Does OLM take into account short trips?

[KitaCam]

just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and amount of oil to show an increased number/percent?

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and show an increased number/percent?


The olm does not know the oil level or condition. It is only a calculator off the ecm using mileage, time, rpm and probably engine temps.

 

[FCD]

Using the speciied oil for your engine and driving in conditions where there's isn't a lot of dust in the air you can safely follow the OLM and change the oil when it goes down to 10-15%

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and show an increased number/percent?


The olm does not know the oil level or condition. It is only a calculator off the ecm using mileage, time, rpm and probably engine temps.

This does not apply to OP's GM car, but some OLMs actually have oil condition sensors. BMW and MB, for example, use a dielectric sensor to determine oil's condition. How well it works, I have no idea.

As far as oil level, again, many cars these days have electronic oil level sensors, but I don't know if that is used for OLM calculation purposes. Probably not.

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and show an increased number/percent?


The olm does not know the oil level or condition. It is only a calculator off the ecm using mileage, time, rpm and probably engine temps.

This does not apply to OP's GM car, but some OLMs actually have oil condition sensors. BMW and MB, for example, use a dielectric sensor to determine oil's condition. How well it works, I have no idea.

As far as oil level, again, many cars these days have electronic oil level sensors, but I don't know if that is used for OLM calculation purposes. Probably not.


I can tell for sure that Honda is purely calculated by mileage and vehicle outside temp, the actual calculations are done in the gauge control module. There are no sensors on the engine to change the calculation, there is no oil pressure, oil temp or level sensor.

I should also add the second gen TSX is also really bad for oil consumption. We were doing rings on pistons on them like there is no tomorrow. Again, caused by seized oil control rings due to carbon buildup.

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and show an increased number/percent?


The olm does not know the oil level or condition. It is only a calculator off the ecm using mileage, time, rpm and probably engine temps.


The BMW oil level/condition sensor is much more advanced. It actually measures the "condition" of the oil. Not sure how that affects the OLM though.

Here is a PDF that explains the sensor in some detail:

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e64/oil-sensors.pdf

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
Using the speciied oil for your engine and driving in conditions where there's isn't a lot of dust in the air you can safely follow the OLM and change the oil when it goes down to 10-15%


Tell that to the 10's of thousands Honda/Acura owners that have had to replace their engines.

 

[FZ1]

I use the severe service interval 5,000 miles for my 14 accord regardless of the olm. Maybe we Honda owners should use low noak oils like Pennzoil or M1. Thanks for the info on dirty rings.

 

[mightymousetech]

2011 MDX, 123,000 km (76,000 miles) factory maintenance followed.

Oil control rings carboned up, burning about 1L/1000km.

 

[Malo83]

Have never based my oil changes off the OLM, change my oil at 5K or every 6 mos, could care less about the tree huggers, they didn't buy my car.

 

[CELICA_XX]

We had a late model GM and it would subtract 1% per 61 miles regardless of how the car was driven.

It was a fine piece of machinery.

 

[PolarisX]

I set/reset ours but I don't really follow them. Sometime between 6.5 - 8.5k depending on the season and what the car was used for I change it.

Keeps me happy and the cars engines clean as can be.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
just curious...
If you add a quart to top up the oil level, does the OLM reflect the "refresh" of additives and show an increased number/percent?


The olm does not know the oil level or condition. It is only a calculator off the ecm using mileage, time, rpm and probably engine temps.

This does not apply to OP's GM car, but some OLMs actually have oil condition sensors. BMW and MB, for example, use a dielectric sensor to determine oil's condition. How well it works, I have no idea.

As far as oil level, again, many cars these days have electronic oil level sensors, but I don't know if that is used for OLM calculation purposes. Probably not.


I can tell for sure that Honda is purely calculated by mileage and vehicle outside temp, the actual calculations are done in the gauge control module. There are no sensors on the engine to change the calculation, there is no oil pressure, oil temp or level sensor.

I should also add the second gen TSX is also really bad for oil consumption. We were doing rings on pistons on them like there is no tomorrow. Again, caused by seized oil control rings due to carbon buildup.


How do you prevent the carbon build up?

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: Malo83
Have never based my oil changes off the OLM, change my oil at 5K or every 6 mos, could care less about the tree huggers, they didn't buy my car.

Haha, yep that's kind of the route I am going. I change every 6 months / 5K also unless I took a road trip and racked up a thousand miles or so, those are easy highway mileage where the engine is at temp. Those conditions are very easy on the oil so it doesn't bother me to run a longer OCI in those situations. My current OCI is almost at 6 months and it has all been 5 mile trips to work and back and in town driving only. I will be changing it soon.

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: gregk24

How do you prevent the carbon build up?


When starting the car, don't let it sit idling to warm up. 10-20s, then drive.
Drive the car gently till warmed up.
Use good quality fuel.
Keep the oil level topped up.
Don't follow the OLM if you do a lot of short trips.
Take the car on long highway drives every once in a while.
Don't let the air filter get too dirty and restrictive.

 

[TiredTrucker]

I am in the mileage/time camp also. The OLM means nothing to me. Just another one of those many things I have to pay for on a vehicle that I have no need for. And the list of that sort of thing grows with each model year. Makes getting a new vehicle a more miserable experience each time I need to do it. Both commercial and personal vehicles.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
I am in the mileage/time camp also. The OLM means nothing to me. Just another one of those many things I have to pay for on a vehicle that I have no need for. And the list of that sort of thing grows with each model year. Makes getting a new vehicle a more miserable experience each time I need to do it. Both commercial and personal vehicles.


My feelings exactly. It's something I don't need, and something I didn't want.

 

[SteveSRT8]

we proved way back in 2004 that our OLM sensors on our fleet trucks give amazing results.

In stationary operations we used to change our oil by engine hours. This meant oil changes as much as every 30 days depending on business volume.

Now our trucks even take into account stationary work. Usually make it to just over 4000 miles or so.

Our Silverados have run out to well beyond 10000 miles if highway driven. Great analysis results have proven it for us. Virtually unlimited engine life with less waste of expensive oils. Can't beat it with a stick!