Oil Change Indicator

[EricM]

I had the oil changed in my 2009 RAM / Cummins three weeks ago. Since then, I ran a 450 mile round trip and then some around town miles that add up to a total of +/-700 miles since the oil change. Yesterday the oild change indicator lit up. I know the system is set up on an equation based on driving duration, etc.



I called the dealer and they indicated that since the oil change indicator was not activated prior to the previous oil change, they were not able reset after this oil change. They indicated I should simply reset and not worry about it.



This got me to thinking about the system regarding its function. If you change oil prior to the indicator going off, and you can't reset if the indicator hasn't already engaged, how does the system know the oil has beeen changed? It seems that short mileage alarms are inevitable under this scenario as the alarm will simply sound at the end of the previous duty cycle.



This doesn't make any sense. I'm really not iclined to dump $70. 00 worth of synthetic oil and a new filter after only 700 miles based on questionable information. At the same time I don't want to damage anything.



Any thoughts?

 

[Hoefler]

You can reset it before it indicates an oil change. Just go through the reset procedure.

 

[EricM]

I guess I need to school my dealer on this. Service manager indicates the system can not be reset unless alarm was already tripped. Maybe they were just covering their tracks because they forgot to reset when they did the oil change and didn't want to admit?

 

[HBarlow]

I would bet they forgot to reset it when you had them change your oil. Just reset it yourself using the owner's manual procedure and forget it.

Oil change monitors are more trouble than they are worth in my opinion and probably mostly benefit dealer service departments.

 

[Newt]

I guess I need to school my dealer on this. Service manager indicates the system can not be reset unless alarm was already tripped. Maybe they were just covering their tracks because they forgot to reset when they did the oil change and didn't want to admit?

Sounds more like it's time to change dealers. You want someone this stupid working on your truck?



Only problem with the reset procedure, nothing tells you if it "took".



Newt

 

[Cosmo]

Nothing tells you it took - except the warning doesn't come on for a while.

The reset procedure for 06 Solaras (and probably a grip of other Toyotas) is decent - push the ODO button, turn the engine to RUN (but don't turn it on) and the display goes to 6 boxes, then 5 boxes, then 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and then it goes to six '0's, letting you know it's reset.

 

[AH64ID]

I would bet they forgot to reset it when you had them change your oil. Just reset it yourself using the owner's manual procedure and forget it.



Oil change monitors are more trouble than they are worth in my opinion and probably mostly benefit dealer service departments.

I agree that they forgot to reset it; however, Cummins did several years of research to get the OCI where it is today. While I fell that a sensor in the oil would be much better the algorythim they have designed, but it is more for motor than dealership. Dodge/Cummins realizes that most folks don't get their oil changed at the dealership. The OCI is based almost exclusivly (if miles on the oil are less than 7500) on predicted fuel dilution. Fuel dilution is no joke, I would personally trust the computer and change the oil when it tells you to, and this is from a guy that had 29K miles on his last oil change.