Oil life indicator has nothing to do with oil LEVEL.

It is a computer generated calculation based on how you drive (i.e. number of cold starts, number of operating hours, miles traveled, etc.) If you do not reset the oil life monitor after an oil change, it will not know that you changed the oil. There is no actual sensor that monitors the condition of the oil either.

 

So looking at the photo , I'm fine?

 

Yes, your oil level is fine, and the oil itself looks to be in good shape too. You can continue to drive on it. Perhaps you had an oil change done without resetting the monitor. When was the last oil change done?

That being said, if the oil life monitor was properly reset after the previous oil change, and it has been 5K+ miles since the last oil change, then you should change it again as it is time.

 

Oil looks okay, though definitely looks used. 15% is not a sign that the oil should be changed immediately, more of a sign that it is coming up and you should prepare to get it done. My Accord is at 15% at the moment but I'm in no rush, I don't plan on taking it in for another month.

 

50% corresponds to about 5000mi normal mixed driving, so Id say it is due for the oil change if its at 15% unless it wasnt reset last time

 

Ol thanks!

 

+1 on the comments above...

your question was a bit vague...
assume you meant are you OK because the oil doesn't look too dark, and not the level.

oil gets darker from oxidation, heat and the carbon buildup from the internal combustion process.
driving style and conditions will affect how it looks.
ultimately, oil has a finite life-cycle, which is where the maintenance minder (MM) algorithm comes in.

I absolutely beat the piss out of my ody and acura, and when the maintenance minder reaches 15% the oil is BLACK.

it's good you waited for the maintenance minder to reach 15%, you should never clear/reset it before it due/alerts as there are other maintenance intervals it will alert you on that are dependent on that.

The wife's civic will get 2 oil changes before the MM goes off (time vs mileage)
Its a driveway queen, oil always looks light brown at change time.

 

Also, check the overall mileage and time as oil is meant to be pumped through and replaced periodically as part of it's job is to absorb contaminants.

 

One thing that has been alluded-to but not sufficiently stated is the oil life monitor cannot know whether you use synthetic or regular, or maybe a syn-blend. It is programmed for a compromise oil, the synthetic blend. regular non-synthetic oil is not going to 'last' as long as a synthetic blend, and a full synthetic is even better - the OLM is simply a guess to let you know that you should be thinking about an oil change.
Change interval for you is going to depend on how fast or slow you put miles on. If you do about 7500 miles in 6 mo., you would change at 6 mo. If it takes a year to go 7500 or a little more, you would change at a year. This is based on the appearance of your oil at what the car says is 15% oil life remaining. The comment made about the OLM not having been re-set at the last service making your oil a lot younger than it sounds is absolutely possible and it happens regularly. Its up to you to know the mileage of the last change and at what mileage you want to start thinking about an oil change, but if my oil looked like that at 15% I would re-set it and go around again.
True, looking at the oil is not a scientific analysis of its condition, but ask any mechanic who sees that oil if you can go longer on it and he's going to say Hell yeah! You don't know what these guys see every day - your oil is pristine and is far from being needed to change

 

I would change the oil and filter to what I prefer to use, reset the MM, then I have a reference for future oil changes.

 

last week computer started showing 15% oil life, but looking at dip stick. It looks fine... any advice

A visual look at the oil has little bearing on its chemical ability to protect the engine. Also, the oil life is a calculation by the PCM, not some measurement of actual oil quality.

If you want to push out your oil change interval, get your oil tested by an actual lab and see if it will keep protecting your engine for longer. Or, change your oil on the factory 'schedule' and you'll also be fine.

-Charlie

 

That's just for how long the oil is good for not how full your oil level is.

 

Holy cow! Are you a first-time car owner? Not trying to be mean but the oil life indicator is not like a fuel gauge telling you how much oil is left. Oil only has a certain useful life before it becomes too dirty and loses some of its lubricating properties and must be replaced or you will damage the engine. When it gets down to 5%, it's time to schedule an appointment to have the oil changed.

 

Once in a while this question comes up. I can never figure out what is so complicated here. Do not use the maintenance minder much... I have put over one and a quarter million miles on my cars. To date, have never had an engine failure. One of them had 425k miles when I sold it and was in running condition. The previous Odyssey had 300K miles. Until recently have not used synthetic oils, although "regular" ones are getting if not impossible to find. Some used mostly Pennzoil but have used Quakersludge, Castrol and others. Change the darn thing every six, seven thousand miles along with the filter and you'll be ok. Life's too short to worry so much about minor things.

 

I'm pretty sure the Odyssey oil life monitor algorithm is set up for at least semisynthetic oil. My wife's Acura with this engine specs full synthetic. My Ody has also always had full synthetic. You do that for fuel mileage. Hondas rarely burn oil until they are over 200k. They can leak it. They can have piston ring issues with the VCM models. But the oil level is going to be at the top when the oil needs changing Unless there is something wrong. The oil life monitor is real. We have had folks driving exclusively in NYC have their oil life get to 15% at less than 3000k. You can just keep driving until it gets to 0% left. Then change it. I'm averaging between 7 & 8 k between changes using the MM.

By the way, if you ignore the MM and never let it get to 15%, it will never show the codes for other maintenance required. This is probably how the important #3 (trans fluid changes) does not get done.

 

I think you are confusing two different things. The first is oil level. Oil lever is measured as you are doing in your picture. The display you are talking about is oil life. That is basically a reminder of when you need to change your oil. Honda is taking an educated guess as to when you should change your oil. The oil level and/or color will not tell you when it is time to change your oil. Right now your oil is fine, but shortly you will need to change your oil.

 

I don't understand the criticism of OP. I'm glad to see someone asking questions and learning.

Remember, for a given fact that "everyone" supposedly knows, 10,000 people are learning about it for the first time, every day.

 

Also watch some videos on fram oil filters. I worked in a shop for years in my high school days, so we got to cut open a lot of different filters. Fram is one of the most highly advertised filter brands out there. But as far as quality goes, has not had a very good reputation in that department. Do your own research. Watch some youtube videos. I think you'll see why. Due to the high-quality engineering involved I like Wix or Mann filters. Which btw, Wix makes a lot of other brands, but they manufacture them to the other brands specs. So, the quality and materials used is different.

 

If you're talking about the Fram ExtraGuard, the orange one, then sure, but the ToughGuard is an excellent filter and the Ultra is widely considered beyond reproach. Fram also came out with their Endurance filter recently, which is basically the OG Ultra but then they also raised the price on it....a-hoes.

Several YT videos and also various posters that have cut them open on BITOG have experienced lowered quality on the Wix filters, in addition to their fairly abysmal filter efficiency.

 

As much as I recognize the importance of using high quality fluids and filters, there are very few of either on the market that are actually so bad that you absolutely shouldn't use them. I personally ascribe to the mentality that it's more beneficial to change your oil often with whatever decent quality brand oil and filter than to use the highest quality stuff and then try to squeeze every last mile out of it.

 

And that goes for everything. I cringe hard when I see posts like, "got 150k out of my stock brakes!" yeesh

 

I'd say, that your oil doesn't look fine. It looks to be a tad on the brown side. It is full, of course. I didn't see, but how many miles are on it?

I have a fleet of cars. I change them all at 5k. For example, every, 200K, 210K, 215K, etc.

AND, I won't put a Fram on my cars. They cheaper Frams are regarded as being cheap. In order to make anything cheap, you have to cut corners.

 

There is a fine line between keeping parts for too long and wasting money changing things that don't need changing.

Using the brakes as an example, if your brakes are good enough to last 150k, why change perfectly good brakes just because some are uncomfortable with the idea of brakes lasting a long time? I could go change my brake rotors right now, but I'd be throwing away perfectly good rotors.

 

If you have good brakes at 150k, especially on a minivan, it means you drive slow af. xD

 

The newer Odysseys use the rear brakes more, so there may be wear a little sooner than one is used to. Us old farts need to learn to stomp & stay so the ABS works as intended.

 

When in doubt, I am religious about changing my oil every 5-6k miles or 5-6 months regardless of what the MIL says. Call me old school, but $33 (I get Pennzoil Platinum) for quality 0w-20 5qt jug and a $7 Genuine OEM Honda filter, and 20 minutes in my driveway for a fresh change is cheap insurance.

 

When in doubt, I am religious about changing my oil every 5k miles or 5 months regardless of what the MIL says. Call me old school, but $40 for a 5qt jug and a OEM filter and 20 minutes in my driveway for a fresh change is cheap insurance.

Except you miss the codes for other service required. This advice just wastes oil. Ignore your grandpappy's advise and use the maintenance minder. Religion has nothing to do with it, although I do have faith in changing the transmission fluid every other oil change.

 

+1 - I also ignore codes. I changed timing belt/water pump at 82K, coolant was changed then. Spark plugs done at 84K. Valve adjustment not really needed until 150K+.

Oil and filter every 5-6K. Transmission fluid every 15Kish. Power steering fluid every so often. Brakes, tires, etc. as needed. Doesn't matter what the maintenance minder tells me.

 

^^^ That's dirt cheap!

 

15% oil life came on after oil change and oil life indicator reset, whats going on?

 

That is not nearly enough information to give you an answer. Questions:
How many miles (km) since your last oil change?
What was the oil life % when you last got your oil changed?
Did the maintenance minder show 100% after being reset?

If it was reset to 100% after the last change and all of your driving has been in town with lots of stops (including restarting the engine) the weather extremely hot or cold, it is entirely possible the oil life might rapidly drop to 15%.
All that proves is that the algorithm actually works.
Or maybe it never really got reset.