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Change oil soon reset

4K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  RB2005XLT 
#1 ·
I've looked, but I can't find anything about this problem. I've had this 05 Explorer for about a year. I changed the oil when I got it, and twice since then. Each time I reset the oil life indicator in the information center, and it shows 100% oil life when I do this. However, I keep getting a message that says "Change Oil Soon" every time I start the car, and I have to manually clear it each time. Is there a separate oil life indicator that I have to clear?
 
#2 ·
This info should be in the owner's manual which you can get here;
https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp

However it should be something like the following quote from Exproblems:

On your dashboard buttons for the PCM message center, keep pressing the "Setup" button until you see the option for "Press reset at oil change" listed on your message screen, then press and release button to show the message "Hold reset to confirm", then press and hold down the "Reset" button until it resets the system to a "5,000 mile oil life mark or 100%". Just hold down the "reset" button (takes about 2-4 seconds) until the message screen goes back to it's normal odometer screen. The 5,000 mile oil change warning message will be reset then.
 
#3 ·
If you had read the original post instead of just the title, you would see that I have been resetting the oil life in the message center. It makes no difference. Right now the oil life reads 99% (I reset it again yesterday,) and it still gives me the change oil soon message. My question is, is there something else that needs to be reset?
 
#4 ·
I don't know of anyone who followed the procedure in the owner's manual and was not able to get it reset, so you either did not follow that or you have a unique problem and I don't know the answer... it happens. ;)
 
#5 ·
Again, not helpful. I clearly stated that when I reset it the oil life indicator goes back to 100%, but I still get the nag.

Does anyone who has actually read my post have an answer? Either there is a second reset procedure, or I have some other problem.
 
#6 ·
CHANGE OIL SOON/OIL CHANGE REQUIRED. Displayed when the
engine oil life remaining is 5 percent or less. When oil life left is between
5% and 0%, the CHANGE OIL SOON message will be displayed. When oil
life left reaches 0%, the OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message will be
displayed.
An oil change is required whenever indicated by the message center and
according to the recommended maintenance schedule. USE ONLY
RECOMMENDED ENGINE OILS.
To reset the oil monitoring system to 100% after each oil change
[approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles) or 180 days] perform the
following:
1. Select this function from the
SETUP control for current display
mode.
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
75
2. Press and release the RESET
control to display “HOLD RESET
TO CONFIRM”.
3. Press and hold the RESET
control to display “OIL LIFE SET
TO 100%”. Your oil life is now reset.
To reset the oil monitoring system to your personalized oil life %:
1. From step 3 above.
2. Release the RESET control
momentarily, then press RESET and
SETUP controls at the same time to
activate a service mode which will
display “OIL LIFE XX% RESET TO
ALTER”.
3. Press RESET until you find your personalized OIL LIFE XX%.
4. With your personalized OIL LIFE XX% displayed, press SETUP to
continue the system check.

Cycle the key OFF. Some people had to do it twice.

Contact your dealer as soon as possible if these messages occur on a
regular basis.
 
#8 ·
Have 2005 XLT with 126,386 on the odometer, I do my own oil changes too and had a similar thing going on recently. By my calculations I have 1,310 miles left before my next oil change is due (26.2% oil life left based on 5,000 mile interval) but the message "Oil Change Required" has been popping up for some time now. I do reset the oil change reminder with each oil change. Just for grins I followed the instructions as mentioned above. The first time I held the RESET button until the screen went back to a normal display. When I recycled the ignition the warning message was back. Next time I let go of the RESET button when the message showed oil life was reset to 100%. I followed that with another system check and it showed 100% and no more warning. I then used the personalized oil life remaining method to reset my oil life to something close to reality (should be 26%). FYI: the personalized settings only drop from 100 to 30 in decrements of 10, then it goes back to 100. I left it at 30% and so far no warning message. Time will tell.
 
#11 ·
Since my last post (Nov 5th) haven't had the errant message pop up. Did an oil change today and reset the oil life to 100%. Shut down and did a restart - no message and oil life still shows 100%. From your original post gmcgann it sounds like you're getting the message immediately after a successful reset - mine didn't start going stupid until I was about 3K into the 5K interval and now it seems to be behaving. I'll see what happens when I get close to the 3K mileage on this change. You may have a computer glitch - maybe the PO tried to flash the computer with an upgrade and it BUFU'd the oil monitor part of the computer. If the PO changed the throttle body it may have required a flash of the computer and since these rigs are Flex Fuel rated who knows what that might do?
 
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