I just cycle to oil life message and hit reset info..

 

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According to the owner's manual,
if you read between the lines
the oil level is not checked when the engine is running or
if it has been running within the last 30 minutes.
it is better NOT to "read between the lines" -
just read what it says -

there is an actual float in the oil pan -
when the oil level is low - it turns the CHECK OIL LEVEL message ON -

the "book" tells you to check the dipstick while on level ground -
and after the engine has been OFF for a few minutes -
that gives the oil a chance to drain back into the pan -
so you get an accurate reading -

you can not actually "RESET" any DIC messages -
they are WARNINGS of a pending problem - or condition -

by using the INFO /\ or INFO \/ button -
the message will go away until the next ignition cycle -
but the message will re-appear until the problem is fixed -

if you are receiving the CHECK OIL LEVEL message - while on level ground -
you are either 2+ quarts of oil low -
which means you should be checking your oil MUCH more often than you are doing now -

or the oil level switch is defective -
and should be replaced -

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I just cycle to oil life message and hit reset info..

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I just cycle to oil life message and hit reset info..
that is the oil change reminder -
it has nothing to do with OIL LEVEL -

 

I knew that

 

Why did you get the message ??? Don't wait until the car screams "Help !!!". Perform weekly underhood checks.

 

I just replaced my oil level switch about a two months ago and these past two days ive been getting the check oil level message heres my dipstick reading:

I'll do an oil change this weekend but i'm suspecting my wiring might be bad, this was with the engine cold.

 

Just to clarify, my problem was getting the message to permanently clear once the low oil condition had been corrected. I have a relatively steep driveway and if the oil level is even a bit low it will set the sensor. Cycling through the messages and hitting RESET did not permanently clear it, it would reappear on the next start even when the low oil condition had been corrected. The first time this happened about a year ago I suspected the sensor and replaced it.

My whole point here is that immediately starting the engine does not allow the sensor to be re-checked and the message cleared, you have to wait with the key on and the engine not running to get the message to clear.

 

it would reappear on the next start even when the low oil condition had been corrected. The first time this happened about a year ago I suspected the sensor and replaced it.

That's odd. :hmm:

Keep in mind that the engine holds 7.5 qts. The message comes up about the time the oil level drops off of the dipstick and that is 2 - 2.5 qts. low, which means the the engine still has 5 - 5.5 qts in the pan. It's just a reminder and hardly anything to panic over.

 

That reminds me, how do you reprogram the "OIL Life" range. I think the oil percentage is based on 7,500 miles. I want the range to be based on 4,000 miles. Does anyone know how to do that reprogramming?


jACK

 

That reminds me, how do you reprogram the "OIL Life" range. I think the oil percentage is based on 7,500 miles. I want the range to be based on 4,000 miles. Does anyone know how to do that reprogramming?
jACK

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YOU can't control the "range" of the OLM system -
all you can do is set it back to 100% -

changing the oil "automatically" at 4000 could be wasting time - oil - and money -
OR it could be WAY overdue for a change -

the OLM system is quite a sophisticated little device -
it is NOT solely based on mileage -
the computer system actually analyzes HOW the car is used -
and based on that - adjusts the % remaining -

it actually has a 100% safety margin - meaning if you were to reach 0% -
you COULD reset it to 100% - and continue driving 'til it gets to 0% again -
without a problem -

I wouldn't do that - I'm just saying the OLM system is very "conservative" -
and you could go MUCH past 0% - without any problems -

since I don't put that many miles on my cars anymore -
I change the oil once a year -

 

You don't "re-program" the OLM. It's accurate, and you will do NO HARM to the engine by following it. Our 2002s will EASILY go to 10,000 miles OLM - especially if you drive mostly rural. City - the system will cut you off way before that. It's better at estimating oil life than we are. City driving is death on oil and engines; highway is pure pleasure.

Read the theory and description up in the Cadillac Technical Archive. Like basscatt, because I drive the car less than 8,000 miles/year, I change oil and filter each March - and the OLM is still at 45 - 60 % at that. I have added a total of 5 quarts of oil since 11/05...... and I have the receipts and hard copy logs to prove it. My car was originally sold (new) in 06/02 on Staten Island, NY. 48 hours later it left on a 2-day run to St. Pete, Florida - a week later it returned to NY. It did the Florida run twice a year in '03, '04, and once in '05, so it was no stranger to 85 on 95. We have done it 5 times since then. I am acquainted with the first owner - he furnished me with every paper on the car. Got lucky. I have absolutely no qualms about driving the living dog snot out of it - and I do. At 73.7 years I still enjoy "driving".

Why the blurb ^^^ ??? Most Northstars are reliable, strong, fast engines that demand to be driven. Drive it like Grandma and it will bite your butt - and there's a big difference between "exercising" an engine and abuse.

 

THERE IS NO RESET FOR "CHECK OIL LEVEL".
People have this really bad impression that if you get a message to service this or that, by simply resetting it will magically fix the issue.

Now think about it, if the manufacturers are smart enough to create the software and hardware that detects an issue and post the message, why they leave you with this aggravation of pressing a button (or combination of buttons, or even worst go to a mechanic to use a scanner) to reset the message? I mean they can easily reset the message automatically for you (better yet not even display it) and the issue is "magically fixed".
The only messages (codes) you reset are:
"Change oil soon" once you ACTUALLY change the oil as there is no such thing as oil quality sensor, the oil life indicator is a count down based on a fairly complicated algorithm you have no influence over (other than the way you drive the car).
"Low refrigerant pressure" will enable the A/C compressor clutch for a short while giving you chance to recharge the system, if the presure is not restored in this grace period the clutch is disabled again.

Anything else requires an actual action to fix the issue then you can reset the code (or better yet let it reset automatically once it detects the issue was fixed).

Now about “CHECK OIL LEVEL” message…
We are clearly aware this has to do with the oil level (the QTY of oil in the engine) not the oil pressure (very different issues, each handled by a different sensor - actually switch).

So there is an oil level sensor is a switch with a float much like the mechanism controlling the water flow in your toilette tank. The only difference is instead of opening/closing a tap to let water in, will open/close an electrical circuit read by the PCM.
The oil level is directly proportional with the oil QTY (as the volume/shape of the oil pan is always the same).
Bellow a certain QTY of oil (5.5 q) the oil level is below the point where the oil level is triggered (not sure if NC or NO - not important as long as you don't think to bypass it).
This is the case if the engine rests on a perfectly horizontal surface and is off.
When the engine is turned on the crank shaft stirs the oil all over, the oil pump sucks most of it and send it up into the engine, when cornering/breaking/accelerating the oil is sloshing all over. So pretty much the oil level switch will read random levels (under over).
It is not impossible, but is pretty costly to design a system that is able to read the oil level while the engine is running, you will pay way more for the car with such a smart oil level measuring system.
So here is how the oil level measurement actually works.
The PCM ignores completely the readings from the oil level sensor at ANY TIME except at startup and ONLY once the engine was OFF for more than 30 minutes.
Why 30 minutes?
Because it takes time for the thick oil to flow down into the oil pan (30 min is a good safe time).
The oil level sensor is located in the front right side of the oil pan.
If the car is parked on a slope with the nose and or the right side pointing down then the oil will flow to the front right side of the oil pan way above the sensor thus even with a low oil level condition you will not trigger the sensor.
On the other hand if the car is parked with the nose or the left side pointing up the slope then the oil will stay on the back/left side of the oil pan (away from the sensor) thus triggering a false low oil lever reading.

Once the PCM detects a low oil level reading and is in the condition when will actually consider it (engine of for at least 30 min) then will keep the message ON until the next ignition cycle (turn off the engine = reset the message). If the engine is off less then 30 min at restart since the PCM ignores the oil level sensor will no longer post the message (even if the oil level is low).
If you decide to ignore the message and keep the engine on withouth adding oil then you can press the “INFO” button (= ACKNOWLEDGED).