What does it mean if the message center shows the warning “engine oil change soon?”
What does it mean if the message center shows the warning “engine oil change soon?”
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
It’s absolutely essential that you keep up with normal maintenance, like oil changes, tire rotations, air filter changes and the rest. Your car is designed with a reminder system designed to help make keeping your car serviced easier. If you see the warning message “Engine oil change soon” in the message center of your car, it means that the engine oil life is now between 10% and 0%. Have the oil changed and then make sure to reset your oil life in the car’s computer.
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Once your vehicle`s oil life remaining is at 5%, you will receive a notification to `Change Engine Oil Soon`. This notification mirrors the messaging you receive in your vehicle. If the service reminder estimate is available, the estimated due date and distance remaining will be displayed.
Ford Motor Company generally recommends getting an oil change every 7,500 miles or 8,000 kilometers or every six months, whichever comes first. If you drive your vehicle under tougher conditions, you should change your oil and filter more frequently. Follow this schedule if you: Tow or carry heavy loads.
Hi There, Your oil life percentage is generally an estimated time designed to prompt the operator of the vehicle to have the oil changed as soon as possible. 5% is generally not something to be concerned about, but you should consider having the oil changed in the next 1,000 miles or less.
Every car is different, but most should have their oil changed every 3,000 miles or three months. New vehicles usually require a change of oil every 6,000 miles or six months. Check your owner`s handbook for specific guidelines. Consider a high-mileage oil for older vehicles.
Generally speaking, you have about 2 weeks or 500 miles of driving before a flashing oil light turns into a legitimate problem. But once it hits that point, things can go downhill fast, leading to serious mechanical damage. So, try to get your vehicle into a mechanic sooner rather than later.
When the oil life is low or near to 0%, the messaging system will show you an “oil change due” message. Unless the oil or filter is changed, this oil messaging system will not reset, and the oil light will continue to display. Also, this light can come on if the oil pressure of the engine drops.
Studies have shown that oil life monitors are quite reliable; however, they are not quite as “set it and forget it” as dealers would have you believe. Read on to learn how to properly manage your oil life monitor to make sure you aren`t left dealing with pricey repairs.
Full synthetic oils do not degrade as fast as synthetic blends. Full synthetic will need to be changed every 10,000 to 15,000 miles depending on your vehicle. While synthetic blend needs to be changed every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
Simply put, the shelf life of conventional motor or “lube” oil is up to five years. It`s not something that goes bad in a couple of months.
If the readout drops to 5% it means that the oil has become so dirty that it needs to be changed immediately before it drops even lower. Indeed, once it reaches 0%, you have not only reached the point where service is past due, but also the point where the remaining oil is probably doing more harm than good.
If your oil light comes on while you`re driving, you need to stop right away and shut the engine off. If you`ve run out of oil, your engine may seize up and refuse to turn over. If the car abruptly stops while you`re driving, you might be in trouble.
Simply put, as a general rule, manufacturers recommend that you change the oil for a gasoline engine every 10,000 to 15,000 km, or about once a year for “regular” usage (frequent but not intensive) or once every 2 years if used less frequently.
Oil Change Meaning & Definition
An Oil Change is the act of removing the used oil in your engine and replacing it with new, clean oil. Over time, oil breaks down and gets dirty.
What is the Difference Between an Engine Oil Top Off and Oil Change? Many people believe that topping off the oil and an oil change refers to the same thing. However, this is not true in reality. Engine oil top off refers to adding new oil to the existing old oil.
This oil change sign light has nothing whatsoever to do with your oil level or the amount of oil pressure within the engine. It automatically comes on at certain mileage points as a reminder that it is time to have your oil changed.
When oil has not been changed for a long time, it will begin to gel or solidify in an engine, eventually turning into sludge. When this happens, the oil will not be able to reach all parts of the engine, leading to oil starvation in the crankshafts, bearings, camshafts, and other valve train components.
Complete Engine Failure – If you go long enough without an oil change, it could cost you a car. Once the motor oil becomes sludge, it no longer removes heat from the engine. This can lead to a complete engine shutdown that will require a brand new engine – or a new ride – to fix.
3. How Oil Life Monitors Work. Basic oil life monitors simply track your miles driven against a mileage interval programmed at the factory. As long as the oil level and temperature remain where they should, the system simply reminds you in the driver`s information display when you need another oil change.
Once opened, motor oil will be good for 2-5 years. if unused during that timeframe, it will start to break down and lose its effectiveness.
Conventional motor oil should be changed every 8,000 to 12,000 kilometres, but how often do you change synthetic oil? It is recommended that you have synthetic oil changed every 12,000 to 16,000 kilometres.
Full synthetic oils will actually last well beyond 10,000 miles. The lifespan of synthetic oil depends, but it`s not crazy to see oils still working at 15,000 miles or longer. Synthetic technology is pretty amazing, but it isn`t magical.
Most conventional oil brands will have a shelf life of about 5 years. Synthetic oil and synthetic blend oil will last about 7-8 years, and maybe even longer. If you cannot find the expiry date, make sure you use up any half-opened or unopened motor oil bottles within 2-5 years of the manufacturing date.
At some point, the oil is no longer protecting the sliding surfaces within the engine as well as it should. Engine wear accelerates after the oil breaks down or is highly contaminated. And finally, almost no automaker recommends that oil should be left in the crankcase for more than one year—no matter the mileage.
The build-up
Over time, the oil gets too dirty to be effective which is the one of the main reasons it needs changed. In fact, if the oil is not changed, over time the entire engine will shut down and need replaced — a costly investment you surely want to avoid. This can cost thousands of dollars.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
What does it mean if the message center shows the warning “engine oil change soon?”
ANSWER : It’s absolutely essential that you keep up with normal maintenance, like oil changes, tire rotations, air filter changes and the rest. Your car is designed with a reminder system designed to help make keeping your car serviced easier. If you see the warning message “Engine oil change soon” in the message center of your car, it means that the engine oil life is now between 10% and 0%. Have the oil changed and then make sure to reset your oil life in the car’s computer.
Would the car tell the percentage of the life of the oil, my car includes oil changes but the dealer won’t do it until the indicator shows the change oil soon message.
ANSWER : Hi there. There should be a select button with two directional arrows on the button. Push and hold the right directional arrow on the button and the dash should go from the odometer to the menu. Then scroll up by pushing up on the select button and you will be able to view the oil life percentage.
What does it mean if the message center displays a warning saying “Engine oil change soon?”
ANSWER : Your car’s service reminder system is designed to help you remember when you need to have your oil changed. It displays the oil life as a percentage from 0 to 100. If the message center says “Engine oil change soon,” that’s an indication that the “Oil Life [Percentage (%)]” has dropped to between 10% and 0%. Have your oil changed as soon as possible and make sure the “Oil Life [Percentage (%)]” is reset in the message center. Not resetting the “Oil Life [Percentage (%)]” will make the warning come on before it’s due.
Tip
If the “Oil Life [Percentage (%)]” drops to 0%, the message will change to say “Oil change required.”
Low oil pressure light comes on when idle. Check engine light is on as well. Both came on after getting an oil change 3 days ago.
ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.
If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.
Change oil soon warning light is coming on
ANSWER : Yes, the service light must be manually reset after an oil change. I’m guessing the shop forgot to do this after your last service. You can do this yourself if you desire. Simply turn the key to the ignition position and press the accelerator pedal 3 times within 10 seconds. If this doesn’t work for you, a trained professional can reset the light for you.
oil level not showing correctly on the dipstick
ANSWER : Hello. It sounds like you may have an issue with oil sludge. If there is sludge build up then that will cause this. Any sludge build up will keep the oil from draining into the oil pan and can affect oil pressure. I usually remove the cylinder head cover and check for sludge. If there is sludge then the engine may need to be flushed. If there is no sludge then there may be a restriction in the block itself.
I Had my oil changed on 5/28/16. On 5/31/16 the check engine light came on. On 6/5/16 the low oil pressure turn off engine came on
ANSWER : Hello,
From what you describe it would not appear to me that something went wrong during your oil change.
If the level is correct on the dipstick and the engine runs and sounds okay, then it is probably something else.
A likely cause for a problem such as this can be a defective oil pressure sensor, or wiring.
Virtually all vehicles have a dedicated oil sensor that will monitor oil pressure of the engine and set off a warning light if it falls to low, in order to protect the engine. If the sensor fails however, it can send a false reading to the computer or gauge, and cause the warning light to activate by mistake.
I would recommend having the vehicle’s oil pressure sensor tested for accuracy, and if necessary the engine’s oil pressure to make sure that there is no issue with the oil pump or system of the engine, as unlikely as that may be.
I’d recommend having a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle for you, they will be able to check for these failures and diagnose your Check Engine Light in order to get your car running normally again.
Regards,
Eduardo
YourMechanic
Stop car check oil warning
ANSWER : This light will usually come on when one of two things are happening. Either the motor is in fact low on oil or the oil pressure sending unit is not working properly and may be producing a faulty reading. I would recommend first, to check the actual oil level in the motor by using the dipstick. Be sure the oil level reaches the "full" mark. If this registers as "full" then you likely have a faulty oil pressure sending unit. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle to determine what may be causing your low oil pressure light to come on.
