"Change oil soon" light trigged by the oil filter?

[dkryan]

My company car is a 2007 Explorer 4.6L V8. I've run Pennzoil Platinum for most of its' 30,000 miles.

I changed the oil 2,100 miles ago (PP - 5w20) and reset the oil life indicator to "100%." At around 1,200 miles into the OCI, the "change oil soon" indicator illuminated. The next day it changed to "oil change required."

I reset the oil life monitor to 100%, again, and now, 2,100 miles into the OCI, the same thing occurred. The oil level is fine. 90% of those 2,100 miles have been long highway drives of 100 miles per trip.

The only thing I did different at this oil change is I used a Fram Tough Guard oil filter as opposed to the Motorcraft oil filter I normally use.

I'm not trying to start a Fram oil filter bashing thread. I simply want to know if the filter can cause the change oil indicator problem the Explorer is experiencing.

The filter is the correct one for that engine.

 

[FL_Rob]

The only way to know is going back to Motorcraft,report your results.

 

[pbm]

I doubt the filter would cause the OC light to come on, besides the Tough Guard is one of Frams better filters IMO.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Yeah I really doubt a oil filter would set it off.

Maybe one of the sensors is not providing the OLM (does your Ford have a OLM?) with correct data?

Check engine light lately?

 

[Panzerman]

Originally Posted By: pbm
I doubt the filter would cause the OC light to come on, besides the Tough Guard is one of Frams better filters IMO.
The Extra guard is the better filter, the tough guard is the same filter as the orange can with more media and better entrappment. Still has the cardboard, I mean fiber end caps.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

The Extra Guard is the orange can. I think you mean the Extended Guard.

OP, does your car just have some sort of counter that get triggered everytime it reaches a certain mileage? If so, maybe it broke?

 

[Panzerman]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
The Extra Guard is the orange can. I think you mean the Extended Guard.

OP, does your car just have some sort of counter that get triggered everytime it reaches a certain mileage? If so, maybe it broke?
You are correct, they have so many Extra extended. I did mean the extended guard, that is a well built oil filter, its hard to believe the same people make all three.

 

[ahoier]

There's Extra Guard (orange can), Tough Guard, and Extended Guard.

Now that I think of it, that is a very confusing "line up"....wonder why they named them that way to begin with...

I'd say, go back to the Motorcraft filter and see if the issue still occurs....would be interesting if the OLM problem did not re-appear....

One thought I had was OK, maybe the oil got some crud loose,, but you say you've been using PP for most of the 30k...so doubtful the filter could be clogged...all else, when you do make the switch (go back to Motorcraft) try dissassemblying the filter, see how the inside looks...would be interesting if there was a major manufacture "defect" of the FRAM and the OLM "sensed" it...

But yea, kind of surprised, since you say you used the "Tough Guard" that's their "one step up" from the orange can....

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: ahoier
...would be interesting if there was a major manufacture "defect" of the FRAM and the OLM "sensed" it...


That would be interesting. Probably something more mundane, though.

OP: If you switch back to the MC filter, please cut the ToughGuard open and snap a few pics for us, if you can, if you find anything interesting.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Check engine light lately?


No.

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
OP, does your car just have some sort of counter that get triggered everytime it reaches a certain mileage? If so, maybe it broke?


Yeah, it has "some sort of counter" in that I reset the oil change monitor to 100% each OCI. At what point the indicator triggers is anyone's guess, though 5,000 miles is the norm with winter driving/idling.

I'll wait and see if the indicator lights up again before my next OCI. If it does, I'll change oil filter back to MC.

Any advice on what to use to cut open the Tough Guard?

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
Any advice on what to use to cut open the Tough Guard?


Depends on if you plan to keep cutting open filters in the future, or just want a one-off solution.

I use the Summit Racing oil filter cutter, but it's not cheap. Some people use Dremel tools or hack saws.

 

[nfs480]

This vehicle does not have any oil life sensors that would be able to tell what kind of filter is installed. It calculates the oil life purely based on RPMs, operating temperatures, number of cold starts, etc.

I think it's more likely that the OLM system is malfunctioning somehow.

 

[1kickbuttranger]

I'm just throwing this out for grins and laughs, but is there any chance the car has some kind of oil pressure differential sensor that may check filter restriction?? if so, could it be possible the filter is restricitve?

???

 

[Gary Allan]

It's possible. My 1979 Peugeot would turn on the oil warning light when the filter was plugged. The 1980 model (maybe 81) had a separate oil pressure and filter clogged light. I can't figure out how it was plumbed. That filter didn't have a bypass valve. It had to have a bypass somewhere ..like a Chevy. Maybe a special sender with a plunger that held the bypass valve seated.

This has a bypass valve ..but there has to be more than one way to skin a cat. I tend to agree that the software might be screwy.