Oil change requirements for message center

[Hybred]

Hello all.
I’m looking for the logic behind the oil change requirement notification in the Message Center.

97 Eddie Bauer with the 5.0

I have only driven about 1,400 miles since the last oil change and the message center is telling me that I have 0% life left on the oil.
Usually this thing alerts me at about 4,000 miles of usage.

So what is the logic behind the programming? How does Ford determine the oil life?
Is it ‘time’, ‘mileage’, ‘temperature’?
Does one variable outweigh the others?

I bought another vehicle and just don’t drive the Explorer as much anymore. Last oil change was 3-1-2020 at 291,536 miles.

It’s at 292,962 miles now and screaming for a change.

When I changed it in March I thought to myself that it felt too soon, as I hadn’t driven it much at all since the previous oil change.
6-22-2019 at 288,679 miles.
That was only 2,857 miles when I changed it on 3-1-2020

Is 9 months the magic number to trigger this in message center? Or do I possibly have a fault with the oil level/ temperature sensor?

 

[J_C]

I'd think you would get a warning if you had a sensor out of bounds. I don't know the logic behind it but this late in the game, would just ignore (or reset) it and pretend it isn't a relevant feature.

Plus keep in mind that oil keeps getting better. Any recommendation from near 25 years ago, isn't applicable today, especially using synthetic oil.

I just don't think there is anything you can do to make the feature more useful, that it's time to ignore it. If there's some microcontroller inside and you have the ability to extract the code, reverse engineer, and reprogram it, that would be a hobby that seems like too much work for the long term result.

As far as whether any particular variables SHOULD cause a shorter oil change interval, driving aggressively (and/or towing) in high heat, or mostly short trips, should decrease the oil change interval substantially.

How much that decreases the mileage, there are too many variables involved to guess. If it's worth the bother you could send your used oil in for a used oil analysis but I hardly think it's worth the bother given current low oil prices and the low value of the vehicle, versus how many miles on it. A great amount of effort, probably won't change the total mileage it achieves by a significant %.

 

[Hybred]

I agree with you on most of that. Too much time vs value.

But I am willing to replace the oil level/temperature sensor if that would cause the issue.

If it’s based off a time interval, I would be okay with that too, but thought it would be set at 1 year. I was just looking for understanding.

In the past I would do a change 3-4 times a year, so I have never hit these long intervals before.

lol the county says my Exploder is only worth $200, it’s so insulting.

I will probably just reset it and see what happens.

I don’t think Ford had the technology back then to have an actual oil condition sensor. I believe it’s just based off an algorithm of (load, rpm, temp(s), level, mileage, & time) but could be as simple as (time & mileage)

 

[C420sailor]

It’s a gimmick. Mine alerted after like 1,000 miles. I run a full synthetic. I change it at 5,000mi and the oil analysis still comes back as it having a healthy chunk of life left.

When mine alerts, I reset it. Easy.

 

[96eb96]

I'd think you would get a warning if you had a sensor out of bounds. I don't know the logic behind it but this late in the game, would just ignore (or reset) it and pretend it isn't a relevant feature.

Plus keep in mind that oil keeps getting better. Any recommendation from near 25 years ago, isn't applicable today, especially using synthetic oil.

I just don't think there is anything you can do to make the feature more useful, that it's time to ignore it. If there's some microcontroller inside and you have the ability to extract the code, reverse engineer, and reprogram it, that would be a hobby that seems like too much work for the long term result.

As far as whether any particular variables SHOULD cause a shorter oil change interval, driving aggressively (and/or towing) in high heat, or mostly short trips, should decrease the oil change interval substantially.

How much that decreases the mileage, there are too many variables involved to guess. If it's worth the bother you could send your used oil in for a used oil analysis but I hardly think it's worth the bother given current low oil prices and the low value of the vehicle, versus how many miles on it. A great amount of effort, probably won't change the total mileage it achieves by a significant %.

Good luck getting any code out of that or modifying.

But it was pretty advanced for its time-
There is a timer (6 months, even if parked)
A temp gauge in the oil pan
Mileage
probably a few other variables too.

You can set a percentage of the life remaining (would give you shorter intervals, not longer).

Oil changes are cheap though if you DIY, changing by that schedule is insurance nothing could ever go wrong. You could always reset it with a 50% interval afterwards. I think that is a good compromise. If you towed during that interval, you may want to change the oil.

 

[Hybred]

I wouldn’t say it’s a gimmick, as it has worked well for the 13 years I have had the truck. Only recently has it become an issue, and as it turns out there is indeed a timer.
I’m just not driving the truck enough to accumulate a “normal” mileage.

Thanks 96EB96 for the info!!!

 

[Joe Stewart]

My vote...reset and go
296000...just getting broke in

 

[Hybred]

My vote...reset and go
296000...just getting broke in

Vehicle mileage doesn’t match the engine mileage. I freshened up a junk yard engine and installed it about 75,000 miles ago. So yeah, it kinda is just broken in.