Oil change last month but the app says I need one now… Did they forget to reset it?

Seeking Help
1

I don’t know what’s going on. They told me the oil life indicator was reset after the oil change, but now it says there’s only 1% left. Is the oil actually bad or is it just not reset?

2

Unless you somehow drove 7000 to 10,000 miles in a month, they didn’t reset it.

3

Sage said:
Unless you somehow drove 7000 to 10,000 miles in a month, they didn’t reset it.

That’s what I thought too. Thanks.

4

They probably didn’t reset it. You can do it yourself through the car’s menu system.

And just so you know, the oil life indicator doesn’t actually test your oil.

5

Remy said:
They probably didn’t reset it. You can do it yourself through the car’s menu system.

And just so you know, the oil life indicator doesn’t actually test your oil.

It’s not just a simple timer though.

6

@Wes
Wait, what do you mean?

7

Charlie said:
@Wes
Wait, what do you mean?

It actually takes a bunch of things into account—idle time, engine temperature, how hard the engine is working, and how long your trips are. That said, you can just reset it now. Keep track of how many miles you’ve driven since the oil change and plan to change the oil a bit sooner next time.

8

@Zen
Got it. I usually stick to 10k miles for changes, but I’ve started towing a boat and trailer lately, so I might start changing it earlier.

9

Charlie said:
@Wes
Wait, what do you mean?

Here’s a video that breaks it down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4e0oDBseqo. It explains how the algorithm works to calculate oil life based on how you’re driving.

10

@Koa
Good watch. Loved the part where the expert said, “You can trust your oil life indicator.”

11

Charlie said:
@Wes
Wait, what do you mean?

Yeah, I’m a bit more cautious. I did my first oil change at 3.5k and plan to stick to every 7k after that since I don’t tow anything.

12

Charlie said:
@Wes
Wait, what do you mean?

It’s like hours on a tractor, kind of.

13

@Wes
If you’ve got a hybrid, it’s a bit different. It tracks engine run time, but that’s about it.

14

Remy said:
@Wes
If you’ve got a hybrid, it’s a bit different. It tracks engine run time, but that’s about it.

Yeah, but even then, the videos and other responses here show that it’s more complex than just a timer.

15

My first oil change didn’t last as long as I expected, but the second one is holding up much better.

16

Quick question: Does the oil life indicator just go off miles, or does it factor in how you’re driving? My old Grand Cherokee used driving habits and towing.

17

Oaklan said:
Quick question: Does the oil life indicator just go off miles, or does it factor in how you’re driving? My old Grand Cherokee used driving habits and towing.

It does take driving habits, engine run time, idle time, and other stuff into account.