How accurate are oil life meters?

no5.0notch

no5.0notch

Club Member
Like title says, how accurate are those things? My wife has an 2013 SRX and I think it moves really fast. I alaways use Mobil 1 synthetic. Are those things accurate??
 
I feel like those work when you put the approved oil in it. I think it takes the info on the dash plus how you drive the car and how well it runs. If you put good oil in it and drive mostly highway, stretch it out. Make sure to check the oil more often and keep topping it off. if you make more short trips or are stuck in traffic I would consider the premium oil is whats allowing you to get the most out of the life on the meter.

i would be more worried about the filter breaking down at higher mile intervals.
 
They are fairly accurate for most people. You can send in an oil sample to the lab for a low cost and they can confirm that you're on target for oil life. They also tell you about fuel saturation one metals present. It's about the cost of an oil change.
 
GM has had them fairly widespread since 1999. I never really trusted it in my 99 NBS Silverado (LM7) but when I had an oil analysis done on one of the oil changes at 20% left the oil was still "good". I can't remember if it was Syntec or Mobil 1.

I next tested it on my Pontiac G6 with a 3.5L "high value" V6 that only took 4 quarts of oil. It also was still "good" at 20%. I think this one was Syntec Edge. 20% worked out to roughly 7,000 miles.

I next tested it on my 09 Silverado with L76 (6.0L) that took 6 quarts of oil. It had VVT and AFM, so it beat the snot out of the oil. At 20% it was good too, this was with Mobil 1. 20% worked out to roughly 8,000 miles but sometimes it was close to 10,000 miles. By the time I got to this truck I largely gave up on Castrol.

I have not tested it with my 15 Sierra with L86 (6.2L) but it takes 8 quarts of oil. I doubt it would ever go "bad" with that much oil in it, even though it takes 0w20 DexOs (I still use Mobil synthetic).

Pretty much all of these were with Mobil1 filters (the longest made for the diameter of the boss and the thread) but recently (last three years) I switched Purolator classic, Purolator PurOne, or Purolator full synthetic (whatever their current marketing name is).
 
I have 2015 AND 2016 Silverados - One with a V-6 and the other with the 5.3 and they both seem to have the light come on at around 5K miles. These are mostly highway driven - 40 miles each way to work - All Expressway. When the wife was driving the 2016 with the V-6 and only 4 miles to work, the light came on at the same time, at around 5K miles. The oil has been always changed at the dealer with Mobil 1.

Funny thing is dealer charges between $50 and $60 for an 8qt Mobil 1 oil change, which includes a tire rotation. All of the quick oil change places want between $90 and $100 for an oil change and even if I buy the oil and filter, I am not sure I can do it for what the dealer charges.

grr
 
Scooter70 said:
My F150s and wife's Lincolns (2 year leases) all go closer to 10k before the light comes on.
Click to expand...

I know for sure our 07 Expedition and 08 Mercury Mariner were 5k. The 06 fusion we had didn't have a monitor which I thought was odd. The 2010 Flex I think is still 5k miles but only have had it for 6 months or so and its the wife's car so I don't pay as close attention to it. I kinda assumed that newer ones were probably more complicated oil monitors.
 
My Equinox goes closer to 7500-8000 miles between changes. 7500 is recommended and the oil life monitor usually gets pretty close to that range.
 
wrath said:
GM has had them fairly widespread since 1999. I never really trusted it in my 99 NBS Silverado (LM7) but when I had an oil analysis done on one of the oil changes at 20% left the oil was still "good". I can't remember if it was Syntec or Mobil 1.

I next tested it on my Pontiac G6 with a 3.5L "high value" V6 that only took 4 quarts of oil. It also was still "good" at 20%. I think this one was Syntec Edge. 20% worked out to roughly 7,000 miles.

I next tested it on my 09 Silverado with L76 (6.0L) that took 6 quarts of oil. It had VVT and AFM, so it beat the snot out of the oil. At 20% it was good too, this was with Mobil 1. 20% worked out to roughly 8,000 miles but sometimes it was close to 10,000 miles. By the time I got to this truck I largely gave up on Castrol.

I have not tested it with my 15 Sierra with L86 (6.2L) but it takes 8 quarts of oil. I doubt it would ever go "bad" with that much oil in it, even though it takes 0w20 DexOs (I still use Mobil synthetic).

Pretty much all of these were with Mobil1 filters (the longest made for the diameter of the boss and the thread) but recently (last three years) I switched Purolator classic, Purolator PurOne, or Purolator full synthetic (whatever their current marketing name is).
Click to expand...

How are you determining the oil is "still good"?
 
I usually just change mine every 3-4k as I only put about 9k miles per year on my truck. Always wondered if that oil life monitor was based on mileage or use.
 
My 2010 f150 is usually right at 5k. I'm having to add a qt every 1000 miles lately though, so it might be a little off.
 
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