Ford's Intelligent Oil Life Monitor System

[jimbo67]

The oil life service reminder feature is designed to provide vehicle owners a better understanding of when your vehicle will require an oil change. The Intelligent Oil Life Monitor calculates a percentage of oil life remaining (from 100% to 0%) and takes into account items such as engine temperatures, idling, towing and other driving habits.

For vehicles with a FordPass® Connect 4G modem, the oil life display and service reminders will include estimates with respect to time and distance. Oil Life Service Estimations are based on several factors, which can include driving habits and patterns that can change depending on miles driven over time. Your estimates then may or may not show a complete 12 months or 10,000 miles/16,000 kilometers. For instance, if your vehicle idles significantly, the intelligent oil life monitor may alert you to change the oil at 7 months/4,000 miles. After the oil change is confirmed, the estimates provided will be for 7 months/4,000 miles. Likewise, if your vehicle is driven more than 10,000 miles/16,000 kilometers within a shorter timeframe, the estimates will not reflect one year, but will reflect 10,000 miles/16,000 kilometers


Just a question, so in order for it to work correctly wouldn't you have to share data? Either way I still change mine at 3500 because it's cheap. Just curious!

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[cosmo73]

Share data with whom? The computer that calculates this is part of the car, no sharing needed. As far as Ford Pass goes, it is simply an interface via WiFi or BT that shares data locally and I’m sure with Ford. Any car with a 4G connection is sharing something.

 

[jimbo67]

Share data with whom? The computer that calculates this is part of the car, no sharing needed. As far as Ford Pass goes, it is simply an interface via WiFi or BT that shares data locally and I’m sure with Ford. Any car with a 4G connection is sharing something.

Ok I get it. This is new to me I never trusted oil life monitors in previous vehicles thought they were just mostly timers. So the vehicles computers have the ability to decifer driving habits. Then weither or not your sharing data then Ford could retrieve those from the vehicle if it went in for warranty issues I assume.

 

[RLE55]

My oil life monitor is to check the dipstick periodically, usually after 5K+ on odometer and see if it's beginning to look dirty, hence change needed. The only car I've owned that the cars oil life monitor was accurate was a chevy sonic that reminded me usually after 3 months of driving, to change it. I commuted around 800 miles a week, so every 3 months was about right.

 

[Saburak]

I think it's just a time indicator following your last oil change, nothing more.

 

[Skye]

The OLM is a self-contained program within the car. It uses several factors (mileage, time, number of drives, duration of drives, temperatures, etc.) when determining oil life. It decrements the life of the oil based on Ford's formula.

The OLM can be seen within the car's menus. If using the Ford Pass App, it can be seen there.

Regarding the sharing of data, I can't confirm what all Ford keeps. Maybe the OLM data is sent to the phone and nothing more. Maybe Ford keeps a copy for QC purposes.

If your concerned about what data is kept, you can study how to disable the data reporting from the car. There are several methods. Telematics is the car system you want to disable or disconnect.*

Time is used as a catch-all in the OLM, to encourage one oil change a year, regardless of conditions. The OLM decrements 1.9% a week and expires at the end of one year, even if the car is just sitting.

Regarding the actual state of the oil itself, an oil analysis will quantify. Blackstone Labs gets high marks for their work.

A standard oil analysis will give you a breakdown of that oil and an indication of the physical health of the engine.

An additional option of that analysis is to request a Total Base Number (TBN) and Total Acid Number (TAN).

Acids naturally accumulate in any operating engine; they are by-products of the air mixing with the fuel and the fuel being burnt.

Oil in the jug has a given TBN (different brands of oil have different TBNs). One component of that oil is its acid-neutralizing capability. Once being used in the engine, over time, the TBN decreases while the TAN increases.

In addition to the chemical and element breakdown, some like to have TBN/TAN run. If extending service intervals or running long-duration intervals**, it can help determine how close they are to the limit. It's also another quantifiable measure as to the overall health of the engine and operation.

At the start, the oil in the jug is 100% oil for that given volume. Once in the engine, and over time, the volume of liquid becomes oil, shed and ingested materials and acids, all of which are being circulated.

https://pqia.org/

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

* Telematics is the primary data-sharing system. But any vehicle will also save map references, phone contacts and addresses, if being stored in the car's entertainment system. I'm not familiar with the S650's process, but Ford has steps to factory-default these info systems, such as to prepare the car for sale.

** Someone using their car for 1) infrequent drives + 2) where the engine never reaches full temps, will see their TBN degrade quicker than expected. "Cold" and short drives encounter greater amounts of fuel wash, condensation and acid accumulation.

 

[roadpilot]

How often you should change your oil is based on a variety of factors, including things such as miles driven, running engine hours, operating conditions, driving habits, and type of oil used.

The absolute best way to determine how often to change your oil is to have your oil analyzed after each oil change. Not only will this help you understand what is happening inside your engine (based on the aforementioned and other factors), but the oil analysis includes a suggested oil change interval based on the results.

I'm a big fan of Blackstone Laboratories.

For the vast majority of owners, they either don't change their oil often enough OR they waste money because "I always change my oil at XXXX miles". Both are absolutely wrong approaches to oil change intervals - the former because you're damaging your engine and the latter because you're throwing something away that's still got plenty of life left in it.

How many of you buy a case of beer, drink half of it, then throw 8 or 12 beers away when it is perfectly good beer? I'd venture that number would be very low.

 

[Decio]

Any convenience offered by the FordPass app is outweighed by the potential of Ford selling my telematic data (hard braking, rapid acceleration, speed limit violations, etc.) to insurance companies so Ford has another revenue stream and the insurance company "customizes" my rates based on my driving. No thank you. I recommend disabling connectivity unless you are parked overnight and want an OTA/WiFi update.

 

[roadpilot]

Any convenience offered by the FordPass app is outweighed by the potential of Ford selling my telematic data (hard braking, rapid acceleration, speed limit violations, etc.) to insurance companies so Ford has another revenue stream and the insurance company "customizes" my rates based on my driving. No thank you. I recommend disabling connectivity unless you are parked overnight and want an OTA/WiFi update.

Tin foil hats are on sale next week.

 

[CamustangSS650]

Dealers send emails when the oil monitor is getting to 20%.... Nothing is internal to the car anymore.

 

[Pmamba]

Any convenience offered by the FordPass app is outweighed by the potential of Ford selling my telematic data (hard braking, rapid acceleration, speed limit violations, etc.) to insurance companies so Ford has another revenue stream and the insurance company "customizes" my rates based on my driving. No thank you. I recommend disabling connectivity unless you are parked overnight and want an OTA/WiFi update.

Well, they already factor in what someone’s credit score is…. I’m sure if you drive it hard but don’t have claims, tickets and a really high credit score the rate will be lower than someone with the opposite. No connectivity needed.

 

[roadpilot]

Dealers send emails when the oil monitor is getting to 20%.... Nothing is internal to the car anymore.

Dealers don't send jack. FordPass does.

 

[IFFV68]

How often you should change your oil is based on a variety of factors, including things such as miles driven, running engine hours, operating conditions, driving habits, and type of oil used.

The absolute best way to determine how often to change your oil is to have your oil analyzed after each oil change. Not only will this help you understand what is happening inside your engine (based on the aforementioned and other factors), but the oil analysis includes a suggested oil change interval based on the results.

I'm a big fan of Blackstone Laboratories.

For the vast majority of owners, they either don't change their oil often enough OR they waste money because "I always change my oil at XXXX miles". Both are absolutely wrong approaches to oil change intervals - the former because you're damaging your engine and the latter because you're throwing something away that's still got plenty of life left in it.

How many of you buy a case of beer, drink half of it, then throw 8 or 12 beers away when it is perfectly good beer? I'd venture that number would be very low.

I think it's just a time indicator following your last oil change, nothing more.

I agree.
You don’t need a Computer to tell you when to change your oil.
On our 2020 F150 H. O. 3.5 Ecoboost.,450 horse , the same engine as the Raptor. I change the oil, Filter, & Rotate the Tires every 3 Months. Regardless of Mileage.
The Ecoboost oil should be changed more often.
The GT I hope to receive in about a month or so.
I plan on changing the Oil and Rotate the tires every 4 to 5,000 miles.
I figure you can pay now or pay later.
I also get the maintenance plan & the extend Warranty.
The one on our F150 I received free, as in no extra charge except for the maintenance plan. 4 oil changes, filters and tires rotated per year.
Also, free Windshield wiper blades, cabin Filters & Brake.
Please remember the GT has 2 engine air filters.
I know some people think it’s a waste of money.
But, I’ve wasted money before.

 

[roadpilot]

On our 2020 F150 H. O. 3.5 Ecoboost.,450 horse , the same engine as the Raptor. I change the oil, Filter, & Rotate the Tires every 3 Months. Regardless of Mileage.

You said you agree with me, then you contradict that very statement.

Unless you've had the oil analyzed, you very well are wasting money.

The Ecoboost oil should be changed more often.

Again, see comment above.

CAN you change it more often? Sure. Should you? Without a proper analysis of what's going on inside your engines, you have no idea how often you need to be changing it.

I figure you can pay now or pay later.

You don't have to OVERpay now if the oil you're removing is only half-used.

I know some people think it’s a waste of money.
But, I’ve wasted money before.

No offense, but you're making my point. You're likely wasting your time and money. Can you? Sure, you're money. Should you? Not in my opinion.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

@Skye great write up! +1

@roadpilot ---I was vexed for years with throwing our half cases of beer. Sadly this compulsive, expensive, and counter productive behavior was the result of conditioning by and role modeling on my Dad; who engaged in it during and after my formative years.

Finally; I was able to break this wasteful pattern of dysfunctional behavior when I was struck by an epiphany one day. Actually it was an oil filter from my jeep that I dropped as I lay under the jeep. Freakin' thing hit me in the forehead, and knocked me out for a few seconds. When I came to; I saw it all clearly; stop wasting money throwing beer out! Drink whisky which gets better with age and never has to be thrown out! BBUURRPP!!

BTW: Excellent point about the oil analysis!

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