Oil Life Monitor

[hybridbear]

I'm curious how other owners are scheduling their oil changes. Are you going by a set number of miles? By a set time period? By the oil life monitor?

 

For those using the oil life monitor, at what % are you changing the oil? How many miles has it taken to reach that % level?

 

Since I have 3 years of free oil changes at a local dealer I have been getting my oil changed more often than I will later on. The coupons are based on 15,000 miles a year and 3 free oil changes a year. So I've been basically getting my oil changed every 5000-6000 miles. Most of the time the oil life monitor has shown around 50% oil life remaining at that point. However, my last oil change was closer to 6000 miles and included our road trip with 4000+ miles of ICE run-time. Typical past oil changes were around 2500-3000 miles of ICE run-time. In this case the oil life monitor showed only about 30% remaining life after 6000 miles.

 

Even once I'm beyond the first 9 free oil changes I'm not inclined to go a full 10,000 miles between oil changes. I might stretch it out to 8000-9000 miles at that point though and just combine oil change and tire rotation then each time. Let's not start discussing here about how many miles you should go between oil changes, I'm just curious how you determine when to change oil and what the oil life monitor shows over longer intervals and what happens if you let it get down to a low % oil life remaining.

[vangonebuy]

I just hit 5000 miles. Got the vehicle report message last night.

I dont know what is best for this engine oil.

But I do believe it should be based on hours run, not miles.

 

I will RTFM today, Just to keep the warranty true.

[hermans]

My dealer changed my oil at about 5600 and I did not asked them to do it. I had fully intended to go to 12 months or 10K miles. They messed up my schedule so I'll go to 15K now. They didn't charge me for it - they just thought that since I bought a Fusion and Lincoln hybrid they were doing me a favor.

[GrySql]

I had my first oil changed at 4000, just because.

Then again at 10k miles.

After reading all the experts advice I am on the fence as to the next interval, my instincts say to change sooner than 10k miles but the evidence seems to indicate otherwise.

My oil looked new at each change.

I'll probably push the next change interval out to as far as I can stand it, up to 10k miles.

Old habits die hard.

[MaineFusion]

Since the owners manual says every 10K miles, that's what I'm doing. I also use full synthetic so I see absolutely no reason to change oil more often than the owner's manual states. Of course the dealer wants me in every 5K miles but they have a self motivated interest in me getting more frequent oil changes. I expect to drive around 20K miles a year so an oil change every 10K works out to once every six months.

[vangonebuy]

By the book, Here it is.

10,000 miles or 1 year.

At 5000 miles my oil looks brand new and yellow. No burnt smell.

I imagine the oil filter must be better than average also.

Might be better to get the OEM filter when the 1st change is due.

 

 

As for the percentage on the readout. I don't see any problem with letting it go to 0%.

The percentage maybe just the easy way for most to understand its a runtime counter.

 

I wonder if you can see the actual engine runtime in TEST mode.

 

 

 

 

Ford Fusion Hybrid.

 

Fusion full hybrid vehicles are equipped with an information display which indicates the proper oil change service interval. The 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 is 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 oil monitoring system must be reset after each oil change. See Engine Oil Check (page 252).

If your information display is prematurely reset, becomes inoperative or the vehicle battery becomes discharged or disconnected, the oil monitoring system resets to 100% oil life. You should change your engine oil one year or 10000 miles (16000 kilometers) from the previous oil change. Never exceed one year or 10000 miles (16000 kilometers) between oil change intervals.

 

 

[dalesky]

I discussed this with a service tech at dealer and his advice is to follow the 10,000 mileage (odometer) and pay no attention to any other factors.

 

I know from my and the experience of many enthusiast friends of mine that synthetic oil has very long life oil.

 

One friend with a high performance ford side oiler (very expensive engine) actually is comfortable with simply changing the filter and topping off and going over 10,000 miles on the oil.

 

In my Mustang GT I drive with full confidence that the engine is fully protected at high revs, and the oil will not let me down. It stays clean, and even in that engine Ford recommends a 10,000 life span.

I drive that car hard regularly and have had no issues vis-a-vis the oil. It simply works and holds up well.

On these little hybrid engines I can't imagine any issues with synthetic oil not being superlative in every way.

[Aquineas]

Does anyone know if the oil life monitor factors heat and operating temperature into its calculations? Living in Texas, I tend to go by the extreme duty schedule for oil changes due to the heat. At approximately 1600 miles on the Fusion, the oil life monitor seems to think I've got 75 percent of oil life left, which would suggest to me that it does factor in heat (again, which is a good thing).

[murphy]

Does anyone know if the oil life monitor factors heat and operating temperature into its calculations? Living in Texas, I tend to go by the extreme duty schedule for oil changes due to the heat. At approximately 1600 miles on the Fusion, the oil life monitor seems to think I've got 75 percent of oil life left, which would suggest to me that it does factor in heat (again, which is a good thing).

It's also based on time. If you have had the car for 3 months 75% would be the the correct value since you would have to have driven more than 2500 miles in 3 months for mileage to be the determining factor.

[MaineFusion]

I discussed this with a service tech at dealer and his advice is to follow the 10,000 mileage (odometer) and pay no attention to any other factors.

 

Mine tried to scare me into getting an oil change every 5,000 miles. They even put for me to come in 5K miles later on the oil change sticker even though I use full synthetic. I took the sticker off immediately.

 

Does anyone know if the oil life monitor factors heat and operating temperature into its calculations? Living in Texas, I tend to go by the extreme duty schedule for oil changes due to the heat. At approximately 1600 miles on the Fusion, the oil life monitor seems to think I've got 75 percent of oil life left, which would suggest to me that it does factor in heat (again, which is a good thing).

 

I was wondering if they didn't use a sensor to monitor the clarity of the oil. This would be similar to how the automatic windshield wipers work.

[Kaleido]

For those using the oil life monitor, at what % are you changing the oil? How many miles has it taken to reach that % level?

 

 

How do you "use the oil life monitor", where do you see this information?

[GrySql]

For those using the oil life monitor, at what % are you changing the oil? How many miles has it taken to reach that % level?

How do you "use the oil life monitor", where do you see this information?

The OM has info on that topic on pages 252, 431 and a couple other places.

The % is mainly time and mileage based, 12 months and amount of mileage driven. I have not found any info that adds to that formula.

You can check your Oil Life % by: Left Display>Information>System Check> Oil Life %.

 

In addition there is a provision to set whatever percentage of oil life remaining yourself.

If your car has had a software reset, extra dirty driving conditions, maybe the LVB disconnected or other situation where the Engine Maintenance info has been zero'd out you can override the Oil Life % and set it to anything from 10% to 100%.

Left Display>Settings>Vehicle>Oil Life Reset> Choose the percentage you want at this screen.

 

When to change the oil according to that Oil Life monitor?

That software is read so that when it reaches Zero (0%) your oil NEEDS to be changed, irrespective of any other consideration, according to Ford.

Edited August 25, 2013 by GrySql

[Kaleido]

The OM has info on that topic on pages 252, 431 and a couple other places.

The % is mainly time and mileage based, 12 months and amount of mileage driven. I have not found any info that adds to that formula.

You can check your Oil Life % by: Left Display>Information>System Check> Oil Life %.

 

In addition there is a provision to set whatever percentage of oil life remaining yourself.

If your car has had a software reset, extra dirty driving conditions, maybe the LVB disconnected or other situation where the Engine Maintenance info has been zero'd out you can override the Oil Life % and set it to anything from 10% to 100%.

Left Display>Settings>Vehicle>Oil Life Reset> Choose the percentage you want at this screen.

 

When to change the oil according to that Oil Life monitor?

That software is read so that when it reaches Zero (0%) your oil NEEDS to be changed, irrespective of any other consideration, according to Ford.

Thanks for the great reply, I couldn't find it in the manual, all I could find was how to reset it, not how to view it.

[dalesky]

Thanks for the great reply, I couldn't find it in the manual, all I could find was how to reset it, not how to view it.

That ,manual sometimes reminds me of one for a very complicated reciever/amplifier. It does have a lot of good info, but man, finding it can be a bear.

[terryb]

My pop-up reminder to change oil as soon as convenient came up at 9800 miles which was just before the 5000 mile interval since the last change. I was on the last leg of the return home from the road trip to PA and WN when it went off and scheduled it for the next day, They also had the fuel pump in and installed it.

[Eddie Sessum]

Its rated at 10k but if you have coupons or a maintance plan (MKZ comes with the first 50k) Dealership told me bring it every 7500 miles and they will do it without issue.

[acdii]

I had mine changed around 5K even though it didn't need it, but needed to have the tires rotated, the updates done, etc. so had it all done while it was in. Now that its back in, I could have waited to have it changed, its at 7600 now. Next oil change will be at 15K though, and the one in the Flex will be done by me using Royal Purple instead. I just think its cool to have purple oil.

[clummus]

they just changed my oil yesterday at 7500 miles. when I look at the oil life monitor it says oil 27 percent. should that not have went back to 100 percent after the change? or does it go strictly by miles? if that's the case, it's useless I think.

[GrySql]

They should have reset it to 100%.

You can do it yourself, read Post #12 to find out how, it's simple.

[clummus]

so basically the oil life monitor is not based upon the. quality of the oil in the engine ( in other words, it doesn't have a clue if there is." new" or " old" oil in the engine. it is based upon how many miles have been driven.

[murphy]

It's based on how many miles have been driven and how much time has elapsed.

[Eddie Sessum]

Also based on engine temperature, hours of on time, extreme hot or cold start conditions. Theres alot more than just milage in them.

[rpm40]

By the book, Here it is.

10,000 miles or 1 year.

At 5000 miles my oil looks brand new and yellow. No burnt smell.

I imagine the oil filter must be better than average also.

Might be better to get the OEM filter when the 1st change is due.

 

 

As for the percentage on the readout. I don't see any problem with letting it go to 0%.

The percentage maybe just the easy way for most to understand its a runtime counter.

 

I wonder if you can see the actual engine runtime in TEST mode.

 

 

 

In the past I've done mobile 1 every 5,000 miles. This seems to say to do it AT LEAST every 10,000 miles. I'd probably be comfortable stretching my habit to every 7,000, but theres no harm in doing it every 5,000, beside the extra cost, right?

[GrySql]

Just remember that the ICE is not actually running during that entire 10,000 mile odometer reading.

Your EV miles, depending on your driving habits, should be at least 1/3 of those miles.

If that is true, then you are actually only changing the oil in the ICE at 2/3rd's of the odometer miles.

 

The Energi has 20,000 mile oil change intervals for the same reason, more EV miles, less ICE miles.

 

I changed mine the first time at 4,000 miles, then at 10,000.

From now on it'll be at, or close to, the 10,000 mark.

I am nearly there now, at 18,000 miles and the dipstick is clean and almost at the full mark.

I just changed my ICE air filter, it was a bit dusty.

[acdii]

Mine will be due in 3 weeks @15K miles. I had the first one done at 5K, because it was in, why not.