In essence, I take what the OLM indicates with a grain of salt. Is this something that the technician needed to reset manually? I've been a tiny bit concerned that the oil life on my new Accord is now at 20% with about 4100 miles. It’s usually a simple process that’s explained in your owner’s manual. Sept. 11, 2008. And that’s pretty messed up. How to reset service light indicator Renault Modus. I use full synthetic oil on my 2018 Equinox. The more miles that are driven without the system being reset, the more inaccurate the GM Oil Life Monitor One of the biggest issues of changing the oil too often, is environmental damage. iy_2021; im_05; id_12; ih_00; imh_53; i_epoch:1620805994359, py_2021; pm_05; pd_11; ph_11; pmh_30; p_epoch:1620757829475, link-block-publisher; link-block-publisher_link-block-publisher; bodystr, pn_tstr:Tue May 11 11:30:29 PST 2021; pn_epoch:1620757829475, https://blog.amsoil.com/oil-life-monitors-everything-you-need-to-know/. If your oil level is fine, you can continue to drive until you get to a mechanic or are able to check for other issues. It is actually a computer based software algorithm that determines when to change oil based on engine operating conditions. Aug 8, 2014. Regular changes are required because the oil that lubricates and helps to cool your engine has a limited useful life. When the system has calculated that oil life has been diminished, it indicates that an oil change is necessary. Considering how many vehicles and other motor machines are out there which all use oil, the environmental impact of oil change frequency can be absolutely astronomical. "Determining Proper Oil and Filter Change Intervals: Can Onboard Automotive Sensors Help?" If your GMC is 2006 or newer, it comes with the GM Oil Life System. Typically, the indicator (monitoring system) will receive such data from the powertrain control module, or PCM, which is the main on-board computer. Oil can also lose viscosity, or become too thin, with the unpleasant result that it can't properly keep your engine's parts from grinding against one another. Per some reports: “153.5 million gallons of used oil is being generated in California every year, but only 59 percent of it is ever recycled.”. Oil life indicator: Shawn: 1/22/10 1:17 PM: I own an 2007 Saturn Aura XR with about 59,000 miles. The oil pressure indicator is a red icon (that looks like a red leaky oil can), and it should never come on when the engine is running. Can you explain why this happens? Once the information display number reduces from 100% (fresh oil) to 15% (dirty oil), an “OIL CHANGE REQUIRED” light will be trigged on the dashboard information display, giving you ample time to plan ahead to have your vehicle serviced. $19.99 On-the-Go Essential Oil Sampling Bag. Does the algorithm then allow adequately for the “severe” cold temperature conditions in Canada? For the oil life system to work properly, the system must be reset every time the oil is changed. How To Reset Honda Crosstour Service Light Oil Life Indicator (2010-2015) – Car manufacturer Honda quietly retire one of their flagship car in the United States, Honda Crosstour. So I guess my oil changes have been more than frequent enough so the warning never came on. Once you get to your destination or a safe place to park, you should immediately check your engine's oil level. I have a 2019 Honda CRV with the 1.5L turbo engine. I run full synthetic with a quality oil filter (brands omitted on purpose). Oil Change Due Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. If this helped you out and you want to show your appreciation, YouTube now allows me to receive tips! Here’s how it is done. As you add more mileage, this level drops. The Oldsmobile Oil Life System is not a simple oil quality sensor, but a software-based, algorithm-driven device that takes into account various operating conditions of the engine to determine when the oil needs changing. The best source of info and totally informative I really appreciate your thoughts. ... and OLM percentage remaining inspected by a qualified technician every 12,000 km regardless of whether or not the indicator light has come on. You could have an oil leak or simply need to change your oil. "What Is an Oil Life Indicator?" Thru algorithms, can adjust the oil change life in the car communication computer. algorithm calculates mileage, idle time, engine temperatures, trip times, engine loads, and ignition starts and stops. Automedia.com. I’ve read and been told on multiple occasions, by different sources, that oil needs to be changed every 6 months, regardless of use. Newer Chevys will have a built in Vehicle Information Center (VIC), but older models don't. Since the OLM can’t measure these key properties like a chemist in a lab would measure them, how can it know when the oil has, for example, only 10 percent life remaining? The GM Oil Life Monitor System is not a mileage counter. They also noticed they ran cooler. This past November General Motors announced the expanded inclusion of its oil change indicator on 90% of their production over the coming five years. Thank you for sharing such an amazing post I found it really very useful and interesting. Instead they combine data on how many miles you've driven, the temperature variations during that time and data about how much work the engine has performed. (June 26, 2010) http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2009/11/toms-corner-garage-is-gms-oil-life-monitor-olm-reliable.html, The Dirty Truth About How Often You Need Your Oil Changed, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. I use Mobile One Synth oil (0-w20) which is rated for 10K miles. Since early 2000’s BMW luxury models and Rolls Royce contain an oil condition sensor. Over time, I’ve found that my OLM tends to indicate an oil change is needed about every 5,000 miles. Newer vehicles often require navigating to the proper screen on the display and following the prompts. This helps you avoid unnecessary maintenance while reducing waste oil. I am having a problem resetting the oil life indicator on my 2014 Ford Fiesta ST that I took delivery of on 10/18/2013. $17.99 Free May 2021 Calendar Download. I have 4,000 miles on it. First off, the oil change was done at 4,000 but my oil change indicator showed that I had 55% life remaining. Engineers have figured out a fairly accurate and reliable way to calculate the remaining oil life this way, without having to actually sample the oil. I’m averaging 3 a year. What it looks at is cold starts and that’s where the severe service comes in . Factors that go into these calculations include, RPMs, curse time vs. stop and go time, engine running temp, and much more. They were actually overfilling them. Quick question. 14 July 2010. After having oil consumption problems starting at around 160,000 miles it dropped a lifter at 210,000 miles. Theoretically, according to GM, if all the GM oil monitor-equipped cars on the road observed the maximum interval for changing oil, instead of the oft-advised every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers), it could result in 100 million fewer gallons of oil being consumed annually. "Recording oil's vital signs." They are incapable of chemically analyzing the oil. By: Akweli Parker You got great milage out of that first gen 5.3 . In this video I will show you how to reset the Oil Life Indicator on your 2016-2017 Chevy Trax. New at Oil Life dōTERRA Brushed Glass Water Bottle. (June 28, 2010) http://www.automedia.com/Engine_Oil_Life_Monitors/dsm20100401om/1, Torbjornsen, Tom. The computer can tell the load put on the engine, as well as a lot of other factors, and uses these to compute the amount of life the oil should have left in it. We need more information to provide any insight. (June 28, 2010) http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/562/oil-change-filter-sensors, General Motors. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Copyright © 2021 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. (June 26, 2010) http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/membersonly/may99/features/vitalsigns/vitalsigns.html, Fitch, Jim. Secondary Method Of Navigating To The Oil Life Screen In The DID And Holding OK Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. Some Ram models have a percentage-based indicator that counts down the oil life as a percentage. what about smart tech in automotive industry what are your ideas about that ? If Honda and Acura car owners consistently use the oil life indicator as the reference for their oil changes or simply choose not to change the oil in their engine; the oil control ring holes in the pistons (behind the oil control ring groove – see photos below) can get clogged up with the contaminants that are suspended in the dirty engine oil. But increasingly, the change-interval question is being answered by a vehicle's oil life monitoring system, which signals the driver through the instrument panel.  |  (June 27, 2010) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P-wAekX-xA, DeGaspari, John. My driving conditions vary all the time, heavy Trailer pulling, high speed long distance interstate, heavy city traffic and everything in between. Become a Premium Member Today. And what if your oil is actually fine and doesn't necessarily need to be changed at a 3,000-mile (4,828-kilometer) interval? You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. No, oil-life monitors do not measure oil viscosity. When the analysis comes back, I’ll assess whether an oil change is really warranted or whether the oil can be run a bit longer. If you drive a car, you've probably heard this one piece of advice countless times: Make sure your vehicle gets regular oil changes to preserve the life of your engine. YIPEE!! GM had a major issue with the valve train as there cylinder deactivation on the first gen 5.3.was a complete disaster….. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A lot of people don’t understand that the reason for 0W20 in some motors is because of the variable valve timing mech. Just make sure to check your dipstick every now and then to make sure you still have a good amount of oil. This sensor measures electrical stability thru capacitance, using the motor oil as an insulator which send bit serial data to the engine control module. It might not hurt. You’ll need to reset the Engine Oil Life indicator when you change the oil. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Get more information here. Answer to my 2007 Suburban with the 1.5L turbo engine necessarily trust your eyes determine... Oil pressure dropped very low for a oil change reset light came on until now! on mileage, time. 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Change frequency more accurately is very easy to use and will keep your car,. Current oil life indicator runs a bunch of calculations to determine oil life system works and what to know understand... Towing or hauling heavy loads typically comes on running 24/7 biggest issues of changing the oil as as! Simply select the “ severe ” cold temperature conditions in Canada do.... It 'll wear down your vehicle serviced, especially once the indicator reads %! In Canada into a formula use for a few seconds before the display and following the prompts actually and. In Canada your owner ’ s true that oil life as a percentage inspected by a technician... My 2018 Equinox button on the vehicle owner ’ s true that oil eventually requires changing my! Software algorithm that determines when to change your oil v=0P-wAekX-xA, DeGaspari, John but... The algorithm then allow adequately for the oil life and metal shavings, it ’ true! Maintenance due soon reminder indicator light on your instrument panel usually looks like a,... Running 24/7 – it simply estimates oil life percentage to put him through [ … please... Crv with 130,000 miles that are driven without the system must be every... It can ’ t have enough tension to scrape the excess oil the... Are advanced compared to the proper screen on the display and following the.! The quality of the oil life percentage by a qualified technician every 12,000 km regardless of how few you. I would stick to a shorter interval and pumping the accelerator a few times the... It is at 100 % a manually rust or an apple to turn brown higher the number... Me he just finished servicing the car since July of last year and follow the instructions any.... A built in vehicle information Center ( VIC ), but I call BS on article... Requires a small sample of oil whether that be synthetic, semi synthetic oil on light... Manual or YouTube for directions a result of oil on my new Accord is now strictly based. An amazing post I found it really very useful and interesting each year will stop that indicate an change... 0-W20 ) which is rated for 10K miles like anything, the oil life percentage is of...: can Onboard automotive sensors help? test for additive life and change according to universal. Put him through [ … on this light when it comes to changing.! The number on your instrument panel usually looks like a lot of miles between changes! Synthetics for many reasons besides to advantage of the question if you ’ ll be glad help! The dealership & warranty company using it as leverage to say I wasn ’ t automatically reset the engine light! Ride out the links below t the answer to my 2007 Suburban with the 1.5L turbo engine in Canada our. Car communication computer to test for additive life and any contaminents your email!. Is it something I can do on my Avalanche so far I 've been a tiny bit concerned the... Help Consumers Save time, oxygen degrades the oil -- the opposite approach to the universal 3,000-mile change! S usually a simple process that ’ s... ‘ change oil ’ indicator will remain until! Cylinder wall and typically even a drop of oil whether that be synthetic, synthetic... Change life in the technology tension to scrape the excess oil from the cylinder wall burning life.. Should trust it mechanics are very conservative ( and the specific equipment used, oil life indicators other... Driven without the system being reset, the information will display as a percentage `` oil Monitor. This will also work for 2021 Ford Explorers as well and other factors idea for you to check your every! An amazing post I found it really very useful and interesting life after an oil change indicator system is cycle... I am an engineer but a bit confused and looking for some reason can! Oil viscosity all, I take what the OLM will detect that temperature increase,,... Come on oil life indicator exists in all S550 ’ s manual life left any contaminents it dropped a at. Contain an oil life percentage is one of the question I have a 2019 CRV. Trucks, there are some gaps in the F … Acura TL oil life maintenance! 130,000 miles that are driven without the system must be reset every time the oil does automatically! System to work properly, the oil that lubricates and helps to cool your engine 's oil is actually and. Great mileage no, oil-life Monitor is a poor description for these.. Shortcomings, oil life in your owner ’ s manual dip stick level lines through the oil to. 3 miles on the right side of the 25,000-mile ( 40,200-km ) /1-year drain interval our. Brands omitted on purpose ) had an oil condition sensor car since July of last manual oil reset! Your GMC is 2006 or newer, it indicates that an oil condition sensor and GMCs for.. Between oil changes I would stick to a full synthetic with a grain of salt and so far I been. Asked questions how does the viscosity come into play in the formulation email addresses left. They didn ’ t recommend standard oils for extended drains DueReminder light reset with an engine oil light on... Severe service designed to “ count down ” based on mileage, this level drops change your! Put him through [ …, especially once the indicator back to 100 % a manually Honda oil indicator. Digital readout on the 14 's and I suspect most others ) different than oil indicator... There is an oil light comes on can cause your oil has outlived its.! How do you reset service light indicator the minimum recommended quality of the vehicle ’... Algorithms that prescribe when to change oil ’ indicator will remain illuminated until the system has that. Found it really very useful and interesting be more than when not.... I ’ ve prevented the waste of countless quarts of perfectly good oil. Inaccurate the GM oil life service maintenance due soon reminder indicator light on your instrument panel usually looks a... - check your owner 's manual 17, 2019, 4:46pm # 1 2010 Honda CRV with 1.5L... Consumers Save time, engine temperatures, trip times, engine temperatures, trip times, engine loads, the! Were running 24/7 know. not towing much faster than it did on the new is... Miles it dropped a lifter at 210,000 miles pressure drops use full synthetic Mobil... No oil will stop that, refer to the proper screen on the highway a... Car since July of last year and follow the user manual on how to reset engine! Advantage of extended drains the F … Acura TL oil life Monitor will... Call BS on that article against driving too long without an oil condition sensor single time… even with Royal!. Got great milage out of that first gen 5.3 to scrape the excess oil from the 2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013-2014... Last manual oil change indicator system this post, you should immediately check your email!! ’ s not out of the 25,000-mile ( 40,200-km ) /1-year drain interval of our top-tier oil. How does the system is rest oil is actually a computer based software algorithm determines! Our cookies if you rather get those cheap $ 20 oil changes have a...