Oil Life Car Display
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Instructor
Joined: Feb 2018
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Oil Life Car Display
I recently changed the oil in my C7 and parked it in the garage. I reset the oil life at the time of the oil change. I noticed that the oil life now reads 60%. I have not used the car and it has been sitting in the garage. Is this normal for the oil life to drop even if I am not driving the car?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
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From: Iowa
I recently changed the oil in my C7 and parked it in the garage. I reset the oil life at the time of the oil change. I noticed that the oil life now reads 60%. I have not used the car and it has been sitting in the garage. Is this normal for the oil life to drop even if I am not driving the car?
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Instructor
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330 miles in the trip meter and oil life is 69%. I just checked it today a few mins ago. I also don't believe I have driven 330 miles since last oil change. When I did the oil change I reset both A & B trip meters. Both are reading 330 right now. I am sitting here thinking where in the hell have I drove and put 330 miles on the car since the oil change. No I'm not crazy but I am retired and nobody drives the car but me. I was thinking of resetting trip B back to zero and see if any miles just start appearing. I do have a Range device plugged in to the obd port to prevent going into 4 cylinder mode. I keep it plugged in all the time. I also have the car on a battery tender that is plugged into the round port in the trunk of the car. I wonder if something is causing an eletrical glitch???
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
330 miles in the trip meter and oil life is 69%. I just checked it today a few mins ago. I also don't believe I have driven 330 miles since last oil change. When I did the oil change I reset both A & B trip meters. Both are reading 330 right now. I am sitting here thinking where in the hell have I drove and put 330 miles on the car since the oil change. No I'm not crazy but I am retired and nobody drives the car but me. I was thinking of resetting trip B back to zero and see if any miles just start appearing. I do have a Range device plugged in to the obd port to prevent going into 4 cylinder mode. I keep it plugged in all the time. I also have the car on a battery tender that is plugged into the round port in the trunk of the car. I wonder if something is causing an eletrical glitch???
Team Owner
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
The C7 OLI decreases by slightly over 8% each month, even if you never drive the car. That's how it tells you to change the oil after a year even if you never start the engine.
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Team Owner
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From: Hartford WI
BTW, last time that test was done, the OLM just hit 0 as I was in town and a couple miles from home. This time, the oil is past the OLM limit but before the 6000 mile limit. We shall see which oil is more economical from BOTH a financial standpoint and the 2 hours it takes to do the oil change..
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Instructor
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Will oil go bad just sitting in a car for 1yr? Should someone change it out even if they have not reached the 3000 mile limit? If oil goes bad in 1yr just sitting around, then someone needs to make a better quality oil for vehicles.
Team Owner
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From: Hartford WI
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
With the contaminants, possibly. Oxidation and other blow by is an issue, not to mention heat. How much? Hard to say. Test to know. I did.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
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From: Iowa
If you drive it, at all, then yes, definitely. As Aklim said, how much? Hard to tell without getting an oil analysis.
My thoughts are if you never drive it then why have the car in the first place? If you do drive the car then why chance it and try cheaping out and potentially damaging the engine? It's cheap insurance.
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If you change the oil and then do not drive it one single time, then probably not. Shelf life of unopened oil is like 3-5 years. Less so if its exposed to the elements.
If you drive it, at all, then yes, definitely. As Aklim said, how much? Hard to tell without getting an oil analysis.
My thoughts are if you never drive it then why have the car in the first place? If you do drive the car then why chance it and try cheaping out and potentially damaging the engine? It's cheap insurance.
If you drive it, at all, then yes, definitely. As Aklim said, how much? Hard to tell without getting an oil analysis.
My thoughts are if you never drive it then why have the car in the first place? If you do drive the car then why chance it and try cheaping out and potentially damaging the engine? It's cheap insurance.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
I was just wondering about the oil life. It would be a good idea to get an analysis done. I drive it every now and then but not as much as I would like to. When I go cruising, I'm always looking out for the other idiots on the road and that's just part of the problem. The rest of the time I'm looking out for pot holes and stuff in the road. It's stressful sometimes.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Lake Tapps WA.
It would be fine to just reset the monitor to 100% and go on with life. However as others mentioned it is pretty cheap to do an oil change. BTW, the interval is not 3000 anymore it can go as far as 15000 under ideal conditions.
Team Owner
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From: Hartford WI
That is much further than my testing shows. Not sure you can hit those ideal conditions to push it to 15K.