OK this may be obvious to a lot of you but I need help. The manual says there is an oil life indicator, people talk about it here on this site but where is it? I figure it would show on the DIC but where.....or rather what section is it under?

Thanks

I have only seen it in engineering mode.

It is in the engineering mode. To access engineering mode, simply hold the "enter" button on the steering wheel and turn the car on. Cycle through the menu until you find "engine oil life" Someone posted a thread on this site showing all of the feature of the beloved engineering mode.

You normally won't see any indication at all (except in Engineering Mode, as stated above) until the oil monitoring system determines that it's time for you to change the oil. At that point you'll get some kind of indicator on the dash.

Someone posted a thread on this site showing all of the feature of the beloved engineering mode.


That was me and it's here

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1790

You normally won't see any indication at all (except in Engineering Mode, as stated above) until the oil monitoring system determines that it's time for you to change the oil. At that point you'll get some kind of indicator on the dash.

Sounds like you've already seen that little reminder. ;)

Sounds like you've already seen that little reminder. ;)

Nope, just read about it in the manual.

So, unlike my 2003 GP, I won't be able to watch the % count down from 100 to 0 just by hitting a mode button to cycle through the display? What good then is the system if I don't want to wait for 0, but instead maybe want top change at 20% or even 50%. I'll have to enter engineering mode on a regular basis, I suppose - but with all that info available , why isn't it made readily available?

So, unlike my 2003 GP, I won't be able to watch the % count down from 100 to 0 just by hitting a mode button to cycle through the display? What good then is the system if I don't want to wait for 0, but instead maybe want top change at 20% or even 50%. I'll have to enter engineering mode on a regular basis, I suppose - but with all that info available , why isn't it made readily available?
You can see the percentage in the Engineering Mode. Just call it up once a week or so.

Yes, but I am used to 4 distinct display modes being available at a push of a button - at speed, not sitting parked in teh garage and inputing the "secret code" for something that should be part of the display. What little info IS displayed? And which software engineer in the forum can come up with a way to have the vehicle start up in engineering mode just by turning the key?

Of the items in e.m. I've bolded things that should be available all the time, IMO. Are these items unique to e.m. or are some (assuming speed and tachare at least) dual display?

Battery Voltage
Battery Charge (%)
Remaining Fuel (gal)
Instant Fuel (gal/hr)
Coolant Temp
Speed
Tach
Tire Pressure
Engine Oil Life (%)
Parking Lights (on/off)
Switch Voltage (reads 4.86 ???)
Current Gear
Active Fuel Management
Throttle Position
Trans Sump Temp

Chief, of the items you bolded, the following are available either in the standard DIC display, or elsewhere:

-- Battery Voltage (persistent center console display)
-- Coolant Temp (temperature gauge - I know it's not in degrees F, though)
-- Tire Pressure (standard DIC display, all 4 tires)
-- Current Gear (standard DIC display, for sport and manual shift, not in normal mode)

Battery Voltage
Battery Charge (%)
Remaining Fuel (gal)
Instant Fuel (gal/hr)
Coolant Temp
Speed
Tach
Tire Pressure
Engine Oil Life (%)
Parking Lights (on/off)
Switch Voltage (reads 4.86 ???)
Current Gear
Active Fuel Management
Throttle Position
Trans Sump Temp

:iagree: Wholeheartedly.

I don't understand the fascination with wanting to know when DOD / AFM is active.

For one, the engine transisitions in and out of that mode seamlessly. I mean it, there is no detectable lag whatsoever.

For another, you can feel it. If you put on aftermarket pipes, you'll be able to hear it, too.

Yes, but I am used to 4 distinct display modes being available at a push of a button - at speed, not sitting parked in teh garage and inputing the "secret code" for something that should be part of the display. What little info IS displayed? And which software engineer in the forum can come up with a way to have the vehicle start up in engineering mode just by turning the key?

Of the items in e.m. I've bolded things that should be available all the time, IMO. Are these items unique to e.m. or are some (assuming speed and tachare at least) dual display?

Battery Voltage
Battery Charge (%)
Remaining Fuel (gal)
Instant Fuel (gal/hr)
Coolant Temp
Speed
Tach
Tire Pressure
Engine Oil Life (%)
Parking Lights (on/off)
Switch Voltage (reads 4.86 ???)
Current Gear
Active Fuel Management
Throttle Position
Trans Sump Temp

It's mind bogling why "remaining fuel" isn't at least a normal DIC item.

I'm driving down the freeway and getting low on fuel and have to pull over and shut the car down and restart it in engineering mode to see how many gallons I have left??

I'd love to have the capability to pick and choose what I want the DIC to display.

Is the DIC capability controlled by the ECM or BCM? I'd love a custom program.

I don't understand the fascination with wanting to know when DOD / AFM is active.

For one, the engine transisitions in and out of that mode seamlessly. I mean it, there is no detectable lag whatsoever.

For another, you can feel it. If you put on aftermarket pipes, you'll be able to hear it, too.


** MY ** fascination with knowing if AFM is active ( or not ) is quite a practical one:

If I can decrease my speed by 1 or 2 MPH, and gain 2 or 3 MPG, by allowing AFM to engage, I see that as a very reasonable trade-off. Where ( setting aside AFW ) one might only see a 1 MPG improvement \ difference in MPG over that small difference in cruising speeds.

Even over a 5 hour \ 375 mile trip, the difference in total time on the road between driving at 73 vs 75 MPH ( for example ) would only require roughly an additional 8 minutes.

If I can gain 3 MPG, for that same trip of 5 hours ( 375 miles ) if the difference is 26 MPG vs 23 MPG, then I’d ‘spend’ approx. 1.9 fewer gallons, to drive that 375 miles – and at $3.50/gallon, I spend approx. $6.50 less – for an additional 8 minutes added to ( that leg of ) the trip.

This seems a fair trade, for me.

On the other hand, if ( as seems likely from the few posters who have experimented ) the reality is more like 23 MPG at 71 and 26 MPG at 68 or 69, I do want to know that as well. Though my ‘open highway’ decision may be different. I do sometimes drive rural, & generally lightly traveled, roads where 65 to 70 is a more typical speed. Again, I just want to know where \ when the ‘step’ increase offered by AFM is available.

Meaning: I might be willing to decrease my speed from 75 to 73, knowing the reduced fuel consumption by 3 MPG – but I may ** NOT ** be willing to reduce my speed to reduce that consumption by 1 MPG. And I may not be willing to reduce my speed my ‘enough’ to engage AFM, if I know that means reducing my speed to 68 or 69. Where that would require \ ‘cost’ me an additional half hour on my hypothetical 5 hour \ 375 mile journey - and also just feel ‘too slow’, to me.

On the Open Road, outside the Atlanta Metro area, I typically cruise at 75-ish, where traffic & road conditions allow, and where that is within the typical ‘tolerance’ allowed by local patrol units.

I would simply like to be able to make an informed judgment in choosing my cruising speed – and decide if that incremental increase in fuel economy is ‘worth’ the increased time on the road.

Just my 0.02 gallons worth.
YMMV.
- Ray
Willing to burn gas – but preferring to understand the burn rate . . .

I would simply like to be able to make an informed judgment in choosing my cruising speed – and decide if that incremental increase in fuel economy is ‘worth’ the increased time on the road.

Just my 0.02 gallons worth.
YMMV.
- Ray
Willing to burn gas – but preferring to understand the burn rate . . .
All good, Ray, and I see where you're coming from. Still, though, I can feel every time the engine goes into DOD/AFM and can modulate the pedal to keep it there. I have to agree that if you are really making an art out of trying to get the engine into that mode, that a visual cue would be very helpful.

Is there anything that is normally displayed in the DIC that isn't available in engineering mode?

All good, Ray, and I see where you're coming from. Still, though, I can feel every time the engine goes into DOD/AFM and can modulate the pedal to keep it there. I have to agree that if you are really making an art out of trying to get the engine into that mode, that a visual cue would be very helpful.

I certainly don't think any of my driving rises to the level of
'art' - and much of my driving is in heavy traffic, limiting the
travel speeds ...
When I do have the choice of cruising speed,
I like to make an informed choice.
That's all.
- Ray
Could not feel DoD on \ off in my 2005 GP GXP...

I spent 5 hours behind the windshield this morning driving from Indy to Ann Arbor. Gas station to I65 was less than a mile. Average spped was 69.9 mph according to the DIC. My avg. was 21.9. This has been pretty consistant for me.
I spent quite a bit of it doing 75 mph, with M60 in MI around 62 for 30 miles or so.
Any headwind at all causes quite the problem with AFM, as does any slight incline.
I watched instant mileage as my indication I was in AFM. At 75 mph in AFM, my instant mileage was around 2.0 gallons per hour.
With AFM off it was close to 3.75 GPH.
Now, this was all with cruize enabled. I think that it is slow to react to inclines and initally uses more pedal than is needed. On inclines the GPH jumped to over 5.0 GPH, of course only for a few seconds.
My G8 has 1800 miles on it, and seems to have come alive a little bit more on the HP it seems.
I would suspect that 22 is going to be my best Avg. for interstate mileage.
Confession. Only 1 run to 110 was in my calculations. That I recall. :)
Around a corner. :gears:

I certainly don't think any of my driving rises to the level of
'art' - and much of my driving is in heavy traffic, limiting the
travel speeds ...
When I do have the choice of cruising speed,
I like to make an informed choice.
That's all.
- Ray
Could not feel DoD on \ off in my 2005 GP GXP...
We (me and others on the board) can sure feel it in the G8 GT. Through the steering wheel and the floorboards. It's almost like you are driving over lightly grooved pavement, across the grooves. Once you become aware of it it's easy to either ignore or factor in, as you choose.

MPGs/Avg Speed and Odometer/Trip aren't in Engineering Mode.
Remaining fuel is in the Main Mode.

I no longer consider it highway miles just because I'm on the highway. My average speed over the last month has been around 37MPH and I drive at least 30 miles each direction to work. At least 15 of those miles are on the highway.

The DIC is actually pretty accurate when it calculates MPG, unlike my 01 GP GTP. I've taken 5 measurements since 3/25 and I've calculated an average MPG of 18.072 and the computer has me at an average of 18.0. I've been at worst off by .228MPG and as close as .002MPG.

Mike