Why Do People Use
the Wrong Lubricant?
"Less than 1% of a plant's maintenance budget is spent on lubricants — but poor lubrication can impact up to 30% of total annual maintenance costs."
— ExxonMobil Case Study
It’s one of the most common — and costly — mistakes in industrial maintenance. A technician reaches for a lubricant, it looks right, it feels slippery, it comes in a similar container. Close enough, right?
Wrong. And the consequences can range from accelerated wear to catastrophic component failure.
So why does it still happen? And what does modern lubrication science tell us we should be doing instead?
The historical thinking that got us here
For much of industrial history, lubricant selection was a tactile exercise. If it reduced friction and kept metal from grinding on metal, it worked. This wasn’t negligence — it reflected the reality of the time: limited product ranges, weak labelling standards, and a general absence of formalised lubrication training.
The phrase “oil is oil” persisted for decades in maintenance culture. Technicians inherited practices from colleagues who inherited them from the generation before. Without evidence to challenge the assumption, the habit compounded.
The core assumption: If it looks similar and feels slippery, it should work. This logic made sense in an era of simple machinery and basic mineral oils. Today’s equipment has outgrown it completely.
What we know now:
the science of lubricant selection
Modern lubrication is an engineering discipline, not a maintenance afterthought. The properties of a lubricant directly determine whether a machine runs at peak efficiency — or degrades quietly over time.
Four factors are non-negotiable when selecting the right lubricant:
Anti-wear, anti-oxidant, EP, and detergent additives are engineered for specific conditions. Mixing incompatible additive packages causes chemical degradation.
Mineral, synthetic, and semi-synthetic base oils have fundamentally different thermal and oxidative stability profiles. Application temperature range matters.
Gear oils, hydraulic fluids, bearing greases, and compressor oils are not interchangeable — even when their viscosity grades appear identical.
The three root causes of wrong lubricant use
In our work across Southern Africa’s energy and industrial sectors, we consistently see the same failure patterns:
Limited product knowledge. Without formal training, technicians rely on instinct and habit rather than OEM specifications and lubricant datasheets. This is the most fixable root cause.
Poor labeling and storage systems. When lubricants are stored in unmarked containers or re-used vessels, cross-contamination and misidentification become inevitable.
No baseline lubrication programme. Without a documented lubrication schedule tied to specific equipment, the selection decision is made under pressure, on the spot, with whatever is available
Precision lubrication:
the alternative
At FMS Africa, we champion precision lubrication — a complete methodology that eliminates guesswork entirely. It starts with a baseline assessment of every lubrication point, correct lubricant selection against OEM criteria, contamination control measures, and an optimised scheduling programme.
The result is not just cleaner oil. It’s longer component life, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and measurable reductions in maintenance spend.
Our Start Clean, Stay Clean approach pairs this methodology with the diagnostics — oil analysis, plant audits, and evidence-based verification — to ensure results are sustained, not just achieved once.
Doing lubrication the right way is always easier, and more effective, than doing it the wrong way. The first step is knowing the difference.
Ready to audit your lubrication programme?
FMS Africa provides plant and lubrication audits, training workshops, and contamination control solutions across Southern Africa. Let’s find out what your current programme is costing you.