Chevy Silverado, like many other vehicles, has a computer system that tells the owner when to change oil built into it.
This is one way the oil level in the vehicle is kept at a sufficient level to allow the car to work properly and not turn itself off.
However, not everyone can read the signs or even know what to do after changing the engine oil, and the notification persists.
“We will share a couple of methods in this article on how to reset oil life on Chevy Silverado. They are quite easy to follow and don’t require the aid of a mechanic, except they’ve failed to work. Chevy Silverado is designed to allow resting mechanisms like a steering button, cluster button, and pedal.”
You may also be caught up in a situation where the change oil light is still flickering while you’ve carried out the change. Find out how to clear that and resume your driving.
What Does Remaining Oil life Mean in Chevy?
The remaining oil life indicator on Chevy helps a driver keep track of the duration of use of the engine oil. It is essentially designed to let you know when your oil needs to be changed.
The system normally tracks the driver’s engine mileage and the time the car has run since you last changed the oil.
When your car engine starts for the first time after an oil change, the indicator will reset itself to 100%.
When the remaining oil indicator reaches 30%, what this means is that the engine has only a life of 30% left and needs to get an oil replacement soon.
This is often quite helpful to users of the car. However, you should bear in mind that it is just an estimate. The actual lifespan your oil has would depend on factors like
- The kind of oil in use
- Driving conditions of the car
- The model and how long the vehicle has been
How Do I Clear My Change Oil Soon Light?
There are two ways to clear the change oil light from your vehicle.
For Chevy models that don’t have a Vehicle Information Center(VIC), all you have to do is apply the two-step procedure below:
- Get your car wheel and shut all doors. Insert your key into the ignition and turn it to the accessory position. When you do this, the instrument panel will come on.
- You’ve turned the key within the first five seconds and pressed down your accelerator pedal. Monitor the oil light and expect it to flash before it turns off. You can now take your foot off the pedal, turn the ignition off and remove your key.
If the light stays on, you must try the procedure again.
If your Chevy has a Vehicle Information Center for 2006 models or later, you must follow a slightly different procedure. Check the simple steps below:
- Turn your ignition key to the car accessory position
- Find the enter button when the oil message is displayed. The enter button is typically located in the driver information center. The panel detects your reset and acknowledges it. This allows you to turn your key to the off position.
- Now start your vehicle. The change oil light will stay off till the next time you’re required to change your oil.
How to Reset Oil Life On Chevy Silverado(Video)
All Chevy models have different ways of resetting their oil life. Some models are grouped to be reset the say way by the manufacturers, while others, especially newer models, follow a slightly different procedure.
Check them out below to find out what method you should use for the model year of your Chevy.
01. Reset Procedure for 1996-2006
- Turn the vehicle’s ignition to the ON position while the engine is off
- Press down the accelerator pedal to a throttle wide open in a time frame of five seconds.
- Move the ignition to the LOCK/OFF positions.
- If the light or message fails to turn off, turn off the ignition and try the procedure again.
02. Reset Procedure for 2007-2015
- With the engine still off, turn its ignition switch to RUN
- Locate the TRIP/SELECT or SET/RESET button. You will find it on the DIC. Press it until the oil life display comes on.
- The message will show you the renaming percentage of oil life.
- Hold down the SET/RESET button. Alternatively, you can press the check-symbol button on the DIC for about five seconds.
- The message then changes, showing that the engine oil life has been reset.
- Some models have 3 chimes that will make a sound when this happens
- Turn off the ignition
03. Alternate Procedure
- With the engine off, turn the ignition to position ON
- Press down the accelerator pedal about 3 times, all done within 5 seconds
- Turn the car ignition to the ON/OFF position
- If the light fails to turn off, turn the ignition to position OFF and repeat this procedure.
04. Reset Procedure for 2016-2021
- As soon as the change oil soon message displays, press any of the three DIC buttons. This will clear the message.
- Oil life reset will be displayed on the DIC. Press the ENTER button and hold it for at least a second.
- An acknowledged message will display for about 3 seconds, or until you press the next button. This is an indicator that the system has been reset.
- Turn the ignition to position OFF.
- If the change oil life notification comes back on when the car is started, it means there wasn’t a successful reset to the Engine Oil Life system. You need to carry out the procedure again.
O5. Rest procedure for the 2022 model
- Turn the car ignition to position On without starting the engine. The key will only l need to be turned until the vehicle’s electronics power is on. The dashboard light will come on.
- There are arrow keys on the wheel of the steering. Use them as a guide to scroll across till you arrive at the i/information menu.
- A toggle button is located at the center of these arrow buttons. Press it to pick the I menu.
- Use the same toggle button and press it again when you find “oil life.”
- Press down the thumb wheel until a message that reads “are you sure you want to reset” is displayed.
- Select yes, and this will finish up the oil life reset on the Chevy 2022 model.
- At this point, the oil life message would now display ‘100%.’
What Oil Percentage to Change Oil, Chevy?
The oil life meter can be found on the information display on the vehicle’s dashboard. It usually counts from 100% down to 0% oil life as you keep driving the vehicle.
At this point, the system will trigger a notification reminder, “change engine oil soon.”
Typically, at around 15%, which happens to be a threshold for many GMC vehicles, the vehicle will remind the driver that an oil change is required. This gives the user enough time to plan before a service.
You mustn’t procrastinate till the oil level reads 0% before you service it. Waiting till service is overdue places your vehicle at risk of engine damage.
GM recommends the user carry out an oil change with two fuel tanks filled from when the first notification arrives.
Here is the notification you get when your vehicle engine oil reaches a certain usage level.
i) 15% Oil Life
Recommendation: Engine service is due soon
Action to be carried out: schedule an engine service soon.
ii) 5% Oil Life
Recommendation: Engine service is due now
Action required to be carried out: Have your car serviced as soon as you can
iii) 0% Oil Life
Recommendation: Service is past due
Action required: Engine service is overdue. You need to service your vehicle immediately.
There is also scheduled maintenance recommended by Chevrolet according to the number of miles covered throughout the life of your vehicle.
iv) 25,000 Miles
You need to inspect the fuel system and make the needed recommendations at this mile. You must also inspect your exhaust systems and make all the needed recommendations.
If you’re using a Chevy car, you may need to change the fuel filter.
v) 50,000 Miles
At this mile, you need to inspect the fuel system, make needed recommendations, inspect the exhaust system and make all necessary recommendations.
You also need to replace the air cleaner filter with the engine. The automatic transmission fluid has to be replaced as well, as well as the transaxle fluid.
The throttle body needs to be cleaned. Do xam to the throttle body.
The evaporative system lines need to be cleaned too. Also, clean the hoses and valves; replace the engine fuel filter if it’s a car.
vi) 75,000 Miles
You need to examine the fuel system at this mile and make all necessary recommendations. Then also inspect the exhaust system and make all necessary recommendations too.
Have the engine air cleaner filter replaced and replace the engine fuel filter for cars.
vii) 100,000 Miles
At this mile, you should inspect your vehicle’s fuel system, make all necessary recommendations, inspect the exhaust system and make the necessary recommendations.
You should also replace the air cleaner filter, transmission, and transaxle fluid. At this mile, you also need to change the spark plug of your engine, then clean the air intake and the throttle body.
The evaporative system lines should also be cleaned, as well as the hoses and valves.
viii) 150,000 Miles
Having covered this mile, you need to examine your car’s fuel system and make all necessary recommendations.
Do the same with the exhaust system and replace the air cleaner filter of the car’s engine. Inspect the accessory drive belt of your engine and clean the evaporative control system lines.
Can You Trust Oil Life Indicators?
Studies show that oil life indicators can be relied upon to provide near-accurate guidance on the oil level of a car.
The oil sensors programmed into the system collect data on time, distance trip durations, and engine temperatures.
As the system is fed this data, it is run through an algorithm that predicts when the oil degradation will set in.
Engineers have devised a fairly accurate model of calculating what oil life is left in percentage without actually having to sample oil.
Oil life indicators can be trusted because they are designed to detect your driving conditions and adjust accordingly.
However, like every programmed system, there isn’t a 100% guarantee of effectiveness. Nonetheless, oil life indicators perform fairly well in keeping your oil levels in check.
How Many Miles Can I Drive with a 30% Oil Life?
The number of miles expected to be covered with a 30% oil life isn’t a static figure. It especially varies across different vehicles and models.
A 30% oil level is considered twice the threshold of oil level in Chevy vehicles and can serve a driver anywhere between 2,000 to 6,000 miles.
However, you need to pay attention to your indicator, as a drop to 15% calls for an oil change in the quickest possible time.
Read More Questions (FAQs)
Can the remaining oil life indicator on my vehicle be reset?
Yes, your vehicle’s remaining oil life indicator can be reset if you carry out the oil change yourself. To reset the system, you would need the help of your owner manual.
This is because there are different procedures for different make and manuals.
Why did my car oil indicator run down so quickly?
There are a few reasons why a vehicle’s oil indicator can run down quicker than usual. The first is that the driver may have driven more miles than he normally does.
The system keeps track of time and mileage, so putting more miles than usual would cause the indicator to run down quicker.
Secondly, harsh driving conditions can make your oil indicator go down faster than normal. Then lastly, an ln electrical fault could result in your car oil indicator running down faster than usual.
What factors can impact the lifespan of a vehicle’s engine oil?
The number one factor that can influence the lifespan of a vehicle’s oil is the type of oil used. There are synthetic, conventional, and semi-synthetic oils.
Conventional oil is the most affordable but puts on the user the burden of charging the oil frequently.
Your driving conditions m, as well the make and model of the car, can also affect how long the oil would last during operation.
Conclusion
Oil life indicators are designed to make oil changes in your Chevy prompt and timely. They can be relied upon as a guide to keep your oil within safe levels. However, they aren’t always 100% accurate.
This article shows you the procedure you can take to reset your Chevy Silverado’s oil levels. We trust the model you’re riding was featured in the above section.
So, if you have the question, “how do you reset the change oil light in Silverado ” still lurking in your mind, find your car model and run through the steps to follow to get that done. Cheers!