oil life monitor function

Hello

I was interested in knowing how the oil life monitor on my 1997 Buick Regal LS works?

I have just done an oil change, and reset the little button so that the oil life reads 100%.

However when I hit 5000kms from the last oil change, the life was displayed at 33%. And I'm sure that I always reset the indicator after every fresh oil change. Can the computer detect that I used synthetic oil and perhaps prolonged the frequency?

If anyone has any ideas how this device works, I would appreciate the knowledge and their time. I mean how the computer determines to read the oil quality or is it set to run at 5000 to 7000kms (for synthetic)

Overall it is a handy device that I enjoy too bad it I noticed it like 3 months after I bought the Regal!!!

Larry

The PCM through internal programming and sensor input determines oil life based on engine revolutions (RPM) and engine operating temperature (ECT). It is not based on mileage.

It cannot detect what oil you use. When you change oil just reset it to read 100%. My experience with is it's very unreliable and I would not depend on it. On my Regal GS with DIC, 3000 miles on the odometer shows up way before the oil life monitor indicates time to change oil or shows zero.

i never waited to change the oil after the "change oil soon" light because I don't have the monitor in %. But once, I did 8000 km and the light never showed up! Since then, I said to myself, don't wait till the light show up, just change the oil at 5000 km thats it...

is my system might be wrong or should I wait til the light show up?!

I change the oil a lot of time without reseting the computer and after 60 000 km, still no light on!!! hmm something must be wrong, right???

Last oil change I did, I reset the light.. it blinked.. I'm gonna test it now I guess...