Can't really find anything in OM as to conditions for 'oil maintenance required' message to appear. Is it truly on mileage alone? I have a 2011 Escape that monitors oil life from, i guess, how clean it is or isn't and gives a 'life percentage' on screen.

Well, off to do my brakes. Hopefully i'll have an answer when i'm done. T I A

 

Toyotas go by mileage to activate that reminder light. Other makes may use slightly more sophisticated algorithms to calculate time for oil change. My 17 year old gm truck uses hours of engine run time rather than mileage to determine when the light is activated for example.

 

really? You'd think for all that money they would have something better. My Escape is about a 1/4 the price when new!

 

Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't believe your Escape is taking any oil measurements to determine life. It is using an algorithm that looks at different usage metrics, but is definitely not taking any oil quality measurements.

 

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...rent-minderler

 

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...rent-minderler

 

It's a gimmick to make you think that it is more advanced, but it is not.

If that Escape is REALLY taking real time live oil samples to determine the next oil change, then I would like to know too.

 

I spoke with a Ford service mechanic and friend. He stated that the Oil Maintenance Reminder in the Escape and other Ford vehicles operate by a software algorithm that uses mileage, driving conditions and other factors. It does not check the condition of the oil. He did mention that some Mercedes vehicles have a sensor that detects oil acidity and moisture content to signal when an oil change is needed.

 

Hopefully the engineers at Ford didn't decide to add time to their algorithm like the Chevy guys did with the latest Corvette. Kind of annoying to park the car for the winter with 60% left only to start the thing for the first time 5 months later and see it down to 38% from just the passage of time sitting in the garage