[SS Girl]

This may be the all time champion of frequent questions, so, here is the info

Question: Why does my "Change Oil" light come on, even after I just changed my oil??

From the owners manual
The GM "Oil Life System explanation:

Your vehicle has a computer that lets you know when to
change your engine oil. This is not based on mileage,
but on engine revolutions and engine operating
temperature. When the computer has calculated that the
oil needs changing, the GM Oil Life System will
indicate that a change is necessary. The mileage between
oil and filter changes will vary depending on how you
drive your vehicle -- usually between 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) and 7,500 miles (12 500 km) since your
last oil and filter change. Under severe conditions, the
system may come on before 3,000 miles (5 000 km).
Never drive your vehicle more than 7,500 miles
(12 500 km) or 12 months (whichever occurs first)
without an oil change.
The system won't detect dust in the oil. So, if you drive
in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil and filter
every 3,000 miles (5 000 km) or sooner. Remember to
reset the Oil Life Indicator whenever the oil is changed.

Resetting the Oil Life System:

After changing the engine oil, the system must be
reset. To reset the indicator, use one of the
following procedures:
Using the RDS Radio
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or ON, with the radio off.
2. Press and hold the DISP button on the radio for at
least five seconds until SETTINGS is displayed.
3. Press the SEEK up or down arrows to scroll through
the main menu.
4. Scroll until OIL LIFE appears on the display.
5. Press the PREV or NEXT buttons to enter the
submenu. RESET will be displayed.
6. Press the DISP button to reset. A chime will be heard
to verify the new setting and DONE will be
displayed for one second.
7. Once the indicator has been reset, scroll until EXIT
appears on the display.
8. Press the DISP button to exit programming. A chime
will be heard to verify the exit.

Using the Throttle Pedal
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds. If the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL light flashes, the system is reset. However, if it
stays on, it did not reset. You'll need to repeat the
reset procedure.

[Johnson]

Does the change oil light usually stay on while driving or flash on start up? For the first time since I have owned the car, tonight was the first time I have seen the change oil light come on. I found it real crazy because I still got 1000 miles to go before I am to 3,000. Will the real cold temperatures and a large amount of idle time cause it to come on?

[Johnson]

anyone know?

[SS Girl]

1. This thread is for how-tos, please post questions about the how-tos in the appropriate forum. Thanks!! (I'll be disabling replies in this section soon so that there won't be any issues.)

2. The change oil light does not come on based on mileage. It is nor preprogrammed to come on after any certain number of miles. It is based on the quality of the oil, so it will come on when it sees the oil quality deteriorate without regard to how many miles you have between changes.

Oh, and the light comes on and stays on for a period of time, but I think it shuts off after awhile, but it will come back on each time you restart.

[Devin]

Quote

Using the Throttle Pedal
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds. If the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL light flashes, the system is reset. However, if it
stays on, it did not reset. You'll need to repeat the
reset procedure.

this works on 5th gens also

[Z34Coop]

Thanks! did this in my 98 and it worked beautifully

This post has been edited by Z34Coop: 04 April 2010 - 09:42 PM

[badassmonte]

Devin, on 17 November 2009 - 09:42 AM, said:

Quote

Using the Throttle Pedal
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds. If the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL light flashes, the system is reset. However, if it
stays on, it did not reset. You'll need to repeat the
reset procedure.

this works on 5th gens also

Yes