GM's oil sensor

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A friend of mine has a 02 vette and the car has a digital read out that tells him what % of the oil is still effective. Rather then going by miles, you are supposed to change it based on this indicator.This is also on the Monte Carlo. How does this work? Rpms? Vettes come factory filled with M1 and the manual recommends 10K mile interval changes.
 
Actually, since 2001, the Vettes are now on a one year 15k oil change interval.

Their oil sensor is based on rpms, coolant temp and number of short trips.
 
These oil change interval indicators are funny....Mine hasn't come on in about 4,000 miles....in the past 3 years!!!!!! Don't drive the vette very much, but change the oil at least once a year.......which is less than 1,500 miles..
 
Its just a computer program running!

How you drive affeect it.

Been on all GM cars for long time, my 1995 PArk Ave had it. My 2001 GMC does.

[ November 30, 2002, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: Mike ]
 
I thought it was something new. Another friend of mine has one and he said it never comes on either. Makes you wonder. Interesting how M1 in Vettes can go 15K miles before being changed. I guess the engine is not to hard on the oil.....you would think a Vette engine though would be.
 
I liked the way the one in my 97 GTP worked, it counted down by percentage. I found that after 5000 miles of my type of driving, it would show about 50% oil life. Pretty accurate I would say, as I was running Mobil 1, and probably could have safely gone 10k between changes.
 
Yeah I even dragrace my camaro and it finally came on at 9,870 miles since I bought it - I never pay attention to it. I change my oil more often than necessary because I can
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The oil life monitor counts operating temperature and RPM's. Nothing to do with time, hence the requirement in the owner's manual to change the oil on the indicator or 12 months, whichever comes first. Some cars (Volvo for one) have an indicator that counts time as well, and will remind you if you have gone 12 months (or xxxx miles) without an oil change.
 
No idea if the Corvette monitor is like whats in the other GM's, but in the others it is a system that accounts for engine revolutions and operating temps. On a relatives '02 Trailblazer EXT, the monitor dodn't turn on until 13,000 miles were on the vehicle. Owner didn't know he had the monitor. Scary to think it would have recommended keeping hte factory fill oil in until that many miles! Note: onwer does his own oil changes, so no tech would have reset it along the way (especilly since it hasn't seen a tech since delivery). At last check, the vehicle is at 18,000 miles, and the oil monitor has not come on yet.
 
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