Change oil light? Help!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 538
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
Change oil light? Help!
So driving the vette (95 LT1) again here in FL. The temp finally dropped! Changed the oil about a month ago, 5w-30 as usual...nothing different.
So drive home from my girlfriends place and a "Change Oil" light comes on in the left side of the instrument cluster! Dammit i thought! So checking gauges - oil pressure is normal, and temp looks OK...
Pull over to the side of the road. Dipstick reads full and oil is clear
Get home, figure try to disconnect the battery and reconnect. Disconnect for about 5 minutes, come back reconnect.
I don't even start the car and just turn the ignition, and the light comes on right away!!!
So what the hell? Does this perhaps mean a sensor has pooped the bed? Anyone else have a similar problem like this? I'm wondering if it's a simple fix or if I will have to take it in. I am one of those guys that refuses to drive around with ANY check engine/etc.. lights on.
Anyone have any ideas???
Thanks guys!!!
So drive home from my girlfriends place and a "Change Oil" light comes on in the left side of the instrument cluster! Dammit i thought! So checking gauges - oil pressure is normal, and temp looks OK...
Pull over to the side of the road. Dipstick reads full and oil is clear
Get home, figure try to disconnect the battery and reconnect. Disconnect for about 5 minutes, come back reconnect.
I don't even start the car and just turn the ignition, and the light comes on right away!!!
So what the hell? Does this perhaps mean a sensor has pooped the bed? Anyone else have a similar problem like this? I'm wondering if it's a simple fix or if I will have to take it in. I am one of those guys that refuses to drive around with ANY check engine/etc.. lights on.
Anyone have any ideas???
Thanks guys!!!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,771
Likes: 177
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
You have to manually reset the oil life monitor after every oil change. The car does not know you changed the oil otherwise. 
Here ya go.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=255&TopicID=2
Here ya go.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=255&TopicID=2
Corvette Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,795
Likes: 2,717
From: So. Cal.
2025 C7 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
oil change
On some models GM recommends 7500 mile intervals on oil changes. I change mine every 3000. When the light comes on I reset the pin switch.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
garychurchill,
It almost sounds like you are unfamiliar with the Vette's 'oil monitoring' system, which monitors the oil 'life' and based on various inputs (revs, miles, etc), deduces it is time to change the oil and turns on the 'change engine oil' light (it does not actually 'test' the oil).
However, when changing the oil, one must reset the 'change oil light' system, as it does not have anyway of figuring out that the oil has changed and will proceed as if it had not been changed.
So for example if the oil was changed at 3000 miles, and the 'change engine oil' light system was not reset, roughly around 3500 miles, the 'change engine oil light' will come on. However, had it been reset when the oil was changed, it would not have come on until around 6500 miles.
So, it sounds like the 'change engine oil' system was not reset when the oil was changed about a month ago.
Please review your owners manual or search the 'tech' section here on the forum for how to reset (but remember that it will then under-calculate when the next change is do, so keep track of it).
It almost sounds like you are unfamiliar with the Vette's 'oil monitoring' system, which monitors the oil 'life' and based on various inputs (revs, miles, etc), deduces it is time to change the oil and turns on the 'change engine oil' light (it does not actually 'test' the oil).
However, when changing the oil, one must reset the 'change oil light' system, as it does not have anyway of figuring out that the oil has changed and will proceed as if it had not been changed.
So for example if the oil was changed at 3000 miles, and the 'change engine oil' light system was not reset, roughly around 3500 miles, the 'change engine oil light' will come on. However, had it been reset when the oil was changed, it would not have come on until around 6500 miles.
So, it sounds like the 'change engine oil' system was not reset when the oil was changed about a month ago.
Please review your owners manual or search the 'tech' section here on the forum for how to reset (but remember that it will then under-calculate when the next change is do, so keep track of it).
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: Conway AR
IF I rember the tech stuff right,the ecm turns on the "change engine oil" light at 1 million revelutions. That can change the mileage a bunch betweens oil changes depending on your driving. In town will not last as long as on the road.
But, you GOTS to inform the ecm that you've changed the oil. Look at your owner's manuel.
bill
But, you GOTS to inform the ecm that you've changed the oil. Look at your owner's manuel.
bill
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 538
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
Thanks all. Feelin a lil dumb! haha. Guess I didn't think they had an oil life monitoring system back in the mid-nineties!!! I can totally deal with a simple reset than some other type of problem!
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Cruising
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 10
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From: Raymore MO
OK...here's one for you guys....what about when you reset the oil change light and it comes back on the next day!! Now, as I've written in another thread, I'm having sys light problems and now odo err problems as well....but has anyone seen these three areas all come up at once? I have the FSM, but no code puller yet...the Advance Auto and Autozone neither one had the right link to my OBD head.....
