Oil Change Reset Does Not Work

[Galen]

Not sure but could be. My point is that it is not some cool sensor that knows if the oil needs changing. It is actually all the sensors that give the computer the info. I did this from memory but if you need more info I will get the books out. First thing is the bulb good. I had a guy with a Caddy that his light came on years back and no one knew how to reset it so he wanted me to remove the bulb, I reset it that was much easier.

 

[onedef92]

Monitors Could Combat Oil Sludge

Issue heats up at VW, Chrysler

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / September 06, 2004

DETROIT -- An inexpensive device that checks the condition of engine oil and warns the driver when it's time for an oil change could help Volkswagen of America Inc. and the Chrysler group avoid future troubles with oil sludge.

Both companies have come under pressure after reports were published of engine failures caused by sludge buildup.

General Motors says about 95 percent of its 2005 models will come with an oil life monitor. GM says the device - a $10 sensor in the engine that measures the number of times the pistons fire and the temperature of the oil - has helped drivers avoid sludge problems.

Sludge clogs oil passageways in the cylinder block. These passageways, which are about the circumference of pipe cleaners, are like arteries.

Once the passages are clogged, moving parts such as valves, pistons and camshafts are starved of oil. They can seize, causing engine-destroying failures.

Similar sensors

Toyota and Chrysler offer oil sensors on a few of their most expensive vehicles, such as the Toyota Sienna minivan and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler spokesman Sam Locricchio said the automaker is considering offering oil life monitors on more nameplates.

Last month the Center for Auto Safety asked Chrysler to extend the engine warranty to 10 years and unlimited mileage on 2.7-liter V-6s used in a variety of vehicles. The center said there have been several cases in which sludge-filled engines seized in traffic.

VW last month sent a letter to 426,000 Passat and Audi A4 owners warning them of sludge problems with 1.8-liter turbocharged engines. VW is extending warranties from five years to eight years and is requiring dealerships to use synthetic motor oil and a larger oil filter.

VW does not offer an oil life monitor on vehicles and says it is not considering them.

Chrysler has evaluated about 400 warranty claims of sludge-filled 2.7-liter V-6 engines used in a variety of vehicles.

VW would not disclose how many complaints it has received, but a source at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the agency has had 12 to 15 complaints.

Bob Orlee, a GM engine engineer who specializes in oil issues, said GM installed the monitors because many consumers did not read their owner manuals to learn when they should change their oil.

He also said some consumers didn't know that severe driving areas, such as those with high heat and heavy traffic, required them to change their oil more frequently.

He said synthetic oil likely won't prevent sludge buildup.

Confusion abounded

"We realized in research back then when we talked to customers that they had no idea if they were severe or moderate drivers," he said. "Even with all those words we put in owners' manuals it was so difficult to describe to people when they should do an oil change. The oil life monitor simplified the maintenance procedure."

GM began using oil life monitors in the 1980s.

Chrysler engineers say improper maintenance is the likely reason for sludge buildup in some vehicles. About 70 percent of the vehicles with sludge-filled engines were sold to rental car fleets before consumers bought them as used vehicles, Locricchio said.

"The second or third owner can change oil on time, but if the first owner didn't, the engine can be susceptible to sludge," he said.

VW recommends oil changes at 5,000 miles or six months, or more frequently when climate or driving conditions are extreme.

Chrysler says owners should change oil every 3,000 miles in city driving or every 7,500 miles in highway driving.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., which wrestled with a massive sludge problem in 2002 and 2003, denied there were design flaws in some of its four- and six-cylinder engines and blamed consumers for the problem. But Toyota ended up extending warranties, replacing engines for free and changing the oil breather system in valve covers.

Orlee, the GM engineer, said sludge always has been a problem for engines. But improvements to motor oil and engines have reduced problems.

Said Orlee: "Sludge has to do a lot with how you drive. Classic sludge was related to low-speed operations, like in taxicabs. Some of the sludge out there now we believe may be a different form of sludge. Some of it happens only in hot climates."

http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=969&scid=126

 

[Galen]

General Motors says about 95 percent of its 2005 models will come with an oil life monitor. GM says the device - a $10 sensor in the engine that measures the number of times the pistons fire and the temperature of the oil - has helped drivers avoid sludge problems

Do you think that a $10 sensors does this all on its own? It sounds good from a sales and marketing standpoint. Besides we are talking about a 1995 model.

 

[SSTibet]

So? What's the conclusion here? Is it a number of sensors & ECM doing the calculation or is it an individual gizmo in the 95 model Vette?

Cheers,

Selim

 

[geogolf]

oil light

just my 2 cents but i think galen is right ecm takes readings from certian sensors and computes when oil change is about due i repeat about due still need to watch mileage

 

[SSTibet]

Makes a lot of sense to me too, all sorts of information is measured, calculated, recorded. So why a separate sensor, and for what?

But then my system does not work the way it is described in the owner's manula. The light bulb going out makes no sense since it works only so many times in its life cycle.

Selim

 

[geogolf]

oil light

i think you just have a bad bulb

 

[SSTibet]

i think you just have a bad bulb

Absolutely correct... I fired up the car and the light does not come on at all. Bulb is dead....

So this begs the new question... How do I change it? How do I order the bulb?

Selim

 

[geogolf]

bulb

well i would think that it would require the cluster to come out, i am not an expert on that some one else will chime in. i am not sure it is worth the effort unless you can do it youself prob cost a fourtune to have shop do it hope it works out for you geo.

 

[Galen]

I had my dash out several times changing bulbs. If you have done any dash work it was fairly easy. The screws are kinda hard to see some are back in aways. The bulb is a standard mini bulb. I would not lose sleep over it. I dont trust it to start with, just watch the mileage no mater if you fix it or not.

 

[SSTibet]

I had my dash out several times changing bulbs. If you have done any dash work it was fairly easy. The screws are kinda hard to see some are back in aways. The bulb is a standard mini bulb. I would not lose sleep over it. I dont trust it to start with, just watch the mileage no mater if you fix it or not.

Galen, thx for the recommendation. I drive my Vette around 1,000 miles per year. Changing engine oil every spring before the summer comes is probably the best practice.

But still, since I am a perfectionist I would like to know how to change the bulb. Do you remove the complete dash or just the instrument panel where the light is located? There are a few things to get done on the car and I might as well get them all fixed in one visit to my mechanic.

Cheers,

Selim

 

[Galen]

It was a year or two ago so I dont remember well. I believe the cluster comes out in 1 piece and the harness easliy unplugs. Seems like 1 of the screws was hard to find the first time. If memory serves me you have to take the cluster apart to get to the bulbs. Any one with dash knowledge should have little or no trouble. Good luck. I know how it is I feel the need to keep everything working on mine as well.