Oil change light comes on early?

[MHartfield]

2012 Ford Focus stick, 54k miles. I'm running Peak 5-20 Synthetic with 1 qt of 10-30 (not that it matters for this question?). When my mechanic changed the oil several changes ago, I had him NOT reset the Oil change interval just to see how far it would go: answer was about 9,500 miles in Southern California winter.

Last oil change was 5,700 miles back. I'm headed north on I5, dropping down the "grapevine:" a 6 (?) mile 7% downgrade with the car in 4th of 5, AC on high to avoid using the brakes. I'm able to maintain 65 usually down this grade in 4th. I get to the bottom, level out, drop back into 5th gear, and the Oil Change message appears. It's been a little warm in SoCal, but nothing hot, and I rarely drive over 65. Most driving is on the freeway.

Did using 4th gear (tach was about 3,500 if I recall correctly) for 6 miles make the message appear?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bigt61]

You're using 4th gear to descend a highway grade in a Focus? How heavy is that thing? I would have kept it in high gear and just tapped the brakes occasionally as necessary. You're not a big rig where gravity is your mortal enemy. 3500 RPM for 6 miles shouldn't trigger an oil change light prematurely, but it's certainly buzzing the engine and burning extra fuel for no reason IMO.

 

[shDK]

3600 rpm is normal enginespeed at highwayspeed in Most smaller cars on the European market. So no that would never do that.

 

[GutsyGecko]

It's fine. Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[Corvette Owner]

No, just a coincidence. Now, something (by that I mean many things) in the last 5700 miles was different than your driving before the last oil change.

Did you have more highway driving for last oil change? Or do you have more short trips before this oil change?

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
You're using 4th gear to descend a highway grade in a Focus? How heavy is that thing? I would have kept it in high gear and just tapped the brakes occasionally as necessary. You're not a big rig where gravity is your mortal enemy. 3500 RPM for 6 miles shouldn't trigger an oil change light prematurely, but it's certainly buzzing the engine and burning extra fuel for no reason IMO.


Spinning the engine in a lower gear to hold speed descending a grade does not burn extra fuel.......In fact, it burns exactly zero fuel. When the throttle is shut, the fuel injectors also shut off, when no power is being made. So, within reason, using gears to hold speed is not detrimental in the least. Feathering the clutch while downshifting, so that it works in place of the brakes......Well, that is just stupid.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: MHartfield
2012 Ford Focus stick, 54k miles. I'm running Peak 5-20 Synthetic with 1 qt of 10-30 (not that it matters for this question?). When my mechanic changed the oil several changes ago, I had him NOT reset the Oil change interval just to see how far it would go: answer was about 9,500 miles in Southern California winter.

Last oil change was 5,700 miles back. I'm headed north on I5, dropping down the "grapevine:" a 6 (?) mile 7% downgrade with the car in 4th of 5, AC on high to avoid using the brakes. I'm able to maintain 65 usually down this grade in 4th. I get to the bottom, level out, drop back into 5th gear, and the Oil Change message appears. It's been a little warm in SoCal, but nothing hot, and I rarely drive over 65. Most driving is on the freeway.

Did using 4th gear (tach was about 3,500 if I recall correctly) for 6 miles make the message appear?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


OP, do you have a teenager that may have driven this car sometime in the last 5000 miles? Because, in my experience, a teenager driving a car unsupervised will almost always cause maintenance to required early.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

OP-
Did you check the oil level? - are you sure it wasn't the oil pressure light?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
You're using 4th gear to descend a highway grade in a Focus? How heavy is that thing? I would have kept it in high gear and just tapped the brakes occasionally as necessary. You're not a big rig where gravity is your mortal enemy. 3500 RPM for 6 miles shouldn't trigger an oil change light prematurely, but it's certainly buzzing the engine and burning extra fuel for no reason IMO.


Because the EPA doesn't allow for the throttle to fully close, it won't hold itself back.

You can shove mine in 2nd gear going 60 on flat ground and it won't slow down, just keep going 60.

 

[Danh]

Your driving habits over a 10 mile stretch should have nothing to do with triggering an early IOLM.

Seems to me one of three things is responsible:

1) your driving habits/conditions really did change since the last oil change or
2) your last oil change was more than 12 months ago (unlikely with your mileage) or
3) your mechanic didn't reset the IOLM at the last oil change. In Ford's infinite wisdom it designed the Focus IOLM to be binary: it's either on or off with no way of confirming it has been reset or getting a "% oil life remaining" figure. Next oil change, reset it yourself (it's a 30 second procedure) and see if it makes a difference.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: bigt61
You're using 4th gear to descend a highway grade in a Focus? How heavy is that thing? I would have kept it in high gear and just tapped the brakes occasionally as necessary. You're not a big rig where gravity is your mortal enemy. 3500 RPM for 6 miles shouldn't trigger an oil change light prematurely, but it's certainly buzzing the engine and burning extra fuel for no reason IMO.


Because the EPA doesn't allow for the throttle to fully close, it won't hold itself back.

You can shove mine in 2nd gear going 60 on flat ground and it won't slow down, just keep going 60.


Could you elaborate?

With zero throttle input (foot off the gas) and an RPM > 1800 or so, I've noted open-loop and 99 to 999 MPG, depending on indication (dash indicator or scangauge 2.)

What would be the reason for injecting fuel instead of allowing engine-braking with the engine acting as an air pump (injectors shut off)? Pumping air through the exhaust has to be better for emissions than even the smallest amount of fuel, unless cat temperature is the concern.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: bigt61
You're using 4th gear to descend a highway grade in a Focus? How heavy is that thing? I would have kept it in high gear and just tapped the brakes occasionally as necessary. You're not a big rig where gravity is your mortal enemy. 3500 RPM for 6 miles shouldn't trigger an oil change light prematurely, but it's certainly buzzing the engine and burning extra fuel for no reason IMO.


Because the EPA doesn't allow for the throttle to fully close, it won't hold itself back.

You can shove mine in 2nd gear going 60 on flat ground and it won't slow down, just keep going 60.
That's an auto trans? our a new-fangled dualclutch "manu-matic?
I don't think the EPA has ANYTHING to say about engine management - only the results out the tailpipe.
On my Honda, the FI turns off w/in about a second of closing the e-throttle and the MPG goes to infinity _ and _ I get engine braking. My Honda is a MT5 though. What does this mean "shove mine in 2nd gear ... " I dont think you should abuse the equipment by "shoving"

 

[Kuato]

Typical BITOG, starting an argument about gears and shifting and fuel cut offs. Make a new thread.

And The Grapevine is very steep, IIRC 6% is the max grade for US highways. 4th gear to hold highway speed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapevine,_California


Originally Posted By: MHartfield
2012 Ford Focus stick, 54k miles. I'm running Peak 5-20 Synthetic with 1 qt of 10-30 (not that it matters for this question?). When my mechanic changed the oil several changes ago, I had him NOT reset the Oil change interval just to see how far it would go: answer was about 9,500 miles in Southern California winter.

Last oil change was 5,700 miles back. I'm headed north on I5, dropping down the "grapevine:" a 6 (?) mile 7% downgrade with the car in 4th of 5, AC on high to avoid using the brakes. I'm able to maintain 65 usually down this grade in 4th. I get to the bottom, level out, drop back into 5th gear, and the Oil Change message appears. It's been a little warm in SoCal, but nothing hot, and I rarely drive over 65. Most driving is on the freeway.

Did using 4th gear (tach was about 3,500 if I recall correctly) for 6 miles make the message appear?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


4th gear for 6 miles....nope, didn't cause the message. As mentioned above, there's some other cause.

 

[CELICA_XX]

Originally Posted By: MHartfield
Did using 4th gear (tach was about 3,500 if I recall correctly) for 6 miles make the message appear?


That is not a problem for a motor in good shape with good oil.

You have done no damage whatsoever.

 

[raytseng]

So the question is
Light goes on at 9500miles for oil change

On latest test it goes on at 5700 miles then light goes on.


Did you change driving habits? Can you calculate how much fuel was consumed and if that's about the same?

I agree that the light going on for just the 6miles does not indicate an issue and it's a coincidence the light went off for just those 6miles.
But if this was a change in driving practice, the sensors might be counting engine braking revs against it's magic thresholdnumber, so it may have contributed to triggering the light earlier than if you didn't do it.

 

[jmb3675]

Maybe with the grade, the sensor detected a change in the oil. Either less or more oil near the sensor or maybe even a change in pressure from the engine speed. When the car leveled out everything went back to normal so the indicator turned off. Does anyone know how smart the system is? would it tell you to get an oil change if it has been over 5000 miles and it showed low oil instead of having you top it off?

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Typical BITOG, starting an argument about gears and shifting and fuel cut offs. Make a new thread.


Typical THE ENTIRE INTERNET, you mean.

Besides, the discussion, which in no way resembles any argument I've ever read, is completely in the context of the OP.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Typical BITOG, starting an argument about gears and shifting and fuel cut offs. Make a new thread.


Typical THE ENTIRE INTERNET, you mean.

Besides, the discussion, which in no way resembles any argument I've ever read, is completely in the context of the OP.

you are right.....sorry I wasn't thorough enough. But to internet argue.

OP didn't ask about gears, downshifting, fuel mapping strategies or any such; he asked if being in 4th at higher.rpms for.several miles would chop off 4k from his olm.

 

[901Memphis]

Did you have the battery disconnected during this oci? Sometimes disconnecting the battery will automatically make the OLM go off sooner.

 

[fdcg27]

There is no oil condition sensor in this car, although there is one in some.
There is an algorithym that calculates oil life based on a number of different operating variables.
Running downhill on closed throttle in gear is probably not one of the variables considered, or if it is, it's a plus factor.
I have no idea why the OLM directed an early change in this case.
A UOA would have been interesting, since this may have simply been a computer glitch fluke and the oil might well have been fine for many more miles.
We'll never know, but I'd bet that the oil really was okay for continued service and the IOLM in this case got tripped up by something we're unaware of.