Braais and bakkies may be barbeques and pickups in other parts of the world, but they’re as woven into South African culture as slap tjips, robots and bunnies.  

As a nation, South Africans love bakkies and they’re our first choice as a do-everything vehicle. We farm with them, build with them, travel with them, move house with them and park them on the pavement.

Some double-cabs have become as comfortable and sophisticated inside as luxury cars – while still offering that option of a 1-ton load. Popular lubricant and additives brand Liqui Moly has launched a new additive series tailored particularly for the needs of our favourite multipurpose workhorses. 

Liqui Moly SA Director Melicia Labuschagne says the Bakkie Series Additive range has been overwhelmingly well-received so far. “We have a well-tested range in the US called the Liqui Moly Truck Series for pick-up trucks or ‘utes’, but when you say truck to a South African we think of a massive 18-wheeler with a load of coal! We use the word bakkie, and now we have created our own bakkie-branded range unique to South Africa.”

The Bakkie Series Additive range focuses on cleaning and protecting fuel systems and engines – saving fuel, boosting engine performance and protecting the environment. It includes a Bakkie Series Complete Fuel System Cleaner, Complete Diesel System Cleaner and an Oil Treatment, and comes in larger 500ml cans which are colour-coded blue for petrol and red for diesel.   ‘Keeping your engine and fuelling system clean means your vehicle will perform at optimum level, you use less fuel and oil, and emit fewer pollutants,” says Labuschagne. “Protecting the engine from wear will give it a longer life. Overall, using these additives will save you money, take care of your vehicle from the inside, maximise performance and protect the environment.”

Size counts

Bakkies, 4x4s and larger range vehicles have larger tanks, higher fuel consumption and can get more quickly contaminated on the inside than sedans, Labuschagne explains. “If you have any bulkier, larger range vehicle with a tank of more than 50 litres, switch to the Bakkie Series as the products are more highly concentrated, packaged and formulated to cater for your specific needs. While our other products such as the Super Diesel Cleaner cater for 50 litre engines, the bakkie range covers a 115 litre tank – so it’s perfect for the extended range fuel tanks you may have in bakkies and 4x4s.  The Oil range also caters for 7 litre tanks rather than 5 litres.”

Keep it clean

Labuschagne explains we also drive bakkies and 4x4s in a different way – for example using higher revs to do a 4×4 trail or move a large load – requiring peak engine performance at all times. However, as you drive, deposits are continually created on the inside of the engine. “Over time, you’ll notice fuel consumption picks up and performance goes down. These are the alarm bells that show you the fuel system is getting dirty and it’s time to use an additive that not only removes these deposits on the injection nozzle, intake valve, spark plug, and combustion chamber, but prevents new ones from forming. The Bakkie Series gets to the core of the problem.”

The Bakkie Series Complete Fuel System Cleaner not only cleans deposits but improves fuel quality by increasing levels of octane, an anti-knocking agent, by four points. Knocking is a process that happens in petrol engines where the fuel starts igniting itself. “The higher the octane amount, the better the quality of the fuel, which means more efficiency, lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.  The additive eliminates starting problems and noisy engines, while caring for all parts of the petrol injection system and protecting the entire fuel system against corrosion.”

The diesel equivalent, the Bakkie Series Complete Diesel System Cleaner, boosts the cetane number, optimises the combustion process and restores the original performance of the engine. “Ignition timing is very important in diesel vehicles, and this product removes deposits on injection nozzles and in the combustion chamber. The additive also protects your diesel fuel tank from water and particles that can breed bacteria and cause rust. For example, if you’re at an outlying fuel station or there have been large temperature variations, you may end up with water in your tank from poor quality fuel or cracks. The additive will clean and protect your fuel system.”

The Bakkie Series Oil Treatment offers a higher concentration of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) than the other ranges, at 5% rather than 2%. One can will cover up to 7 litres of oil. The MoS2, the substance Liqui Moly is famous for, forms a highly resistant lubricating film on all surfaces which reduces friction and engine wear and guarantees quieter engine performance. The engine runs more efficiently with less friction – reducing oil and fuel consumption and extending it’s life.

Labuschagne says what makes this range stand out is that there are no damaging metals in the additives. “The products don’t contain manganese or anything that can damage catalytic converters. The diesel additives have also been extensively tested on common-rail fuel injection systems used in some 4×4 vehicles and are ideal to keep this type of system at peak performance.”  Use these additives every 2 000 kilometres, or if you notice problems such as the engine running unsteadily when idling, poor engine performance or smoke emissions.  The older the bakkie and the higher the mileage, the greater the effect of the additives.

“Bakkies work hard for us, and it’s time to take care of what takes care of you,” says Labuschagne.

So take a shot’left now-now and get your bakkie taken care of. Shot, bru!

COMPETITION:

We have three sets of the Liqui Moly Bakkie Series products up for grabs!  Just name two benefits of the Liqui Moly Bakkie Series Fuel Additives and send the answers with your name and contact details to competition@liqui-moly.co.za  by 10 February 2021 to win.  

Earn rewards on the Liqui Moly Advantage App – the first 1 000 people who purchase the Bakkie Series products and scan their receipt will get an additional 1 000 points!