Genebaby wrote:
I have also heard that you really need the dealer to change the oil as there is some kind of counter that the ECU uses to determine the age/drive time of the oil, so if you change it to new oil and this doesn't get reset, it's all out of whack.
Anybody know anything about this?
With regards to the oil counter....
There is a oil exchange service setting that needs to be reset. Ideally after every service, but if you are doing 7500 intervals i wouldnt bother.
The ECU records all the extra fuel added to regenerate the DPF. It then calculates how much of this has entered the engine oil, thus increasing the level and diluting the oil.
If there is a problem with the system and the dpf cant regenerate, the ecu will keep trying, the oil level will rise, and the counter will increase. Once it has reached its calculated maximum of 1550cc it will create a fault code and stop trying to regen, and if you keep going the DPF will clog quite quickly.
On a car that is performing as it should, the oil counter will not increase, I often see 0cc as the figure during checking. Anything up to 400cc i would average out as normal operation. A car that does not get hot enough to regenerate effectively because of stop/start short journeys etc. could have this amount recorded.
These are the cars that it is important to get it reset at oil change, because its an indicator of a potential fault, and if the counter does not get reset it will accumalate and reach 1550cc, even though it has had all its servicing, the code will be generated, and a trip to a garage to investigate will be needed.
A good technician would be able to look at all the data, including service history, and deduce that it just has never been reset due to not being serviced at dealer or competant garage. But if it went back to Ted in the Shed motors, he could be looking for a fault that isnt there.
So if you change the oil yourself, leaving the reset till next normal service would be ok, as not much is gonna happen in 7500, and it is more useful to reset it then to see how the system is performing.
Hope this helps