sandman66

Today my dash board showed truck requires an oil change. I last changed it in November 2018 and have driven approx 3200km since. Can someone tell me how the computer decides when the oil life has "expired"? I would assume it's not the mileage.

Chrisj

I think it is the mileage but you can reprogram it to alert you whenever you want it to using the buttons on the steering wheel.

joedotmac

There are a bunch of inputs used to calculate oil life interval. Number of engine cycles, hours, miles, then toss in some secret sauce of how it's driven. Walla! Change your oil. Years ago there was a post from a GM engineer to alleged to have worked on the OLM system. It was a pretty fascinating read, and indicated there's much more involved than a simply mileage or time idiot light. Ford indicates in the manual at least yearly oil changes. I've had Blackstone analyze oil that was nearly two years in a 1995 Lightning that had approximately 900 miles on the oil. Blackstone indicated that today's oils additive packs will not degrade overtime like oils of decades previous. But the hard and fast Ford indicates at least yearly.

From the manual.

Vehicles with a 3.5L, 3.7L or 5.0L engine, are equipped with the
Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor (IOLM) system which shows a message in the
information display at the proper oil change service interval. This interval
may be up to one year or 10000 miles (16000 kilometers). When ENGINE
OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE REQUIRED appears in the information
display, it’s time for an oil change; the oil change must be done within two
weeks or 500 miles (800 kilometers) of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message appearing. The Intelligent Oil-Life
Monitor must be reset after each oil change.

If your information display is prematurely reset or becomes inoperative,
you should perform the oil change interval at six months or 5000 miles
(8000 kilometers) from your last oil change. Never exceed one year or
10000 miles (16000 kilometers) between oil change intervals.

maco

as the previous post says it is controlled by mileage that you can change on your dash based on Ford's oil change suggestions...You can only change the % wise what Ford recommends...read your manuel it will tell you this mileage & how to change on your dash...I set mine to 80% because I do not use synthetics or any other additives etc.

Brokemillwright

It probably hasn't been reset the last two oil changes. I normally manually reset mine every other one just out of habit, and I change every 5k.

sandman66

3200km is only about 2000 miles so why would it give me that indication?

technokami

This would be why

Brokemillwright

This thread is hopless.... OP pretty sure your truck is going to blowup, hence the indicator with such a short time after oil change..... best of luck

marshallr

Just a SWAG, but it most likely wasn't reset the last time you had the oil changed. Maybe the last 2 times depending on how often you change the oil

Personally I believe 10,000 miles on Synthetic oil is perfectly fine. My truck seems to want me to go to 10,000 miles. My display shows 90% after 1000 miles, 80% after 2000 miles etc. I usually change mine when the display is at about 20%, which always ends up being about 8000 miles.

Brokemillwright

Post #5 already stated that and he still asked why...