Ford IOLM and inactivity

[jimbrewer]

Parked my truck last Sunday night with 6% showing on IOLM. They were paving the parking lot at work, so I rode my bike all week. Started her up Saturday morning and the "Change oil" light came on. The car is new, so I suppose its possible they rig the light to come on at 5%, but it looks to me like the thing just burned through the 6% just sitting there for five days.

My short-haul (4 mile twice a day) commute ticked off a percentage point about 70-75 miles all winter long. With a slightly longer commute 7 miles and an occasional 50 mile each way highway trip about every three weeks, it went to a "light-duty" mode and ticked off a percentage point every 90-100 miles this summer. In fact, it seemed to offer brownie points after a highway trip by slowing down even after short-haul trips resume.

I guess the moral of the story is that inactivity, even for a few days, is really bad for an engine. Worse than short-haul commuting. While highway travel in the eyes of Ford, is almost inconsequential or even beneficial if your other travel isn't so good.

I've always heard that, but I didn't know the difference was so pronounced.

USPO was open, so I gott a sample with a request for TAN winging its way to Blackstone.

The actual oil change will have to wait until next week. Fastlane Ford knocked off at noon on Saturday in anticipation of Labor Day. Who ever heard of a quickie lube place taking Saturday afternoon off? Who ever heard of a quickie lube place shutting down before the USPO?

 

[Rand]

what does your manual say.. it wouldnt surprise me that they have it come on at 5 or 10% because it gives you a few days to get there and get it changed.

 

[kyxtremetuber]

ford iolm has two messages one that comes on with 5% and a different at 0% forgive me i cant remember what they say at each number at this time

 

[jimbrewer]

Its this Yoda type thing: "Engine Oil Change soon."

 

[johnachak]

The Ford OLM goes by mileage and time. At 6 months, mine goes off regardless of miles, driving conditions, etc. It will use miles if you go over the set number. In my case, 5,000.

 

[Falcon_LS]

What type of Ford is this? The new ones with iOLM are supposed to be just like GM's. The old ones, which I had in my '10 Explorer, were just time/mileage based.

 

[jimbrewer]

F-150. I understand the Fiestas still have mileage tick-off OLMs.

We shall see if its any improvement to that. Left to my own devices, I would have changed at 5K, which turned out to be 2.1 TBN Very conservative, but not outrageously so, or 7K, which, based on the 5K reading, would have probably worked fine, too.

I'll be a little annoyed if the IOLM had me run to 8200 miles and the viscosity is below spec.

 

[volk06]

So it dropped 1% after sitting a week? Mine does this as well. The OCI is 10K or 1yr, and the computer it programed to take that standard and use the RPMs/Speed and time to determine the IOLM, so it could tick off roughly 1-2% a week just from sitting. On interstate driving my IOLM would drop roughly 1% every 100 miles. The IOLM can not detect viscosity and without fuel dilution issues on your 3.7L, it would be pretty hard for a 5w20 to drop out of spec.

Now my IOLM is very different than when I was driving interstate. I have 4500 miles and am at 24% on my truck. My last OCI was Decemeber last year and had a lot of winter and 4x4 driving.