"Oil Life" on Info Center

[scottydl]

Can someone explain how the "Oil Life" indicator works? Does it actually somehow detect how "good" the oil is, or is it just merely keeping track of the date and mileage as to when it suggests an oil change? Of course I'll still keep track of my oil changes, but I'm wondering if the indicator is accurate enough to be my primary reminder.

[dred98]

I don't know exactly how it works - but it not only keeps track of the mileage, but also speed and the number of stops and starts. If you have a lot of short trips it will tell you that you need an oil change quicker than it would if you made a few long trips.
So the mileage varies for everybody depending on the type of driving they do.

[omegaic]

That's exactly right, my O.L.I. has me change my oil about every 5 months under normal suburban driving conditions, and about every 3 months when I drive it harder.

P.S. - Mobil1!

[Marc]

The DIC determines oil life by keeping track of oil temp-
erature and RPM.


_________________

GM!!! BRING BACK OLDS!!!

[bigal]

A little off topic for this thread...My trans fluid-life reading on my 98 always shows 100%. The oil life countdown works fine. Is there something wrong with my computer, or was this feature never implemented? I bought my 98 in 2001, and changed the fluid then, and again this past spring, so I'm not too concearned. Nevertheless the reading always shows 100%. I've been too lazy too look deeper into this.

[omegaic]

It's common for it to show 100%. I did run across someone who drove a couple hundred miles with the tranny in a low gear and they said that the computer starting yelling at them to change transmission fluid. I think this was on Automotive Forums.

[dred98]

I think they planned that the transmission fluid would last for ever and it only shows less than 100% when there's a real major problem and it needs to be changed right away.

[Aurora40]

I think I've posted this up a few times now on various Aurora boards, but I guess not this one. I follow the oil life monitor as it is quite smart. I change when it gets under 20% usually.

service.gm.com/gmtechlink/arcv_pdf/3_00_e.pdf and go to page 4: "Oil Life Monitor - How does it know?"

There is also a shorter summary here:
service.gm.com/gmtechlink/arcv_pdf/11_01_e.pdf on page 7: "GM Oil Life System Revisited", perhaps as they received a lot of questions from techs (many of whom buy into the oil wives tales).

[scottydl]

You people are fantastic. Thanks for all the great info!! ;D