • Acts as a permanent solid lubricant

In simple terms: h-BN forms a strong, durable anti-wear layer in the metal surface, preventing metal-to-metal contact—even during cold starts.

New SCT Oils with h-BN (from 2025)

The MANNOL Ceramic line:

  • Ceramic 5W-30 7720

  • Ceramic Ultra 5W-40 7727

  • Ceramic Pro 10W-40 7726

For any other oil, use:

  • MANNOL Ceramo Ester 9829

This product is unique because h-BN is dissolved in ester, creating a synergistic effect of both liquid and solid friction modifiers.

Can you use MANNOL Ester Additive 9929 and MANNOL Ceramo Ester 9829 together?
 Yes, in recommended concentrations.

Conclusion

Following these recommendations requires relatively modest spending—but the savings in repairs can reach thousands of euros. Proper maintenance will extend your car’s life and postpone the need to buy a new one.

“SCT’s philosophy has always been to create products that genuinely work, not just sound good in advertising,” concludes Juri Sudheimer. “Europe’s aging vehicle fleet is not a problem—it is an opportunity to demonstrate that proper care and modern technologies can work wonders. Our ester-based and h-BN ceramic technologies are not marketing—they are the results of laboratory research and real-world testing from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.”

SCT Group’s combined manufacturing capacity exceeds 1 million liters per day, with total tank storage of over 60 million liters and a portfolio of more than 500 products. But the most important achievement is the trust of millions of European drivers who choose MANNOL, PEMCO, and FANFARO.

Your car can serve you for a very long time—a very long time. It simply needs the right tools. And SCT creates them every day at its factories in Klaipeda and Dubai.