OLM and why I ignore mine

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Originally Posted by Railrust
Originally Posted by A_Spruce
I've always used conventional oil and done OCIs at 3500 miles. I've now changed to Mobil One synth in a new-to-me '03 Suburban, manual says 3500 miles, OLM has yet to come on at nearly 4K miles, mechanic suggested 5k OCIs, and the fine folks here are suggesting 7500+ miles.


I think even with your tougher than usual drive/commuting habits, a synthetic oil should do ok with a 5k mile OCI, as long as you check your oil level and make sure it's topped up. That engine is not direct injected and should handle 5,000 mile intervals easily.



Thanks for your thoughts.
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I've reset my OLM maybe 7-8 times without doing an oil change.

Engine's still running great, and had no sludge when the valve cover and oil pans were off recently.

An OLM calibrated for the oils of the late 1980s/early 1990s, probably isn't an appropriate one with modern oil.

Not sure why people think that DI engines need more frequent OCI's. If anything, the opposite is true, as they burn cleaner, and the longer OCI's are needed to combat the susceptibility to intake valve deposits.
 
Well, I'm starting out with 0W20 and don't see much room for fuel dilution thinning with that HTHS to start with
 
Originally Posted by pitzel

Not sure why people think that DI engines need more frequent OCI's. If anything, the opposite is true, as they burn cleaner, and the longer OCI's are needed to combat the susceptibility to intake valve deposits.

OT but interesting. Conventional wisdom and people in the know seem to think differently. Where did you find that information? Thanks.
 
I honestly don't believe I have owned a car with a true variable OLM system. My VW's are fixed 1 year/10k systems (my prior MB's were same 1yr/10k too), I think my Fiat 500 was a fixed system too. Easy to remember because I typically do not exceed 10k/year so my oil change is always same time every year and both my MB's and VW's will start warning me ~2 weeks prior to the year mark coming up.

Overkill I am sure but my annual oil changes typically have ~6-7k miles on them.
 
Originally Posted by pitzel

Not sure why people think that DI engines need more frequent OCI's. If anything, the opposite is true, as they burn cleaner, and the longer OCI's are needed to combat the susceptibility to intake valve deposits.



It depends on how you drive them. If you are driving and getting the oil sump up to temp on every drive, sure. But short tripping with a DI is a different story, probably not unlike the carburetor days. I'm sure the make and individual open loop program vary from manufacturer. My wife is close to work, less than 8 miles. Her drives LOAD the oil with fuel. I have had a uoa done after her typical drives , and its loaded with fuel in cold weather. Thats why i run a heavier oil in winter and a lighter in summer, and change often.

This winter it will get 0w40 to combat viscosity loss due to fuel dilution.
 
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Depends on what percentage it is and how many miles we've gone. We had a 08 CRV would literally go 11-12K at 15%. That car I did it every 6 months 6000-7500 miles. The 19 Pilot is currently at 40% and 3750 miles on factory fill. I may follow the olm on this one.
 
I've relied upon the IOLM on the two newer Accords.
Both of these cars have always been driven at least twenty miles on each cold start for the most part, so their lives have been pretty easy.
The '12 will give 8K+ at 15% MM while the Hybrid will do 10K to the same remaining oil life.
The '12 is now around 120K, uses no oil and has almost always had 0W-20 except for the one summer run I did of PP 5W-20 that I had gotten dirt cheap and wanted to use.
As always, YMMV as may the reliability of the IOLM in question.
 
I sorta follow it on the Honda's....I use M1EP 5W-30....when the OLM gets to around 15-10%, mileage is around 6K, I reset it and the next time it goes off, I then change out the oil. Been doing that since our first Honda, a 02 V6 Accord. The truck, well, it gets about 900 miles a year on it....so once in a while I do the blot test and eye it.
 
I actually deliberately ran down the IOLM on my Ford 3.7 to the "change oil" light (about 5%) a couple of times and tested just to see if I could trust it.

The answer was it was dead bang accurate. That's another way of saying there wasn't a big built in margin of error.

In the interest of conservatism, I plan to change it at the 20% level or so. About 7,500 miles for me.

The idea that the Ford IOLM is merely a countdown timer isn't true. I noticed that it rewarded me for long trips and punished me for very cold weather. Just a little.

I'm planning on trying an Extended Performance oil soon. For that I'll probably run it down to the "change oil" light and UOA out of curiosity.
 
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Originally Posted by ARB1977
Depends on what percentage it is and how many miles we've gone. We had a 08 CRV would literally go 11-12K at 15%. That car I did it every 6 months 6000-7500 miles. The 19 Pilot is currently at 40% and 3750 miles on factory fill. I may follow the olm on this one.

We have a 08 CRV and it's the same thing...I think I put 1,000 miles on it once and the OLM only went down to 99%...I'm like, this thing broken?? I don't think I've ever taken it down to anything less than 50%. I just change it every 5,000-6,000 miles...never uses a drop...usually I don't even reset the light, I can get a couple oil changes out of it before I have to.
 
Most OLMs don't account for new oil quality. For example, if you use a full PAO name brand oil, you can go longer in most engines. Exceptions would be where the oil performance spec is so high you have little or no room for improvement (VW 508, 504, etc. and Mercedes 229.71, etc.).
 
Originally Posted by tig1
I ignore mine in the 2017. I change oil every 10K.


tig, just curious as to what your iOLM reads at 10,000 miles. Our 2017 2.3 EcoBoost Explorer seems to faithfully reduce the iOLM 10% for every 1,000 miles driven. This is no matter the season or type of driving it seems. I'm waiting for the UOA for my last OCI of 8,200 miles at 20% on the iOLM using "plain" Mobil 1 5W-30.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted by Whimsey
Originally Posted by tig1
I ignore mine in the 2017. I change oil every 10K.


tig, just curious as to what your iOLM reads at 10,000 miles. Our 2017 2.3 EcoBoost Explorer seems to faithfully reduce the iOLM 10% for every 1,000 miles driven. This is no matter the season or type of driving it seems. I'm waiting for the UOA for my last OCI of 8,200 miles at 20% on the iOLM using "plain" Mobil 1 5W-30.

Whimsey

My OLM seems to come on even if there is 2K on the OC. I guess it counts down regardless of the miles on the oil. Weird.
 
Originally Posted by paoester
Most OLMs don't account for new oil quality. For example, if you use a full PAO name brand oil, you can go longer in most engines. Exceptions would be where the oil performance spec is so high you have little or no room for improvement (VW 508, 504, etc. and Mercedes 229.71, etc.).


PAO will certainly combat oxidation … dilution can still happen
 
The OLM in my Corvette doesn't work anymore and it doesn't matter -- I don't drive it 7500 miles per year and I don't fall into severe service either. Just change oil/filter once per year and be done. The 5,000 mile "monitor" in the Tacoma is just annoying... partly because I'm doing 7500 intervals now
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Originally Posted by tiger862
I have been trying to get use to yearly oil changes but with cost of my van I have been doing 6 month oil changes. First 2 were at 4500 miles and this time I only have 3000 miles. Never seen OLM but tempted to go to the one year mark but wife doesn't think I will make it. Since I don't put many miles I am tempted to go with Havoline conventional oil in bag for less than 15.00.

I failed. I bought Valvoline Conventional Synthetic Blend today. Will change tomorrow with tire rotation
 
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