I don't pay any attention to the OLM and this will be the first car I have had it in. Neat gadget, but I will change every 5000 miles or each year whichever comes first. And yes I am well aware I am probably dumping good synthetic oil that could have gone longer.
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Trusting the oil life monitor
- Thread starter otis24
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Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
I thought "older" Chryslers were essentially a bean counter. I could be wrong on this. I know the GM OLMs are highly refined and include a lot of variables to determine oil quality versus a countdown to 3-5k. I have used the OLM for all my vehicles since new with zero oil related issues. My Malibu is still chugging strong at 170k and doesn't use a drop of oil. My Equinox enjoys burning a little over the course of an oil change. Roughly 1/2 quart every 5-7k. Nothing if you ask me.
Completely correct. While many other cars have questionable accuracy the GM OLM is quite advanced among domestic automakers.
It even accounts for our stationary operations. We enjoy nearly indefinite engine life simply by buying whatever synthetic or even semisyn that is on sale...
I thought "older" Chryslers were essentially a bean counter. I could be wrong on this. I know the GM OLMs are highly refined and include a lot of variables to determine oil quality versus a countdown to 3-5k. I have used the OLM for all my vehicles since new with zero oil related issues. My Malibu is still chugging strong at 170k and doesn't use a drop of oil. My Equinox enjoys burning a little over the course of an oil change. Roughly 1/2 quart every 5-7k. Nothing if you ask me.
Completely correct. While many other cars have questionable accuracy the GM OLM is quite advanced among domestic automakers.
It even accounts for our stationary operations. We enjoy nearly indefinite engine life simply by buying whatever synthetic or even semisyn that is on sale...
I would do some research on this particular Chrysler OLM and see if it's basically just a mile clock...
As for UOA's, they're a waste of money about 75% of the time and will not definitively reveal any wear or lack-of-it. They have some use in monitoring for severe problems like headgasket failures or fuel dilution and are somewhat interesting. But for a once in a while, recurring check in consumer applications, basically a waste. Robbing Peter to save Paul and avoiding oil changes...
As for UOA's, they're a waste of money about 75% of the time and will not definitively reveal any wear or lack-of-it. They have some use in monitoring for severe problems like headgasket failures or fuel dilution and are somewhat interesting. But for a once in a while, recurring check in consumer applications, basically a waste. Robbing Peter to save Paul and avoiding oil changes...
Originally Posted By: otis24
As a former GM salesman, let me say that I generally trust the OLM. Particularly when paired with a good synthetic or synthetic blend motor oil. My 2009 Chrsler T&C seems to go off at around 3k miles. It does not give a percentage, it just says "Change Oil". Is the just Chrysler covering their butt? I cant bing myself to dump good synthetic oil before 7k or 8k miles. Or a good conventional oil before 5k.
I can't say definitively, but I think Chrysler started out with very conservative OLM algorithms and has only recently gotten as sophisticated as GM. GM kinda led the way with OLMs going all the way back to the early 2000s.
My 2008 Ram OLM pretty much goes off every 3k, with only slight variations (it'll go slightly longer with all-highway driving and never using E85, but pretty much one tank of E85 will set it off at 3k miles). There's no percent remaining or any other indication until it says "oil change required."
My 2012 Challenger goes off at between 5000 and 7000 miles, so its less aggressive and also varies more. But like the Ram, there's no percentage, just a warning when it wants you to change the oil.
My wifes 2014 WK2 actually shows a percentage remaining like GM has done for quite a while now. We haven't had it long enough to see how variable it is.
As a former GM salesman, let me say that I generally trust the OLM. Particularly when paired with a good synthetic or synthetic blend motor oil. My 2009 Chrsler T&C seems to go off at around 3k miles. It does not give a percentage, it just says "Change Oil". Is the just Chrysler covering their butt? I cant bing myself to dump good synthetic oil before 7k or 8k miles. Or a good conventional oil before 5k.
I can't say definitively, but I think Chrysler started out with very conservative OLM algorithms and has only recently gotten as sophisticated as GM. GM kinda led the way with OLMs going all the way back to the early 2000s.
My 2008 Ram OLM pretty much goes off every 3k, with only slight variations (it'll go slightly longer with all-highway driving and never using E85, but pretty much one tank of E85 will set it off at 3k miles). There's no percent remaining or any other indication until it says "oil change required."
My 2012 Challenger goes off at between 5000 and 7000 miles, so its less aggressive and also varies more. But like the Ram, there's no percentage, just a warning when it wants you to change the oil.
My wifes 2014 WK2 actually shows a percentage remaining like GM has done for quite a while now. We haven't had it long enough to see how variable it is.
A proper IOLM is a wonderful thing.
It takes the guesswork out of OCIs since any decent one accounts for all of the variables that influence oil life.
You can use or not any IOLM as you see fit and ignore it if you like.
The OLM on your minivan sounds as though it lacks the "I" part.
Unless it takes you a year to accumulate 3K or unless the thing spends as many hours idling as it does being driven then 3K sounds like an absurdly short drain interval.
It's not as though you're running an old-school Ferrari.
It takes the guesswork out of OCIs since any decent one accounts for all of the variables that influence oil life.
You can use or not any IOLM as you see fit and ignore it if you like.
The OLM on your minivan sounds as though it lacks the "I" part.
Unless it takes you a year to accumulate 3K or unless the thing spends as many hours idling as it does being driven then 3K sounds like an absurdly short drain interval.
It's not as though you're running an old-school Ferrari.
Made a thread recently about the OLM in my 1993 Bimmer.
Indeed, I've noticed some variation, but even since moving to the "Big Smoke" and short tripping at least every other day, it's behaviour hasn't really changed that much from living in the country and driving longer distances routinely.
I imagine today's systems are more than just a fuel counter or a system using a couple of very "extreme" inputs (i.e. RPM above 4.5K, temperature etc) to determine the oil life. There's supposedly in-sump conductivity sensors, plus whatever inputs the engine computer uses itself. Whereas my car doesn't seem to vary much in its predictions on oil, others (based on threads here at BITOG) swing between 3K/3mnth or 10K/6mnth sorta deals.
Indeed, I've noticed some variation, but even since moving to the "Big Smoke" and short tripping at least every other day, it's behaviour hasn't really changed that much from living in the country and driving longer distances routinely.
I imagine today's systems are more than just a fuel counter or a system using a couple of very "extreme" inputs (i.e. RPM above 4.5K, temperature etc) to determine the oil life. There's supposedly in-sump conductivity sensors, plus whatever inputs the engine computer uses itself. Whereas my car doesn't seem to vary much in its predictions on oil, others (based on threads here at BITOG) swing between 3K/3mnth or 10K/6mnth sorta deals.
I'm not even sure what variables the maintenance minder in my slightly newer old BMW takes into account, so I've just ignored it and have instead done OCIs based upon my best guess as well as an awareness from the one UOA I had done from this car that the fuel map is aggressive and fuel dilution is a real concern. Or at least it is to me. Maybe BMW figured that it would make no difference in the life of the car since the engine would outlast the car in any event.
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