Truck is saying I need an oil change!

[LAClippers420]

Well, my oil life is officially at 0% and there’s no service appointments until Wednesday! Will my hybrid blow up? Haha, in all seriousness though, this wasn’t my intention but it’s pretty badass that I’ve driven over 9.5k miles since my last oil change. Checked the levels this morning and it’s just a lil dirty but not anything to lose sleep over. Let’s see what the dealership says after they give it, it’s annual check up.

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[RonFLA]

Well, my oil life is officially at 0% and there’s no service appointments until Wednesday! Will my hybrid blow up? Haha, in all seriousness though, this wasn’t my intention but it’s pretty badass that I’ve driven over 9.5k miles since my last oil change. Checked the levels this morning and it’s just a lil dirty but not anything to lose sleep over. Let’s see what the dealership says after they give it, it’s annual check up.

Um, no. I would change it every 5-6K and not listen to the oil life guess-o-meter. Cheapest piece of mind you can get.

 

[K5Blazer]

I changed mine at 5300 mi.
The sensor showed 63% oil life remaining at that time. The oil looked almost new before the change.

Its a new paradigm in oil change schedules when your engine is only running part of the time.

No parasitic belts on the engine, no AC compressor, etc.

What a day and age we live in. It’s pretty fun getting to experience this without having to own a Prius.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Um, no. I would change it every 5-6K and not listen to the oil life guess-o-meter. Cheapest piece of mind you can get.

If OP sent in an oil sample for a Blackstone oil analysis, it would almost surely show the oil is still good in his Hybrid. Another member posted they had a Hybrid Escape for 235,000 miles that was still going strong - until someone else totaled it. Based on oil analyses, they usually changed their oil around every 15k miles. Their brake pads lasted much longer too - 200,000 miles.

Hybrids save money in many different ways. Less frequent oil changes is one of them. Change the oil when the truck's computer tells you you should, or based on an oil sample analysis, if you don't believe or trust the computer.

 

[GPSMan]

Um, no. I would change it every 5-6K and not listen to the oil life guess-o-meter. Cheapest piece of mind you can get.

Dear Ron in Florida,


With top quality oils, the oil is GUARANTEED for 20,000 miles in a TRADITIONAL vehicle. Ya know, those dinosaurs that run the engine all the time.

Ford says 10,000 mile OCI and they assume people are using middle of the road, "average" oils and / or blended oils and/or a variety of oils. So its a very CONSERVATIVE estimate.

Now I think you know, your hybrid engine is off for some miles. Maybe 10% for you. Maybe 50% for me and the other guy.

Now I think you know, the hybrid engine does not idle. As long as it's above freezing outside.

Now I think you know, with the power boost from the battery, your engine is never at 100% output or 100% load.

In fact, if you've paid ANY attention to the power gauge, I'm sure you'll agree the truck is almost always below 50% output. And MUCH of the time it is at about 20% output.

Surely you have concluded, as I have, the hybrid system is very GENTLE on the engine.

If you are being ABUSIVE to yours, like racing, or towing every day for work, a 5,000 mile OCI may be in order.

Otherwise, I'm sure you'll agree that changing oil prematurely does nothing for the longevity of the vehicle, but wastes a limited resource, and pollutes the environment more.

 

[GPSMan]

The Oil Life monitor is not a clock, timer, or odometer counter.

It adjusts dynamically for real world conditions YOUR engine actually experienced.

While I had a trailer connected (and truck knew it was there because it detected power draw from the lamps, and it detected my RPM's went up by 33%) it actually deducted 2 miles from the oil life for every mile driven.

This is why some persons went 23,000 miles before the truck hit 0% oil life. Someone else hit 19,000 miles.

Majority of drivers will probably get to 0% between 8,000 and 12,000 miles.

Those who tow every day, or idle a lot for just air conditioning or heat while parked, may get to 0% oil life as soon as 5,000 miles.

Each person's truck is different. And isn't it great the technology now compensates for this!?

 

[GPSMan]

If you want to be EXTRA conservative and EXTRA cautious here is some sound advice:

Use the oil life monitor but change it every time at 10%, 20% or 25%.

This way you are still changing it "early" but at least you are changing it based on real life conditions.

Changing it like clockwork every 5,000 miles no matter what, makes no sense at all. Unless you drive like clockwork with zero variation in weather or driving route.

 

[GPSMan]

There are different ways to estimate when to change oil.

Lab tests are probably best, but expensive and inconvenient.

You can go by engine hours. Kind of like what you have to do for stationary engines. Rule of thumb: change oil at 200 engine hours. But, some of those hours will be at 25 mph and some of those hours will be at 75 mph.

You can go by miles driven, but this is even less accurate than engine hours in a hybrid.

You can go by calendar months. 12 months, one year, has been a rule of thumb, but some (rare) people will only drive 1000 miles in a year, and some (rare) will drive 40,000 miles in a year.

You can go by gallons of fuel burned.
Ah ha!
This is what large ships sometimes go by. By using fuel burned, say change oil every 500 gallons, doesn't that compensate for type of driving, amount of idle time, amount of engine hours, amount of EV miles, and all that combined? I'm almost sure this is part of the OCI monitor.

Take my towing experience when I lost 2 miles of oil life for every mile driven. Did the computer do this because my engine was working harder, or because the trailer lamps were being used?
OR
Did the truck do this because my MPG went from 40 MPG to 20 MPG?

 

[tom_tucker]

I have 5,967 total miles on the vehicle and it says 56% oil life remaining. It's due for service at 7500. I could still get back about 85% of my 5 year service plan contract. I will loose lifetime loaners on any repairs though.

9500 is pretty dang good. I think I'd also be able to go 1 year. I'm wondering if it's time to dump the dealer. The numbers say I should, but this is my only vehicle and it's a Hybrid. Not gonna DIY it.

 

[Montana]

Apparently someone's grandpa in this thread forgot their medicine today. Nap time!

Anyways...

You are fine. General rule of thumb is anywhere from 3k-10k. Sooner is better but not usually financially feasible. DIY to save yourself some loot. You have an appointment in 3 days, you are fine. In the future, if your choice is to go by the monitor, schedule early.

We will have to reset the clock for the daily oil thread count though. This makes 2 in one day. I think 3 days without one is our best so far?

 

[TheSEARCH]

OH NO another thread on when to change your oil. Your vehicle do it when you want. This will get into a heated debate.

 

[Old Man]

While I use the oil life monitor myself I just saw a video where the owner of a 2022 Tahoe had his monitor show 1% so he added 99% of the oil capacity (5.? quarts) to the engine. With the existing oil still in. Engine hydrolocked.

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