douglasland

I picked up My mustang in January and today I just got a warning about the oil life is down to 5%. i only have 1990 miles on the car. So my question is the life % caclualted solely on duration between changes + miles driven or is it actually reading something from the oil filter to determine how bad the oil is.

Yes i am going to change it in the next week or so (despite the low mileage) but I figured some of you would have an opinion. Perhaps Ford Engineer can provide some input.

Thanks everyone!

Goldenpony

If this is the same oil the car came with, it might have something to do with a new engine breaking in. I would guess when you put in new oil and a new filter, it will go much further next cycle. Just my thought.

Nuke

Today's engines don't have the same issues that require oil changes early as iin the past during break-in. But it could be something new with that engine. Have you read the OM?

The 05's thru '10s came from the factory with synthetic blend and the recommended oil change, even initial, was 7500 miles. Also, blend should be changed after 6 months. Let us know what you find out.

Lax07

That oil life timer is long because you took delivery in january and its 6 months later... time to get an oil change

ski

The mileage between oil changes as determined by the ECU normally depends on how the car is driven. The most critical parameter that the ECU keeps track of is how many miles are driven when the engine is running at lower operating temperatures, and how many miles are driven when it's running at normal operating temps. The former triggers a low mileage oil change, while the latter lengthens the mileage between changes. The ECU may also trigger a change when a specified number of months expires.

Gene K

2010 OLM is a simple Mileage and Time Counter. You need to change your oil every 6 months to protect your warranty coverage. Motorcraft 5W20 Synthetic Blend is $12 per 5 Qt Jug at WalMart + $2.77 for the additional quart and they carry the Motorcraft FL820S as well. No need to spend more while intervals are limited by warranty.

Excerpt form 2010 Owner's Manual:
"Note: Oil life start value of 100% equals 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or six
months. For example, setting oil life start value to 60% sets the oil life
start value to 4,500 miles (7,200 km) and 108 days."


2011 IOLM by comparison is much more sophisticated:

What the IOLM measures to determine when an oil change is needed


Several key factors that affect oil life include:

Driving habits (such as towing and workload)
Hours in operation and at idle
Oil and coolant temperature
Engine speed and torque
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning cycles
How the IOLM works


The IOLM does not use oil quality sensors – it is entirely software-based and uses actual engine operating conditions to calculate the oil change interval by using an algorithm. This means the system must be reset after an oil change. Not doing so will result in a premature OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message.
The frequency of oil changes


Depending on driving conditions, oil change intervals are approximately:

Up to 10,000 miles - Normal commuting with highway driving
5,000 – 7,500 miles - Trailer tow/high-load driving
3,000 – 5,000 miles - Short trip usage, extreme cold or hot temperature
NOTE: Actual mileage will depend on your specific driving conditions.

Under normal conditions, you will get an OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message at up to 1 year, or 10,000 miles from the previous oil change.