Oil Life Monitor Recalibration

[Mad*Max]

I was reading on another forum that some of the Buicks with direct injection need recalibration of their oil life monitor as they were finding that a larger than normal amount of fuel is getting into the oil, reducing it's life more than normal.

Has anybody heard of this or had it done?

 

[8-track]

Max, Yes I’m aware & here’s an article that explains it, but it’s only for the eAssist vehicles (2.4 motors). http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130405/carnews/130409904
If you remember way back in the Valvoline or Mobil 1 thread, I explained the OLM system and its flaws and also why I pay no real attention to it other than to see where it is in relationship to when I change my oil.

The one thing I will say about the OLM is in the very first oil change it gets pretty close to when the oil needs changed, but still it isn’t ready when I am. After the first oil change it just keeps getting worse and worse. This is because the algorithm can’t compensate for an aging engine. An engine starts to age and build residual contaminates immediately, consequently no algorithm can adjust for that because it would actually need to analyze the oil of the engine it’s in. Also what the article isn’t telling you is the OLM can’t see any contaminates, I.E. fuel dilution, coolant leak, wear metals etc, etc… So in the article all their going to do is shorten the oil change interval and hoping to change the oil before the fuel dilution wipes a bearing.
Likewise if you have any of these issues with any engine, but follow the OLM your engine is toast. A coolant leak or fuel dilution issue of enough volume will wipe out a motor and the OLM won’t warn you because it sees nothing except, engine run time, startups, speed(RPM), temperatures and puts that into an algorithm.

I’ve worked on this for 15 years and have numerous patents for actual engine condition monitoring system, but they’re not cheap and they are used for high end assets like a million dollar locomotive engines. That’s a million for just the engine!
So back to what I said in the Valvoline or Mobil 1 thread, any who care: get yourself some nice disposable napkins, the type that is absorbent, not hard and coated feeling. Now learn how to deduce oil condition by color as I described in that thread. Use the OLM as a tool to help yourselves at first to gage where you are in time, not condition. In doing this you eventually will be able to not only see the age condition of the oil, but some contaminates like fuel or coolant.
Fuel in the oil will give the oil a very slight greenish hue and coolant will give the oil a slight increased opacity.

Otherwise change your oil every 3000 to be safe and hope for the best!

 

[Mad*Max]

8-track, thanks for the response and for the link. Even though my 6 cylinder is not part of the recall I still have reservations about the OLM on this car.

 

[InfiniteImp]

8-track, thanks for the response and for the link. Even though my 6 cylinder is not part of the recall I still have reservations about the OLM on this car.

Out of curiosity, what are your reservations? So far mine has been recommending an oil chnage somewhere about 16,000KM (9,900mi). I've been sticking with 10,000km (6200mi) because it's easy to remember. I just KNOW the dealership would take any opportunity to get me to do more service with them so I presume they would have told me if they see anything concerning with respect to the oil when they do the change.

I've now read so many posts about oil life from so many different people and there is no agreement. The general consensus in the end seemed to be to go with what the OLM says. As 8-track said, it can't compensate for all conditions but it at least gives you a ballpark figure. I still do the change well short of the recommended value but mostly because it's easier to remember.

 

[Mad*Max]

Out of curiosity, what are your reservations? .

There are a few factors at play here - First, my car uses conventional oil and based on the OLM I can go 20,000 km before it will go to zero - older cars without an OLM running conventional oil used to need an oil change at 3 months/5,000 km. Secondly, my Corvette, which runs on synthetic oil, driven under the same conditions will have the OLM go to zero in 10,000 km (and that is an 8 cylinder so it runs at lower RPM all equal). Thirdly, my Sonic which runs on conventional oil will have its OLM go to zero in about 10,000 km.

All of this tells me the 20,000 km is too late and I have a personal rule to do it at 50% OLM. Right now the oil changes are running me $20 as I am doing them myself so I think it is worth it.

 

[Mad*Max]

I spoke to my service advisor today and he looked up my car and said that mine doesn't need the recalibration