Oil Life Monitor - Does the Algorithm Measure Time (Days) ??
07-23-2017, 12:21 PM
#1
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Oil Life Monitor - Does the Algorithm Measure Time (Days) ??
So I proved something to myself on my wife's 2015 F150 that I have suspected for quite some time. Her truck's algorithm for the Oil Life Indicator is suspect.
On 7/4/17 the truck was parked. Engine has not been started nor has the truck been driven until 7/22/17 - 18 days. As you can see from the attached photos the Mileage, Engine Hours and Engine Idle Hours have not changed - yet Percent Oil Life has gone down by 5%.
PS: yes the doors and locks have been cycled/opened 4 to 5 times during that time period but the engine has never been cranked.
Before you comment keep in mind, if the Oil Life Monitor includes time (days) in it's algorithm, new trucks that are unsold sitting on a dealer's lot could be due for an oil change before they were ever sold.
Anyone care to educate me on how this happens
On 7/4/17 the truck was parked. Engine has not been started nor has the truck been driven until 7/22/17 - 18 days. As you can see from the attached photos the Mileage, Engine Hours and Engine Idle Hours have not changed - yet Percent Oil Life has gone down by 5%.
PS: yes the doors and locks have been cycled/opened 4 to 5 times during that time period but the engine has never been cranked.
Before you comment keep in mind, if the Oil Life Monitor includes time (days) in it's algorithm, new trucks that are unsold sitting on a dealer's lot could be due for an oil change before they were ever sold.
Anyone care to educate me on how this happens
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Ricktwuhk (07-23-2017)
07-23-2017, 12:28 PM
#3
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Possibly... but I doubt it.
Consider this, you go to the dealer for a test drive. You select a truck which hasn't been started or driven in weeks or months. Do you think it shows the truck may be due for an oil change? I guess it's possible - I've never actually checked.
Consider this, you go to the dealer for a test drive. You select a truck which hasn't been started or driven in weeks or months. Do you think it shows the truck may be due for an oil change? I guess it's possible - I've never actually checked.
Last edited by tmcolegr; 07-23-2017 at 02:39 PM.
07-23-2017, 12:36 PM
#4
I don't know if it tracks time, but it would make sense if it did. Most maintenance schedules are not just 'every 3000 miles'. It would be more along the lines of '3000 miles or 6 months', whichever comes first. (note that the numbers I threw out there are not necessarily realistic for a modern vehicle).
I'm going to go with yes, it does track time, because the manual says after a year you will get the warning to change your oil. Also -- if you divide 18 by 365, the result is 0.05 (rounded), or 5% which is exactly the amount you are seeing.
Petroleum products such as oil and gas do get 'old' and need to be replaced after a period of time or you risk damage or performance issues. Check out the sticky in the '2015 - Present' forum about oil changes -- it has some good information in it.
I'm going to go with yes, it does track time, because the manual says after a year you will get the warning to change your oil. Also -- if you divide 18 by 365, the result is 0.05 (rounded), or 5% which is exactly the amount you are seeing.
Petroleum products such as oil and gas do get 'old' and need to be replaced after a period of time or you risk damage or performance issues. Check out the sticky in the '2015 - Present' forum about oil changes -- it has some good information in it.
07-23-2017, 12:46 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
I don't know if it tracks time, but it would make sense if it did. Most maintenance schedules are not just 'every 3000 miles'. It would be more along the lines of '3000 miles or 6 months', whichever comes first. (note that the numbers I threw out there are not necessarily realistic for a modern vehicle).
I'm going to go with yes, it does track time, because the manual says after a year you will get the warning to change your oil. Also -- if you divide 18 by 365, the result is 0.05 (rounded), or 5% which is exactly the amount you are seeing.
Petroleum products such as oil and gas do get 'old' and need to be replaced after a period of time or you risk damage or performance issues. Check out the sticky in the '2015 - Present' forum about oil changes -- it has some good information in it.
I'm going to go with yes, it does track time, because the manual says after a year you will get the warning to change your oil. Also -- if you divide 18 by 365, the result is 0.05 (rounded), or 5% which is exactly the amount you are seeing.
Petroleum products such as oil and gas do get 'old' and need to be replaced after a period of time or you risk damage or performance issues. Check out the sticky in the '2015 - Present' forum about oil changes -- it has some good information in it.
I'm thinking your correct - 18 days /365 days = 4.93%. Based on the equation 100%/365 days, Oil Life is reduced by .274% each day even if the vehicle is never started/driven. This has always puzzled me as the truck gets very low usage yet multiple times the OLM has indicated it needs an oil change - only has 3,072 miles yet is almost 2 years old.
No sir I had the oil changed at 3,000 miles and I personally reset the Oil Life Monitor to 100%.
Last edited by tmcolegr; 07-23-2017 at 01:53 PM.
07-23-2017, 01:15 PM
#7
Large Member
you're going to wear that bad boy out if you keep driving it so much.
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Ricktwuhk (07-23-2017)
07-23-2017, 02:54 PM
#9
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07-23-2017, 07:07 PM
#10
Originally Posted by tmcolegr
Originally Posted by rliles1
part of the pdi may be to reset that monitor.
Consider this, you go to the dealer for a test drive. You select a truck which hasn't been started or driven in weeks or months. Do you think it shows the truck may be due for an oil change? I guess it's possible - i've never actually checked.
Originally Posted by 20004.6
part of the pdi process is to reset olm during pdi.
Last edited by rliles1; 07-23-2017 at 07:09 PM.